Socratic Seminars
We will be holding a
Socratic seminar in our class. A seminar is a student directed dis cussion. This means that I will NOT
be participating.
This seminar will be one of your culminating tasks for Death of a Salesman
.
It will be worth one QUIZ
grade.
What is a Socratic Seminar?

Socratic seminar is a method of teaching developed by Socrates. He engaged his students in intellectual discussion by responding to questions with questions, instead of answers. This method encouraged the students to think for themselves rather than being told what to think.
 After the students have read the text, open-ended questions are asked. The open-ended questions allow the students to think critically, analyze multiple meanings in text, and express ideas with clarity and confidence.
 Participants in the seminar are expected to respond to one another in a respectful manner without bias or prejudice. They are also expected to listen carefully without interrupting.
They must make direct eye contact with others and must use each others names.
Directions:
Read the open-ended questions provided below. You should take notes or write down thoughts, but you are not required to. These questions are open-ended for a reason. There is no right or wrong answer. It is supposed to be a discussion. The seminar is designed for you to ask each other questions, give opinions and examples, pose other questions, and really analyze the text as well as connect it to the real world.
1. At what point does the pursuit of dreams turn into a harmful denial of one's actual circumstances?
2. Why is it so important to Willy that he be well-liked? Should it be important to Americans?
3. Biff says, “He had the wrong dreams.” What was wrong about Willy’s dreams? Was there a right dream for Willy? What dream could Willy have followed successfully?
4. Do you view Willy’s suicide as an act of desperation? Cowardice? Bravery? Explain.
5. Is the family better off with Willy Loman alive or dead?
5. Consider Willy and his two sons. How does Willy’s being a younger son with an absent father influence his behavior with his own sons? In what ways does Happy’s situation reflect Willy’s? Why is the athletic trophy in Willy’s room instead of in Biff’s?
6. Consider the two father-son relationships in this play. Willy and his boys, and Charley and Bernard.
Both families come from similar economic backgrounds, yet Willy and his sons are failures while
Charley and Bernard have been successful in their lives. Why? What did Charley and Bernard do differently than Willy and his sons?