Throughout history audiences have been drawn to stories of tragedy. The plays Oedipus the King by Sophocles and Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller are considered to be the greatest fictional tragedies of their time. While Oedipus the King and Death of a Salesman are very different tragedies, it’s amazing that even with 2,400 years separating them, these plays manage to have many similarities and differences in their stories.
Oedipus the King was written around 420 BC by Sophocles which was considered to be the most successful writer of Greek tragedies for his time. The main character in Oedipus the King is Oedipus; he was the noble and respectable King of Thebes. As an infant Oedipus’s father, Laius learned from an oracle that his own …show more content…
This play is considered to be one of the greatest fictional tragedies of the modern day. The main character in Death of a Salesman is Willy Loman. Willy Loman is an older man that in some parts of the story seems to be mentally unstable and obviously delusional. He is often seen talking to himself and having day dreams about an alternate life that he wishes he would’ve lived. One night driving home from work he realized that he shouldn’t be driving, his wife, Linda suggested that he ask his boss to be transferred to a closer office. Willy thinks he would be a perfect match for the transfer because he considers himself to be a successful salesman. Willy’s son, Biff is an unsuccessful 34 year old that can’t hold a steady job. This really affects Willy because he thinks he could be a rich and successful in the business world. Biff and Happy talked about how they should start their own ranch in the west, Willy suggests that they talk to one of his former employers to get a loan. Willy went to talk to his boss and was devastated because he gets fired from his job after asking for the transfer. He left the interview with his boss to meet his sons at a restaurant for lunch. Meanwhile, Biff had talked to his father’s former employer but he didn’t know Biff and denied him of the loan. At lunch Biff didn’t want to upset his father with the upsetting news about the startup business loan, so Biff and Happy left their dad at the restaurant to go hang out with some girls. Willy’s relationship with his family was unhealthy. Willy was disappointed with his life and the life he has provided for his family. After learning about how the interview went between Biff and his former employer, Willy was upset and argued with Biff about not living up to his expectations in the business world. Willy’s life was spiraling downhill. After all of his disappointments he thought he would be worth more dead than alive and that his
Oedipus the King was written around 420 BC by Sophocles which was considered to be the most successful writer of Greek tragedies for his time. The main character in Oedipus the King is Oedipus; he was the noble and respectable King of Thebes. As an infant Oedipus’s father, Laius learned from an oracle that his own …show more content…
This play is considered to be one of the greatest fictional tragedies of the modern day. The main character in Death of a Salesman is Willy Loman. Willy Loman is an older man that in some parts of the story seems to be mentally unstable and obviously delusional. He is often seen talking to himself and having day dreams about an alternate life that he wishes he would’ve lived. One night driving home from work he realized that he shouldn’t be driving, his wife, Linda suggested that he ask his boss to be transferred to a closer office. Willy thinks he would be a perfect match for the transfer because he considers himself to be a successful salesman. Willy’s son, Biff is an unsuccessful 34 year old that can’t hold a steady job. This really affects Willy because he thinks he could be a rich and successful in the business world. Biff and Happy talked about how they should start their own ranch in the west, Willy suggests that they talk to one of his former employers to get a loan. Willy went to talk to his boss and was devastated because he gets fired from his job after asking for the transfer. He left the interview with his boss to meet his sons at a restaurant for lunch. Meanwhile, Biff had talked to his father’s former employer but he didn’t know Biff and denied him of the loan. At lunch Biff didn’t want to upset his father with the upsetting news about the startup business loan, so Biff and Happy left their dad at the restaurant to go hang out with some girls. Willy’s relationship with his family was unhealthy. Willy was disappointed with his life and the life he has provided for his family. After learning about how the interview went between Biff and his former employer, Willy was upset and argued with Biff about not living up to his expectations in the business world. Willy’s life was spiraling downhill. After all of his disappointments he thought he would be worth more dead than alive and that his