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Willy Loman Tragic Hero Essay

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A tragic hero is a figure in a dramatic tragedy who exhibits noble and attractive qualities but ultimately struggles or wins. The stories of Antigone and Death of a Salesman present many characteristics of a tragic hero. Arthur Miller's play “Death of a Salesman” describes a salesman's unattainable American ambition and his reluctance to accept failure. Arthur Miller makes use of recollections, dreams, and disagreements. Willy's hamartia leads to his failure since he won't accept that he is a failure. Willy ended up taking his own life due to his delusions. Sophocles wrote the play “Antigone”, which begins with the passing of Polynices and Eteocles, Antigone's two brothers. Because Polynices attacked his city, Creon, the new king of Thebes, …show more content…

Willy's high vision of the American Dream included starting from nothing and becoming a wealthy man, but his plan did not go as he had expected. Willy and his wife Linda are discussing their son Biff's struggle with his identity. Willy said “ Biff Loman is lost. In the greatest country in the world, a young man with such personal attractiveness gets lost. And such a hard worker. There’s one thing about Biff he’s not lazy” (0:24:35) . This clarifies that He thinks America rewards effort, but he also thinks America honors physical attractiveness. Willy has convinced himself that being liked is essential to success because he relies on salesmanship for his living. Willy Loman's tragic trajectory inspires him to investigate the notion that social standing in life matters more than knowledge and education to succeed in the workplace. Willy's arrogance causes him to believe that everything in his life is perfect, even though in reality he is not happy with anything. Willy Loman's boys fell short of his fatherly standards, but he persisted in admiring Biff and Happy in front of Bernard. Willy Loman gave his family everything he had before his tragic death. Willy Loman's tragic flow, empathy, and hubris all lead him to the death that stretches him out in the beginning. Willy Loman's pride destroys him by portraying him as a contemporary tragic …show more content…

Creon and Willy had always had a high opinion of themselves and believed others shared it. They were aware of their shortcomings but decided to overlook them and act as though they were loved instead. They expected people to rally around them in times of need rather than turn on them and betray them because they were blind to their actual nature. Willy decides to take his life by driving off in his car after realizing he would never live up to his ambitions. Creon regrets his action because it killed off all his family and left him alone. Willy and Creon were finally informed by the people that they were not gods and that not all things could be accomplished as they desired. Both plays show how a person's ongoing denial of themselves can affect people around him, including

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