Shameless Digressions

Tragedy and the Common Man by Arthur Miller

“Tragedy, then, is the consequence of a man's total compulsion to evaluate himself justly.”

It is human nature for us to judge ourselves according to our peers. Willy compares himself to Charley because he is his peer. They’re the same age and have known each other for years. Charley and his son are both successful businessmen. They are everything that Willy and his sons aspire to be. Since Willy’s happiness depends on Biff’s success, Willy fails because Biff fails.

Arthur Miller writes that common men can be tragic characters just as well as those in high places. He says that everyone should be able to identify with the tragic hero. Willy isn’t just a common man because he’s a salesman from Brooklyn, but because you can commiserate with him, disapprove of him, and laugh at him.