Mrs. Hollingsworth
11th Gifted
Death of a Salesman Tragedy Project
A Helpful Tragedy Cheat Sheet
Given that for your project you must address the ways in which Miller creates a tragedy, I have provided the terminology
associated with the characteristics of tragedy for you to utilize for note taking and as a springboard for your brilliance.
Please provide text and analysis for each of the elements of tragedy listed.
Plot (pay particular attention to flashback)
Tragic Hero
a. Comes from a high place
When Willy was young, his family was happy and he was able to completely support it financially and was also
an essential asset to his sales company.
Willy has everything that is considered social/societal success – Two sons, loyal wife, “good” job, mistress,
material necessities. (his flashbacks focus on the illusion of achieving the American dream)
In Willy’s own mind he is an uber successful business man who is deluded with ideas of self entitlement and
success. In society’s eyes willy is a typical middle class man however he is ensnared in false hopes for more.
b. Has a tragic flaw (hamartia)
Willy’s hamartia is his pride which is manifested by his refusal to let go of the “American Dream,” instead of
pursuing things that would benefit and support his family.
His hamartia is his undying faith and pursuit of the American Dream.
Willy’s tragic flaw is that his pride obscures his seeing reality for what it truly is.
c. Falls because of flaw
Willy’s purpose in life is to replicate himself through Biff
After investing everything about his identity into Biff, and teaching him to also embrace the American Dream,
Biff becomes aware of the reality of the “dream” and rejects Biff and his ideology. When Biff decides to desire no
part in pursuing the American Dream, Willy has fallen.
Willy’s son, Biff, walks in on him and his mistress, whom Willy tries to rationalize by saying he was lonely, this
shows his attitude of self-entitlement. Because Biff no longer idolizes his father, Willy must strive to find another
source of pride and success.
d. Epiphany before death
“Funny y’know? After all the highways, and the trains, and the appointments, and the years, you end up worth
more dead than alive.
The salesman takes his own life in order to make his life worth living.
“It’s very smart, you realize that, don’t you sweetheart? Even Ben sees it. I gotta go, Baby.” Willy finally recognizes the
fallacy and ironic trickery of the American Dream. Throughout his life, he has mentally destroyed himself in pursuit of a
dream that has betrayed him, and therefore he “gotta go” and must be physically destroyed as well.
“I am worth more dead than alive.” Willy realizes that he has set goals and has dreams that are too grand to be able to
accomplish in his lifetime as is the nature of the American Dream. Willy realizes he cannot accomplish these dreams and
so he kills himself.
Diction (imagery associated with being boxed in; world as a jungle metaphor)
“Why boys…and by god I was rich”
Ben coming out of the jungle rich symbolizes the American Dream; the idea that anyone can become rich. The repetition
of this phrase makes Willy believe that he should deserves to be rich.
Anagorsis (tragic insight)
“I gave you an order!” (Willy) “Don’t touch me, you – liar!”(Biff)
“I am not a leader of men, Willy, and neither are you … stop waiting for me to bring them home”
Nemesis (retribution)
[When Biff claims he is a failure and indirectly places the blame on his dad]
The culmination of the distrust that Biff directs towards Willy is displayed through this scene as Biff completely gives up
on Willy and proclaims his failings, which are also Willy’s failures. This crushes Willy’s perfect view of himself and the
world, and Willy must change or be destroyed. This leads to the deterioration of the family, when Linda sends the children
away, Willy’s unemployment, and ultimately, Willy’s death.
[Part where Biff reveals the pipe to Willy]
The family was able to hide everything by pretending they didn’t know anything about Willy’s suicidal attempts.
However, when Biff reveals Willy’s suicidal intentions to everyone in the family, Biff can’t continue living. This makes
this scene the nemesis. By placing the rubber house on the table, Biff is trying to persuade Willy that he is worth more
dead than alive. Willy tries as hard as he can to keep denying that he moved the rubber hose, but ultimately inside he
knows that he never had the “American Dream” that he thought he had. This goes along with the idea that excessive pride
(that Willy came from a high place) can lead to one’s death. Willy’s excessive pride and his created fantasy falls apart
when the pipe is revealed, and he must destroy himself because he has nothing to live for.
Peripateia (reversal)
“I appreciate that, Willy, but there is just no spot for you here.” – Howard
“the woman’s laughter can be heard louder now” Biff: “You fake! You phony little fake!”
“Don’t touch me, you – liar!” … “You fake! You phony little fake!” (Biff)
Catharsis (emotional cleansing)
Thot (theme-y goodness)
Willy’s pride leads him to decline any opportunity that may have gotten him out of the ditch that he dug himself into.
Now that the one place that Willy has worked at for over thirty years has dropped him as well, Willy has no opportunities
left to pursue except his sons. For the remainder of the novel Willy is left totally dependent on his sons, which ultimately
leads to his own self destruction.
Biff looked up to Willy as a role model, and when he realized that he wasn’t as perfect as he seemed and that everything
his father taught him was wrong, Biff realizes that his father is not the perfect man he had considered him to be. Biff
realizes that there is more to success in life than being liked by everyone; Often, you have to work for your goals instead
of having them handed to you.
Biff fuels the fantasy that Willy has embraced as his image, and when biff reveals his father for a fake and falsifies all that
Willy has built up around himself, Willy is forced to fuel his own fantasy-something that cannot be done- and his
downfall, the reversal, and his mental instability begins.
Biff breaks the fantasy that Willy has been holding on to his whole life. Biff emphasizes that Willy should stop expecting
so much from him. Until this point, Biff has never gotten a chance to reveal the truth to Willy. This is anagorsis because
Willy never accepts the reality/truth.
Biff realizes the insincerity of Willy, precipitating the end of the book by beginning to destroy the trust that binds Willy to
the rest of the characters. This begins the entire sequence of insults to Willy and the breakdown of his family, job, etc.