Willie Loman and Oedipus As Tragic Heroes

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This will be done by comparing the background of Oedipus and Willie Loman; comparing their personalities; comparing their stories; and in the end comparing their tragedy.

The definition of a tragic hero as presented by Aristotle came long after Oedipus was written but before Loman's character was created in the "Death of a Salesman". It will be interesting to note how the two characters fit Aristotle's definition keeping this fact in mind. Moreover, Oedipus Rex is set in a Greek setting which is more associated with Aristotle as compared to Death of a Salesman written by Arthur Miller and having no link to any Greek era. In summary, the paper will analyze all the above mentioned elements and present a conclusion in the end as to which tragic hero fits best the profile as defined by Aristotle.

Oedipus and Willie Loman as defined by Aristotle

Oedipus Rex is a classic tragic hero. As defined by Aristotle, Oedipus is a classic tragic hero because he is a king whose life falls ...

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for instance, lets his emotions take over him, which results in his downfall. Most tragic heroes, also have an internal or external conflict which triggers a sense of sympathy or pity for the audience. For instance, Oedipus when abandoned by his parents, is deprived of love which makes him a very pitiful figure for others and results in further complicating his emotional state which basically drives him to his tragic end.

Oedipus' tragedy is a classic example of a man who causes his downfall because of an error in judgment and thus has to bear the consequences of his error. One of the major causes of Oedipus's fall is his arrogance and his love for himself that results in him ...

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