Death of a Salesman, by Arthur Miller, is a tragic play focusing on the common man in the late 1940s. Much of the story is told by flashbacks to Willy Loman's past, including his betrayal of Linda, his wife. His eldest son, Biff, witnessed the affair and has never been the same since. Happy, the youngest son, is not actually happy but enjoys lying to get ahead. Willy teaches his children that being popular and "well-liked" is more important than having skills. A tragic hero is a literary character who makes an error in judgment that inevitably leads to his own destruction. The character Willy Loman in Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman is an example of a tragic hero. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay An example of a trait of a tragic hero is that the character must have a weakness. This applies to Willy Loman because he has several weaknesses, pride being the most obvious. He has a false sense of his own importance and believes he will die “a salesman's death” with a crowded funeral, but instead he dies virtually alone (Miller 55). When Charley offers him a job, Willy refuses because he feels it might compromise his dignity. He is fine with receiving handouts, but is too proud to accept Charley's offer (Miller 26). He also constantly talks about being “well-liked” and having friends (Miller 17). Willy Loman represents the common American worker. Despite cheating on his wife and ruining his relationship with his children, Willy suffers more than he deserves. Suicide is how he wants to redeem himself in their eyes, considering his life insurance will leave him with twenty thousand dollars (Miller 39). His punishment, death, surpasses his crimes. Another way he suffers is when Howard refuses to move his job closer to home and ultimately fires him. Willy tells him that he "can't eat the orange and throw away the peel: a man is not a fruit" (Miller 55). By this he means that the company cannot simply fire its employees when they are too old and worn out to be of any use to them. Willy has been with the company since the beginning, working for Howard's father. The only reason Howard kept him around was for his father. This story definitely arouses fear and empathy in the audience. Willy's greatest desire is to be noble and "well-liked," but he clearly never achieves that status. Throughout the play it seems that he truly believes he is popular. His death should inspire fear in the common man, whom Willy symbolizes, so that we can recognize similar possibilities for error in ourselves. He is a “short man,” struggling to succeed in the wrong way. His dream was never to become a businessman; that idea was planted in his head by his father. For him, being a salesman was wrong; he was always skilled at building things (Miller 26). The audience can understand Willy's desire to be successful, to be well-liked, and the value he sees in appearances (Miller 18). After all, "well-liked" is probably the most common phrase in the entire work. Willy discovers his destiny from his own actions, not from the things that happen to him. He was essentially a product of society, which chased material goods and the “American dream.” Willy not only wanted to be rich, but he also wanted to be popular among others. He lives in the past, characterized by conversations between Willy and his late brother Ben (Miller 27). Willy wrecking the car is mentioned several times throughout the play, leading the reader to believe that he has already attempted suicide (Miller 7). He also inhales gas from a gas tube in the attempt.