Arthur Miller's Central Thesis

“Tragedy and the Common Man” by Arthur Miller

What is Miller’s central thesis?

Arthur Miller's central thesis in this passage is that tragedy is not only reserved for kings or elevated characters, but it is also applicable to the common man. He argues that "the common man is as apt a subject for tragedy in its highest sense as kings were." (Miller, p.1) Miller supports his argument by pointing out that modern psychiatry analyzes complex emotions based on classic tragedies enacted by royalty, but which apply to everyone. Miller also states that the masses cherish and understand tragedy, which contradicts the notion that tragedy is reserved only for the highly placed. The tragic flaw, according to Miller, is not a weakness but rather the hero's

He explains that tragedy arises when a character is determined to defend their sense of personal dignity, even if it means risking their lives. According to Miller, this determination to uphold their dignity is the character's tragic flaw, and it is not a result of their nobility or rank, but rather their innate desire to seek justice for themselves. The discovery of the moral law in tragedy, according to Miller, is not an abstract idea, but rather a recognition of the obstacles that prevent the growth and development of human personality. As Miller puts it, "The tragic feeling is evoked in us when we are in the presence of a character who is ready to lay down his life, if need be, to secure one thing--his sense of personal dignity". (Miller, p.1) In his view, tragedy has the power to enlighten us by highlighting the barriers to human

He thinks that regular people can be just as tragic as kings. This is because modern psychiatry uses stories, which were about royalty but can apply to anyone. Miller says that tragedy happens when we see a character who's willing to die to keep their dignity. All tragic characters, from Orestes to Hamlet, are just trying to get their place in society. According to Miller, the "tragic flaw" is just the character's refusal to be passive when their dignity is challenged. Tragedy happens when someone questions what they used to accept and through this, they learn. Miller thinks that focusing on the rank or nobility of the tragic hero is just a holdover and it's actually the fear of losing their place that makes us feel tragedy, not the character's rank or nobility. Miller concludes with, "The tragic night is a condition of life, a condition in which the human personality is able to flower and realize itself." (Miller, p.2) He says that tragedy is the result of someone trying to understand themselves better and that tragedy teaches us about the moral law, which is about suppressing people, not some abstract