Tragic Hero Willy Loman example essay topic

Prior Walter: Tragic Hero - Willy Loman: Tragic Fool Self-realization is the defining conclusion for designating a character either a tragic hero or merely a victim of tragedy. Very much alike, both characters, Willy Loman and Prior Walter, face tragedy as their respective plays progress, and each die in the end. Although both possess the stereotypical basis of a tragic hero, Willy lacks full self-realization, therefore not reaching the status of one as Prior does. Prior is tragic whereas Willy is pathetic. The characters of Willy and Prior are very comparable. Both are complex protagonists.

They evoke feelings of pathos upon the reader as they fight loosing battles throughout the play. Prior is dying of AIDS, and constantly having identity and relationship problems. Willy cannot fulfill the purpose of his life, achieving the American Dream. He constantly lies to himself and his family, never fully accepting his role and status in life. He lives and dies, as a failure. Both characters have angels that guide them through their troubles and offer a solution to their problems.

Prior has sightings of ancestors as well as a biblical angel. These supernatural visions at first scare and torment Prior him, but, like his death, he comes to accept them and even derive comfort and pleasure from them. He describes the angel speaking to him, "I want the voice; its wonderful. It's all that's keeping me alive". Willy creates angels in the form of daydreams. His mind wanders off to past times when his wife and boys were much younger.

He also holds conversations with his long-lost brother, Ben. These conversations confuse Willy and support his lack of understanding and feed his drive for the Dream. Although it may seem that Prior is worse off than Willy because he is suffering of a fatal disease while Willy is only having social problems, he eventually comes to accept death (although somewhat under the influence of the Angel's powers), accept himself as a person, and understand (not quite accept) Louis' abandoning him. Prior does fear and fight death for a large part of the play but this must be passed off as natural reaction. Prior dies a hero in that the reader feels proud of him by the end. He deals with a series of bad situations and still dies proud of who he is.

Furthermore, he dies as a Prophet. Willy comes close to becoming a tragic hero. After being fired, he concludes that he is in fact a failure in the real estate business. He realizes that he has never been able to, or never will be able to provide for his family as much as he would like to (or as much as the American Dream should have provided), and so the Dream has failed him.

He fails to realize, however, that the Dream may also not come true for Biff. He also never grasps on to the fact that he and Biff is not as "well-liked" as he thinks and he never fully understands how much his family loves him. At the end of Act II, Willy thinks that he has one more chance at achieving the Dream. He discusses with Ben his life insurance contract that will help Biff fulfill the Dream and coincidently soon after he has a car accident and dies. The reader soon learns that this attempt at becoming a tragic hero is, ironically, a failure (like Willy and his Dream) since it is implied his family will not be able to claim the life insurance. Willy: (smiling and proud, with an aire of excitement) Willy Loman!

Well-liked since 1893! St. Peter: Yes, Willy Loman. It has been decided that you have proved yourself to be a kind and generous soul. You are worthy to pass through these gates. First, you must correctly decide two things: the purpose of your life on earth and your expectations of heaven. Think, Willy.

Willy: (right away) Peter-St. Peter, sir, I have fulfilled the purpose of my life. I have succeeded in my career, provided for my family, raised two well-liked boys- well I did my best at sales- and I'm very well liked y'know; people open doors for me. (Pause) And heaven? Well, I guess I just kinda always expected heaven to be... green velvet slippers.