Tragedy In The Crucible And Death Of A Salesman

Every once in a while, a play will work its way into the heart of readers and America alike; Arthur Miller is not that author. Miller is known for his edgy plays that end in tragedy. In Nikhil Mehta’s article entitled “Importance of Books in Our Lives,” she states that, “A man must avoid reading bad books. They may make our life miserable. We may have to suffer because of bad books. They develop in us bad habits. They mislead and misguide. Bad books ruin our intellect (Mehta).” However, before taking this into account, one must ask himself what a “good book” is. For example, two of Miller’s most famous works portray that image of tragedy to a tee. The Crucible and The Death of a Salesman provide excellent examples of how Miller can take a

Another form of tragedy that Miller is often categorized under is what is known as Aristotelian. Named after the philosopher Aristotle, this is how a tragic play is to embark. Scholars from DabHub explain how, “His (Aristotle’s) analysis of the ideal form of tragic plays became a guideline for later playwrights in Western civilization. For centuries, European playwrights like William Shakespeare tried to write plays that would match the ideals of Aristotle’s model (Aristotle...).” This Aristotelian form of tragedy involves the antagonist (or who the reader connects to the most) and his tragic downfall. Obviously, this connects with the character of Willy

Madeline Ashby, in her April of 2016 edition of Ottawa Citizen, explains that, “Tragedy, in the Aristotelian sense, implies a fatal flaw at the core of a person or an organization (Ashby).” Connecting this to Willy Loman’s case draws some obvious similarities. Of course, there is the aforementioned Aristotelian view, yet there is a simpler form. Back in Greek times, there was a famous playwright known as Sophocles. He viewed plays slightly differently than Aristotle, yet still connects with the Loman struggle. According to Mark Cartwright, “For Sophocles the chorus became both a protagonist and a commentator on the events of the play, creating a closer relationship with the audience,” and “Sophocles was also a great user of theatrical metaphor, for example, blindness in the Oedipus plays and bestiality in Women of Trachis, and his work in general sought to provoke and disturb the audience from their ready acceptance of what is ‘normal’ and what is not, forcing them through the play’s characters to make difficult or even impossible choices (Cartwright).” While reading The Death of a Salesman, the reader can obviously connect this with Willy Loman and his struggles. However, the question is not whether or not the reader can connect with Willy (as he is the protagonist), but whether or not his actions are