In Greek theatre, the famous playwright, Aristotle defines tragedy to be reserved for an individual of noble stature. One would then be seen as a tragic hero. This person has a tragic flaw, which could lead to his or her eventual downfall. However, in modern theatre, playwrights such as Arthur Miller, believe tragedy applies not only to the nobility but also to the common people. In Miller's play, Death of a Salesman, he takes a low position family and exposes the idea of tragic heroes through the fatal flaws of Willy and Biff Loman. Willy, a traveling salesman, is the father of Biff. He believes that in order to be successful, one needs to be well liked, rather than hardworking. Willy is so stubborn that he fails to see anything beyond being prosperous through reputation. Biff accepts the same beliefs as his father until he realizes that he has no direction in his life. He comes to understand that he is a failure and is willing to change. So even though they both have a tragic flaw, Biff recognizes it yet Willy does not. .
Willy's tragic flaw is false pride. He lies to himself thinking that he will become more successful, as well as his family. Because of this, Willy lives in a daydream of the "good old days" and refuses to accept reality. For example, Willy sees his late brother Ben in his daydreams and admires his success of going to Africa when Ben says, "When I was seventeen, I walked into the jungle. And by twenty-one, I walked out. And by God, I was rich!" Willy delights in this illusion and tries to apply it to his family. Therefore, he creates phony optimism for himself by thinking he's an asset to his work as a salesman, even though he gets fired and is not popular with his clients. He also thinks he has good relationships with his family, when in reality he does not. Willy believes his son Biff will "do great things", yet Biff cannot even sustain a job for himself. Biff also comes to lose respect of his father through his affair, and sees him as a failure.