Arthur Miller is a talented and well-known playwright. Over the years, he has produced many plays; each addressing different issues, time periods, and historical events. Two of his most well known works are Death of a Salesman and The Crucible. Miller states in his essay “Tragedy and the Common Man” that “the feeling is evoked in us when we are in his life, if need be, to secure one thing – his sense of personal dignity.” He goes on to say that “the underlying struggle is that of the individual attempting to gain his “rightful” position in his society.” This is Miller’s personal definition of a tragic hero. Although set in different centuries, and societies, what allows these two plays to be similar is the presentation of a character who is ready to do just that, lay down their life in pursuit of personal dignity. Both Will Loman, in The Death of a Salesman and John Proctor of The Crucible are willing to sacrifice their lives for the sole reason of dignity, and self-righteousness. This, in itself, provides an explanation of them as tragic heroes.
In order to decipher and define Will Loman and John Proctor, one must first truly understand a brief description of each story. The Crucible is set in Salem, Massachusetts, in 1692. T
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One can allude that he cares little of his acceptance or likeliness into society and to the town, because that the only acceptance, the “right” place, Proctor feels he needs is from and to himself and God. This allows both of them to fit Arthur Miller’s definition of a tragic hero. His flaw, in contrast to John Proctor was not that of honesty, but rather that of an obsession with acceptance. Willy’s ides of life and society is twisted. It is evident by his demeanor throughout the play that he doesn’t care what people say or do to him, because only he needs to know the truth. Other options were presented to Proctor with alternatives rather than death. he town is rampaged by accusations of witchcraft among the townspeople. During an investigation, each turn of event is rooted in lies told by a teen mistress of Proctor’s, Abigail. His major downfall came when he was fired and could no longer afford insurance.
Both Willy Loman, and John Proctor, although very different, are tragic heroes. Ironically, though, although his intentions could be viewed as good, Willy never was a successful salesman. All he ha was his self-righteousness, his honesty, and the truth.
“His name was Dave Singleman…and he was eighty-four years old…and old Dave, he’d go up to his room, y’understand, put on his green velvet slippers – I’ll never forget – and pick up his phone and call the buyers, and without ever leaving his room, at the age of eighty-four, he made his living. His idea of self worth is rooted in social and economical prestige.
Approximate Word count =
1284
Approximate Pages =
5 (250 words per page double spaced)
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