11.2.10

Act Two: Key Events 7-8 Quotes

Test yourself

Act Two: Key Events 7-8

Here are two quotations showing key events in Act Two:

Illustrative background for Key quotation 7Illustrative background for Key quotation 7 ?? "content

Key quotation 7

  • Willy relives the moment Biff discovers he is having an affair.
    • “You fake! You phony little fake! You fake!”
      • These short exclamations see Biff almost spitting out these lines in disgust. That Biff sees Willy as a “fake” and “phony” immediately connects this scene to the one moments earlier, where Biff had discovered his adult life had been based on a “lie”.
Illustrative background for Key quotation 8Illustrative background for Key quotation 8 ?? "content

Key quotation 8

  • “Oh, Ben, that’s the whole beauty of it! I see it like a diamond, shining in the dark, hard and rough, that I can pick up and touch in my hand.”
    • Willy’s words are full of dark symbolism. The “diamond” is the $20,000 from his life insurance policy, the prospect of which entrances Willy with its “beauty”. It is so close that Willy can almost reach out and “touch” it, but in order to do this, Willy has to enter “the dark”.

Jump to other topics

1Introduction

2Act One

3Act Two

4Extended Passage Analysis

5Character Profiles

6Key Themes

7Writing Techniques

8Historical Context

9Literary Context

10Critical Debates

11Recap: Main Quotes

Unlock your full potential with Seneca Premium

  • Unlimited access to 10,000+ open-ended exam questions

  • Mini-mock exams based on your study history

  • Unlock 800+ premium courses & e-books

Get started with Seneca Premium