Death Of A Salesman By Arthur Miller - 1660 Words

What is the correct definition of tragedy anyways? Many people would define tragedy as a disaster, but according to the book The Cambridge Guide to World Theatre by Martin Banham, the word tragedy is â€Å"a word whose meaning changes with time and place† (1002). In Medieval times, â€Å"tragedy came to mean the downfall of a person of high degree† (Banham 1002), but in recent times, the meaning of the word tragedy has many definitions. According to Banham, â€Å"realists refused to limit tragedy to privileged protagonists† (1002). Two famous tragic plays that I found to have a genre of tragedy are Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller and Eurydice by Sarah Ruhl. In both of these plays, the downfall was not of a person of high degree but there was a†¦show more content†¦Willy probably might have felt guilty about borrowing money from Charley each week just to show his wife that he is making plenty of money. He was unsatisfied with his earning and lied to his wife by bringing home extra cash from his neighbor. By borrowing money and not earning enough from his job, certainly causes him to suffer. Another example of Willy’s sufferings was when he lost his job. For instance, Willy is dissatisfied with his career and decides to ask his boss Howard to work in the town instead of traveling for work from New York to New England every two weeks. Howard ends up saying â€Å"there just is no spot here for you† (Miller 56) and ends up firing him. Although Willy had a long career with the company and was very productive, Howard let him go. Willy defends himself by saying â€Å"I put thirty-four years into this firm, Howard, and now I can’t pay my insurance!† (Miller 57). Howard fires Willy at a time when he was most desperate. This shows the â€Å"change in the hero’s fortunes† (Nardo 73). Regardless being fired from his job, Willy still had hopes for his sons Biff and Happy to start a new business. Things did not go according to the plan and the business ends up not happening which causes Willy to suffer even more. Willy goes through financial troubles which prevent him to achieve the American Dream, keep his job, and provide for his family. These are all signs of disappointment and