10.5.2

The Critics

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Eric Bentley

For Eric Bentley, the play is not a satisfactory tragedy.

Lack of terror

Lack of terror

  • Bentley argues that, although audiences may feel “pity”, Willy is too lowly and pathetic a figure to inspire “terror”.
Lack of resolution

Lack of resolution

  • Bentley also argued that the play never resolves the question of who is responsible for Willy’s death: is Willy the victim of his own tragic flaw or is he brought down by external (e.g. socio-economic) forces?
No man's land

No man's land

  • For Bentley, Miller’s play falls between two stools – the tragedy and the socio-political play – and, as a result, ends up being neither.

Harold Bloom

For Harold Bloom, the play is a tragedy “despite itself”.

Not a tragedy

Not a tragedy

  • The play does not work as a tragedy in that Willy never achieves self-knowledge and the society of the play is not “cleansed” by Willy’s death.
A tragedy

A tragedy

  • But Willy’s death leads to Biff’s path to self-knowledge, while also “releasing” Biff from following Willy’s destructive dream.

Stephen Barker

Stephen Barker sees the play as a Nietzschean tragedy.

Nietzsche

Nietzsche

  • The German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900) argued that human life was essentially meaningless and that “God is dead”.
  • Nietzsche saw tragedy as an art-form allowing audiences to recognise this truth.
Lack of closure

Lack of closure

  • For Nietzsche, tragedy does not offer closure or understanding and Barker argues that Death of a Salesman conforms to this.
  • Willy kills himself for nothing and that Linda is the key figure in the play’s closing Requiem in that she does not understand Willy’s final act: “Why did you do it?”
Lies

Lies

  • Barker also sees the play as a Nietzschean tragedy in that it conforms to Nietzsche’s views that, as life was often unbearably cruel and painful, human beings essentially lie to each other in order to survive.
  • For Barker, Willy has spent his life lying to himself about who he really is and the Requiem shows that Happy will continue to follow Willy’s delusions (“he had a good dream”).
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1

Introduction

1.1

Introductions

1.1.1Author1.1.2Historical Context1.1.3Setting1.1.4Social Issues
2

Act One

2.1

Key Events

2.1.1Staging2.1.2Key Events 1&22.1.3Key Events 3&42.1.4Key Events 5&62.1.5Key Events 7&82.1.6Key Events 9&102.1.7Key Events 11&12
2.2

Key Themes & Literary Techniques

2.2.1Foreshadowing, Flashbacks, Settings2.2.2Family, Reality, Fantasy
3

Act Two

3.1

Key Events

3.1.1Key Events 1&23.1.2Key Events 3&43.1.3Key Events 5&63.1.4Key Events 7&83.1.5Key Events 9&10
3.2

Key Themes & Links

3.2.1Pride3.2.2Metaphor3.2.3Self-Realisation
4

Extended Passage Analysis

4.1

Act One

4.1.1Staging4.1.2The Woman
4.2

Act Two

4.2.1In Howard’s Office4.2.2The Final Confrontation4.2.3The Requiem
5

Character Profiles

5.1

Willy & Linda Loman

5.1.1Willy Loman5.1.2Linda Loman
5.2

Biff & Happy Loman

5.2.1Biff Loman5.2.2Biff's Relationship with Willy5.2.3Happy Loman
5.3

Other Characters

5.3.1Uncle Ben5.3.2Charley5.3.3Bernard
6

Key Themes

6.1

Concepts

6.1.1The American Dream6.1.2Fathers & Sons6.1.3Nature & the City6.1.4Success6.1.5Men & Women
7

Writing Techniques

7.1

Structure

7.1.1Act One7.1.2Act Two
7.2

Realism

7.2.1Introduction7.2.2Staging7.2.3Language
7.3

Expressionism

7.3.1Introduction7.3.2Staging7.3.3Music
7.4

Symbolism

7.4.1The Garden / Seeds7.4.2Diamonds7.4.3Alaska & Africa
7.5

Motifs

7.5.1Introduction7.5.2Cars7.5.3Silk Stockings7.5.4Money7.5.5Mythological Figures
8

Historical Context

8.1

Historical Context

8.1.1Miller’s Family & The Great Depression8.1.2America’s Recovery
9

Literary Context

9.1

Tragedy

9.1.1Introduction
9.2

Applying Tragic Concepts

9.2.1The Tragic Hero9.2.2The Tragic Flaw9.2.3Recognition9.2.4Emotional Release9.2.5Chaos & Disorder9.2.6Revenge9.2.7Inevitability
10

Critical Debates

10.1

Introduction

10.1.1Introduction
10.2

The Marxist Reading

10.2.1Marxist Analysis10.2.2The Marxist Reading
10.3

The Feminist Reading

10.3.1Feminist Analysis10.3.2The Feminist Reading
10.4

The Eco-Critical Reading

10.4.1Eco-Critical Analysis10.4.2The Eco-Critical Reading10.4.3Post-pastoral
10.5

Other Debates

10.5.1The Play as Tragedy10.5.2The Critics
11

Recap: Main Quotes

11.1

Characters Quotes

11.1.1Willy Loman11.1.2Linda Loman11.1.3Biff Loman11.1.4Happy Loman11.1.5Uncle Ben11.1.6Charley11.1.7Bernard
11.2

Quotes by Act

11.2.1Act One: Key Events 1-3 Quotes11.2.2Act One: Key Events 4-6 Quotes11.2.3Act One: Key Events 7-9 Quotes11.2.4Act One: Key Events 10-12 Quotes11.2.5Act One: Stage Direction Quotes11.2.6Act One: The Woman Quotes11.2.7Act Two: Key Events 1-2 Quotes11.2.8Act Two: Key Events 3-4 Quotes11.2.9Act Two: Key Events 5-6 Quotes11.2.10Act Two: Key Events 7-8 Quotes11.2.11Act Two: Key Events 9-10 Quotes11.2.12Act Two: Howard's Office Quotes11.2.13Act Two: The Requiem Quotes

Practice questions on The Critics

Can you answer these? Test yourself with free interactive practice on Seneca — used by over 10 million students.

  1. 1
    What question does Bentley say the play never answers?Multiple choice
  2. 2
    Bentley says _Death of a Salesman_ falls between two stools. There are:Fill in the list
  3. 3
    Why does Harold Bloom say _Death of a Salesman_ does NOT work as a tragedy?Fill in the list
  4. 4
    According to Harold Bloom, who gains self-knowledge as a result of Willy's death?Multiple choice
  5. 5
    How does Willy's death benefit Biff (according to Harold Bloom)?Fill in the list
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The Play as Tragedy

Willy Loman