Death of A Salesman – by Arthur Miller
Context – Contemporary setting to first performance - 1949
Setting – Predominantly domestic – Brooklyn (flashbacks in Boston)
Detailed, stylized, expressionistic staging.
Structure – Two Acts
Act 1 – Follows unities in ‘main scene’ but has varied breaks from this
throughout. No clear scene breaks.
Character
Clear central focus on Willy in terms of dominance, action and staging.
Relationships
Predominantly domestic, work seen in relation to this.
Language
Consider fluency,
Naturalistic??????
register,
rhetoric
Dramatic devices - Expressionistic
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Staging
Flashbacks
Juxtapositions
Dramatic irony
‘Imagined’ figures
and
conversational
features.
Themes
 Masculinity
 Money
 Deception
 Persuasion
 Power
 Changing social values
 ‘American Dream’
 Individualism and community
 Reputation and image
 Freedom and entrapment
 Pride
 Family/Generations/Urbanization
Tone
 Domestic tragedy (comedy?)
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
f)
g)
Plot
Character
Relationships
Language
Dramatic devices
Themes
Tone
Activities – Act 1
1. Compare the dialogues between Willy and Linda on:
 p. 15 – “Well, dear...” to p.16 “loses himself in reminiscences”
and Biff and Happy on:
 p.21 – “Why does Dad?” p.21 to “an idealist” p. 23
How does Miller use counterpointed dialogue to reflect character,
relationships and themes?
2. How do the ‘flashbacks’ reveal Willy’s state of mind in the play?
a) The ‘ideal family’ scene – p.28- 33
b) “The woman” – p.37 – 39
c) Ben – he’s around for a while but focus on p. 50 – 52
Focus on:
 How the staging deals with the presence of characters from the past
 Consider the points where the flashbacks begin and end. What seems
to motivate them
 The ‘interaction’ between past and present
 How does the dialogue and level of ‘naturalism’ differ from the
scenes set in the present?
 What details foreshadow future events?
 How and why have the relationships changed?
3. p.56 – 57 - Linda’s Diatribe - Who’s the hero?
Read and discuss the following points:
 To what extent can she be seen as a ‘choric figure’ here; the
mouthpiece of the play’s moral standpoint?
 Does she present Willy as a tragic hero or as a victim?
 How does her speech explain the power relationship between
Willy and Linda?
 What aspects of her language reveal her strength of character?
 “By celebrating Willy as a character, Miller actually allows the
audience to see Linda as the real heroic figure in the play.” Do
you agree?
 stoical
4. p. 58-59 - Subtext and dramatic irony – A revealing misunderstanding
Between: “Linda – It seems” and “Happy: What about her?” write the
subtextual thoughts going through each characters’ minds at each line. What
does this reveal?
5. p. 65 – Conflicting motives and Family Conflict
Read from – ‘Linda: Oliver always.. to ‘Happy: Come on Biff, let’s buck
him up.’
Diagramatically explain what each character is doing to each other, perhaps
using just the words ‘attack’ or ‘defend’.
Then go into depth, explaining why.
6. The end of Act 1 – Dramatic Structure p.67-69
How does the ending of Act 1 set up expectations for Act 2?