Willy Tragic Hero

Death of a Salesman is a tragedy that fits the classic model portraying the same qualities as Oedipus and Hamlet. In all three plays there is strife between the family’s dynamics and problems that surface throughout the play; although, their goals were different they have similar endings. Each play wants the best for the family but the downfall is each of the character could not deal with his flaw that was induced by their own actions. The characters have goals and weaknesses that end up destroying themselves. One of the differences is that Willy stressed to his sons that it is important to be well liked rather than to be successful; unlike Hamlet and Oedipus who were kings and were well-respected. Willy’s tragic flaw is he that he did not live out his American dream being a successful salesman. Instead he turned out to be a failure but it was too late for him to change his career …show more content…
I would have to disagree with Willy being hero due to his decision he made to live out another man’s dream who was successful as a salesman. Willy’s dream was to generate a considerable amount of money without working for it and he did not comprehend how his choices affected others. Dr. Ayca Ulker Erkan stated that “Loman is a modern tragic hero turning the American dream into American Nightmare because of his personal flaw”. Being a salesman can be difficult due to the fact you have to be diligent in order to be successful. People want an honest, straightforward man for a salesman, not a disloyal untrustworthy peddler. Your faith in yourself and the product you are selling is crucial if you are going to achieve your goal. A man has to work hard throughout his life in order to stay home and have your customer’s call you because they need what you are selling. Willy did not take into consideration how many years the eighty-four year old spent out on the streets before he was able to work from