What is tragedy? This is a question that has plagued many people for a very long time. In many cases tragedy is defined in the classical definition, as it was first set forth by Aristotle. In short, Aristotle defined tragedy as "the fall of an illustrious man." Arthur Miller in his play titled the Death of a Salesman set forth the notion that maybe a tragedy can happen to any regular Joe, that maybe someone not of high birth can have a tragic story. In the following it will be shown that a tragic story doesn't require the main character to be prominent or important, but the tragedy lies in the impression that the reader is left with when the story is over.
Willie Loman is a salesman who is really down on his luck. Willie doesn't understand why his life hasn't turned out the way he always dreamed, and many times he looks for someone to blame, such as his wife who stopped him for going to Alaska with his brother where he could have made a fortune. Throughout the story the reader is confronted with many facts that are very confusing. In some instances Willie can be seen as someone who is almost there, and if he would only let go of the obsessive dreams that he holds on to, especially for his older son Biff, he could live a much happier life because the stress of always trying to be liked and remembered would be gone. .
How should Willie Loman be viewed? Is he a hero? He seems to be a very gentle man who has been given a bad hand. To his sons, Willie was a hero, but how are heroes viewed? Heroes are always thought of as being without fault, and beyond reproach. Willie made many mistakes in his life, one of which was the affair he had with a woman in Boston, and when his son found out about the affair, all respect was lost and Willie was no longer viewed as a hero. Should Willie then be blamed that his son turned out to be a jobless loser? Could Willie have been a better father? Up until the point in the story that the reader finds out about the affair, he seems as if he is the perfect father.