The Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller is a Modern Tragedy In the 4th century BC, Aristotle set out his description of dramatic tragedy and, in the following centuries, the tragedy continued to be defined by its fundamental observations. It was only in the modern age that playwrights began to deviate somewhat from the fundamental principles of Aristotelian tragedy and, in doing so, began to create works that were more recognizable to ordinary people and, therefore, less traditional. Even so, upon examination, the basic plot structure of some modern tragedies actually differs very little from that of the ancient classics. Despite its modernity, Arthur Miller's great 20th-century tragedy, Death of a Salesman, can be successfully compared to Aristotle's description of traditional tragedy. According to Aristotle, the protagonist, or tragic hero, of a tragedy is a person of great value. virtue and high status, usually a member of a royal family. The tragedy then transports the protagonist from his position of esteem and happiness to that of misery. Although Miller's protagonist, Willy Loman, is not upper class, he is the head of the family. His wife Linda, while aware of his flaws, sees him as "the dearest man in the world" (1.1373). Furthermore, he is a man whose intentions to be the best salesman he can be are honorable, if misguided. It should not be overlooked that before the twentieth century almost all literature had someone from the upper class as its protagonist. The typical protagonist of the modern era, however, is one whose primary conflict is survival, and that conflict is certainly true of Willy Loman. Linda sums up the plight of the modern tragic hero when she says, “A little man can be as exhausted as… a paper medium… doesn't want to be… when everything I want is out there, waiting for me the moment I say I know who I am" (2.1421)?The tragedy did not end with the modern age. Instead it has found a new form and is perhaps more relatable with the common man as the protagonist. Traditional tragedy is intended to create pity and terror in the audience for the plight of the tragic hero. Most of us see enough of ourselves in Willy to sympathize with him, even when we disagree with him. Furthermore, it is difficult for late 20th century Americans not to feel terror as they consider how the forces that destroyed Willy might destroy us too. Perhaps that fear is, in fact, the very heart of the tragedy created by Arthur Miller. Works Cited Miller, Arthur. Death of a Salesman, The Riverside Literature Anthology. Ed. Douglas Caccia. 2nd ed. Boston: Houghton, 1991. 1345-1426.