Tragedy Flashcards
Why did Miller intentionally make the tragic hero a lowly, ordinary man?
He believes that a hero is “anyone who is willing to lay down his life in order to secure his sense of personal dignity” - Tragedy and the Common Man - therefore tragedy becomes a critique of society, not just to this individual, but for thousands like him. We can feel likeness to any tragic protagonist regardless of their nobility when the individual is the victim of society’s tragic flaw.
How does Miller define modern tragedy?
He defines tragedy as “the consequence of man’s total compulsion to evaluate himself justly.”
How does Miller define harmartia (fatal error) in modern tragedy?
The “unwillingness to remain passive in the face of what he conceives to be a challenge to his dignity.” (In other words, the compulsion to conserve dignity.)
How does this relate to Willy?
His misunderstanding of the Bootstrap Myth, his belief that one can only reach success by being well-liked - his desperate attempt to reach that and conserve his dignity which was lost long before the play begins is (arguably) a tragic error.
Who is the tragic antagonist?
We don’t exactly have one besides society and its own tragic flaws.
Who are the tragic victims?
Everybody within the Loman family is a victim of society’s flaws and of Willy’s own misunderstandings
Why does Willy not have an anagnorisis?
Arguably makes the play more tragic and links to Miller’s idea of a harmartia being the compulsion to conserve dignity, and Willy’s obsession with being well-liked -> he can never know who he is but still wants dignity.
“They seem to laugh at me, I won’t take it, Linda.”
His harmartia makes the lack of anagnorisis more tragic.
Aristotle states that tragedy is enhanced when people inflict harm on those closely connected to them, particularly by the obligation to help them. How does this relate to Willy and Biff?
He enforces his misunderstanding of the Bootstrap myth on Biff, and encourages him and Happy stealing.
