The Play as Tragedy
English Lit: AQA A Level Death of a Salesman, topic 10.5.1
The Play as a Tragedy
There are three main competing views regarding the classification of Death of a Salesman as a tragedy.
Debate
- Since its first performances, critics and commentators (and Arthur Miller himself) have become embroiled in the debate over whether Death of a Salesman should be considered a tragedy.
Miller
- As there is no single, universal definition of what constitutes a tragedy, this is an argument that can never be settled.
- Miller has himself changed his mind on the matter several times while also arguing that it simply does not matter how the play is categorised, admitting, “I have often wished I had never written a word on the subject of tragedy”.
Different views
- The next section will introduce you to three competing views on Death of a Salesman as a tragedy.
Test yourself on The Play as Tragedy
What did Arthur Miller say he wished he had "never written a word" on?
What have both critics and Arthur Miller himself debated about Death of a Salesman?