An Aristotelian Approach to Miller’s Death of a Salesman
Abstract
The earliest discussion of tragedy as a genre is found in Aristotle’s Poetics. Aristotle based his theory on induction from the tragedies of Greek playwrights such as Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides. Although different centuries have given rise to various types of tragedy and the definition of tragedy considerably changed especially after Arthur Miller’s Tragedy and the Common Man, Aristotle’s discussions –when flexibly managed— apply to many tragic plots. Accordingly, domestic tragedies in American Drama in the mid-twentieth century follow a pattern similar to that of Aristotle’s. Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman is one of the masterpieces of the particular period, which –for many— rejects some of the Aristotelian principles in Poetics. However, in terms of plot structure, character, and thought, the most important three of the six components of tragedy for Aristotle, Miller’s play conforms to the rules set for a tragic play.
Keywords
References
- Abrams, M. H (1999). A Glossary of Literary Terms. Boston: Heinle &Heinle.
- Aristotle (1995). Poetics. Harvard University Press: Cambridge.
- Field, B. (1972). Hamartia in Death of a Salesman. Twentieth Century Literature, 18(1), 19-24. www.jstor.org/stable/440691 doi:1/30.06.2016
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- Miller, Arthur (1986). Death of a Salesman. Middlesex: Penguin.
- Miller, Arthur (1996). “Tragedy and the Common Man”. The Theater Essays of Arthur Miller. De Capo Press: New York.
- Schlueter, J. (1995) "Re-membering Willy's Past: Introducing Postmodern Concerns through 'Death of a Salesman.'" Matthew Roudané (Ed.), Approaches to Teaching Miller's “Death of a Salesman" (143-145). New York: Modern Language Assocation.
Details
Primary Language
English
Subjects
-
Journal Section
Research Article
Authors
Serkan Ertin
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This is me
Publication Date
June 30, 2017
Submission Date
April 7, 2017
Acceptance Date
-
Published in Issue
Year 2017 Number: 33