9.2.2
The Tragic Flaw
The Tragic Flaw: Hamartia
The Tragic Flaw: Hamartia
The concept of ‘hamartia’ in Death of a Salesman can be seen in key decisions made by Willy in the play.
Aristotle
Aristotle
- For Aristotle, the death and destruction in a tragedy is caused by the hero making a profound mistake.
- This mistake arises from some flaw or weakness in the hero’s character.
Shakespeare
Shakespeare
- Shakespearean heroes are often defined by their tragic flaws:
- Macbeth’s ruthless ambition.
- Othello’s jealousy and susceptibility to fits of rage.
- Hamlets’s indecision and inability to commit to a single course of action.
Hamartia
Hamartia
- The concept of ‘hamartia’ in Death of a Salesman can be seen in key decisions made by Willy in the play e.g. turning down Charley’s job offer.
Willy's flaw
Willy's flaw
- But for most commentators, Willy suffers from a tragic flaw: his blind faith in his flawed vision of the American Dream which is connected to his inability to understand himself and the contradictory impulses (e.g be competitive but be popular) which drive him.
Language
Language
- Biff sums up Willy’s ‘hamartia’ in the Requiem: “He had the wrong dreams. All, all wrong… He never knew who he was.”
- Miller’s use of monosyllables in these lines help to give Biff’s words an air of finality - this is who Willy was.
1Introduction
1.1Introductions
2Act One
3Act Two
4Extended Passage Analysis
5Character Profiles
5.1Willy & Linda Loman
5.2Biff & Happy Loman
5.3Other Characters
6Key Themes
7Writing Techniques
7.1Structure
7.3Expressionism
8Historical Context
8.1Historical Context
9Literary Context
9.1Tragedy
10Critical Debates
10.1Introduction
10.2The Marxist Reading
10.3The Feminist Reading
10.4The Eco-Critical Reading
10.5Other Debates
Jump to other topics
1Introduction
1.1Introductions
2Act One
3Act Two
4Extended Passage Analysis
5Character Profiles
5.1Willy & Linda Loman
5.2Biff & Happy Loman
5.3Other Characters
6Key Themes
7Writing Techniques
7.1Structure
7.3Expressionism
8Historical Context
8.1Historical Context
9Literary Context
9.1Tragedy
10Critical Debates
10.1Introduction
10.2The Marxist Reading
10.3The Feminist Reading
10.4The Eco-Critical Reading
10.5Other Debates
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