Is Willy a tragic hero or merely a pathetic character? The common men, as well as noblemen, are both able to undergo a tragedy in its highest sense. (Miller, Tragedy 1948) Willy was no tragic hero; he was indeed the most pathetic character in the play. "The pathetic is achieved when the protagonist is, by virtue of his witlessness, his insensitivity, or the very air he gives off, incapable of grappling with a much superior force." (Miller 1951).
It's not possible for a tragedy to have even occurred due to the fact that the author would have had to have no fear to question absolutely everything. Willy was fearful of everything. He was scared to speak up to his boss so there's no doubt that he was scared to question things going on. Willy tried to tell Howard (his boss) that he could no longer travel, but he quickly changed his mind the minute he realized that Howard would let him go. (Miller, Death 1916).
"A lot of people think he's lost his --- balance." (Miller 1902) Only a pathetic character can lose his or her 'balance'. A tragic hero would be stronger, mentality wise in order to question everything. Willy was the exact opposite of a tragic hero; he was starting to lose his mind. "He's dying." (Miller 1903) According to Willy's wife, Linda, he was slowly dying. "He's been trying to kill himself." (Miller 1903) Willy was continually trying to kill himself; no tragic hero would end his or her own life for no reason. "And behind the fuse box-it happened to fall out-was a length of rubber pipe-just short. There's a little attachment on the end of it on the bottom of the water heater there's a new little nipple on the gas pipe." (Miller 1904) That there proves he was trying to kill himself. Only a pathetic character would do such a thing as suicide.
Willy, through out the play, talks to himself and becomes a bit delusional. Its like he is flashing back to memories from the past but he isn't flashing back.
