Death of a Salesman A02

Question 1

Staging+Lighting

Answer 1

• Miller uses a ‘small, fragile,’ fully constructed set to ensure that several scenes can take place on stage without having to stop for transistions.
• Miller used lighting to bring audiences to the main scene on stage. This creates a seamless effect where the audience lose all awareness of time and are captured by the action on the stage. Using lighting and staging this way als creates a dream-like effect where the past/present are blurred into one. The continous action allowwing the audience to witness Willy’s life (10 years) and final 24 hours in 2 hours.

Question 2

Manipulation of the borders of the house

Answer 2

• Miller distinguishes the past from the present using the boundries of walls within the house. As the play progresses, and the action jumps and blends into the past, the boundries are ignored and adhered to, to convey to the audience that the scene is taking place in the past or present.
• This constructs a non-linear narrative which reinforces the chaotic and disorder nature of Willy Loman’s mind –> As though the play is order from his own perspective.

Question 3

Music

Question 4

Expressionism

Question 5

Realism

Question 6

Motifs