'Are Willy Loman and Oedipus Rex true tragic heroes?\r'

'The sad title-holder should be the cast of sub in whom we so-and-so ein truth bump into ourselves, and whose struggle we refer with. Neither Oedipus nor Willy is much(prenominal) a character: both(prenominal) argon so hell-bent on pursuance what is sh feature to be a all the wayly mistake route of action that we sight non dispense in their pathetic or misfortune. I do non believe that we basenot pull to it or draw with either Willy or Oedipus character. I count that both characters show both the ruff and worst aspects of humanity. Oedipus especially has admirable qualities that we as an inter control would aspire to.\r\nIt is inte slackeninging to note the blunting: it is the totally surviving Sophocles recreate to open with such(prenominal) a mass dramatic scene. This was a lot common in dramatists such as Aeschylus work. Sophocles openings were usually to a immen charmr extent motion little and private. The scene opens with Oedipus addressing Theb es, and shows a paternalistic side to Oedipus. Firstly, the staging would abide helped to enhance this paternalism †Oedipus is on the tip, raised to a higher place the orchestra w here the refrain would stand, spea fairy d avow to them dominating the space.\r\nHe refers to Thebes as ‘My children which suggests that although he is an authority figure, he is re belated just about his people, and is compassionate. It is rare in Greek catastrophe for rulers to address their people in this way. In the rest of his opening speech Oedipus is comforting and devoted. A late earreach would especially admire Oedipus for this, and this would help us direct with Oedipus. The ancient Greeks would also comport homogeneousned him to their great, grand, pitiless however democratic leader Pericles †which would harbor increase their identification.\r\nOedipus also has a degree of em mannery: ‘You suffer; yet, though sick, not bingle of you Suffers a sickness frac tional as great as mine This empathy shows a benignant caring side despite his elevated imagineation he is not at all polar from his people. This suggests that although Oedipus is treated roughly god-like, he sight pick out with the average person. This helps with the auditory modalitys identification with Oedipus. Towards the end the audience attend to Oedipus large capacity for grapple and affection †blush after his make upfall. He loves his daughers: ‘But my unhappy daughters, my devil girls,\r\nWhose chairs were always set beside my give This beautiful insight into the affinity between Oedipus and his daughters shows Sophocles un piece of assny ability to express emotion, and would stir to the audience, we can all nominate with familial love. Oedipus is compulsive in his struggle, and as an audience we depict with this †as normal average human creations we have to be determined in order to overcome struggles in deportment. He constantly stru ggles to find the truth of his individuality: ‘Stop! Who were they? Who were my parents? Tell me! ‘\r\nI must(prenominal) inquire: how is wishing to k straight off the truth surrounding a mysterious fundamentground deemed as ‘hell-bent? Surely that is what e veryone strives for in life is the ancient Greek aphorism: love Thyself. Every common person can identify with this; it is not confined to the great and mighty. Oedipus language here is emphatic and conveys a note of desperation †the audience can obtain a sentience of his authoritative vehement desire to know himself. Oedipus also has characteristics in himself that we can identity with †not because they are admirable, scarcely because they are flaws, which all of mankind possess.\r\nThe audience can see a glimpse of arrogance and vanity, when he says ‘Whose fame is known to all precisely to contemporary Greeks pride was not at all a weakness. However, to a innovational audience, Oe dipus would seem arrogant here, and this possibly shows a such(prenominal) unappealing side to humanity. It begins to emerge that Oedipus has an unrelenting betoken for intimacy, and is no pushover: ‘But if you keep silent, if any man Fearing for self or friend shall refuse me The audience glimpses of how impatient and inquisitive Oedipus actually is, as he poses a degenerate fire of questions towards Creon, e. g. : ‘Where was he murdered?\r\nIn the palace here? Or in the country? Or was he contrary? This could perhaps provide a keen list for the higher up statement †that Oedipus is ‘hell-bent on side by side(p) this mistaken path of action. However, I purport that everyone at more than or less point is determined to follow some social occasion mistaken, and it is how they deal with their shift that really determines their heroism. This is what the above statement ignores; the tragicalal hero isnt determined by the events leading to their precipitation, but more so how they respond to these events. there is a marked change in Oedipus, his tone changes one of toughness: ‘Why, what is this?\r\nWhy are you so despondent. Throughout the quick dialogue with Teiresias the audience are shown a less controlled Oedipus: ‘But to withhold your knowledge! This is wrong un-American to the city of your birth. ‘ There is a repetition of negatives here, and a critical accusatory tone. Oedipus is now more exclamatory ‘You villain! There is a constant inquiring by Oedipus, and the flow of speech between the characters is more fragmented and jagged than previously. This is achieved by the use of many a(prenominal) hyphens and short sentences: ‘You do not know- therefore I am the villain! This again creates a much more chaotic and less controlled side to Oedipus †he is not perfect which I actually smell helps us to empathise with him, and consequently are more able to share in his misfortune. Te iresias appears to try and rub Oedipus misguided path of action in the comparable way that poking tries to stop Willy ‘I am not a leader of men, Willy, and neither are you †but both Oedipus and Willy are too crocked of characters to be swayed. ‘This crime was planned and carried out by you which shows the irrational side to his character, and the simple absurdness of it all.\r\nI think Oedipus anger is pardonable with Thebes in great danger; he cannot get to the core of the closed book when Teiresias refuses to speak. Also, the refusal is incriminating; and it was not unknown for a king to be plotted against, so I could indicate that Oedipus is not completely irrational. Greeks were accustomed to taking the oracles talking to with a grain of salt, the oracle had not support Athens in either the Persian or Peloponnesian War, and so I think a contemporary audience would be able to identify more with Oedipus at this point, and we may not see much Oedipus in ours elves, The concept of oracles is very foreign to us.\r\nThere are however, some parts of the diarrhoea were we cannot share or identify with Oedipus suffering †only if because it is so far removed from what we know. For example, Oedipus downfall is highly intense. The language and imagery in describing this terrible downfall is rich and evocative: ‘Showers of black rain and red-faced hail together is said by the messenger in describing how Oedipus has blinded himself; he also speaks of the ‘common charge of the economize and wife. Oedipus also despairs ‘Oh cloud of grislyness abominable. This graphic storm metaphor is used extensively throughout the comprise, and conveys to the audience the catastrophic disharmony between man and temper caused by chaos in the royal ingleside of Thebes. The Greeks had a dangerous freedom in their open society †which could perhaps be a drive why Oedipus is so ‘hell bent on future(a) this mistaken path. Eac h individual is un-accommodated and alone †with cryptograph to confine him. It adds unique terror to the Greek tragic vision †we can see from the devastating downfall of Oedipus that the gods were unpredictable †no Greeks expected perfect judge from them.\r\nIn fresh society, most people verify the goodness of their God and abide under the rear of the Almighty. From this viewpoint I feel that a modern audience could perhaps not share so much in Oedipus suffering, because they dont expect it. But in his downfall we also see strength in Oedipus †and this is where we feel relieved or uplifted, and the completion of the catharsis. When Oedipus returns to the floor blinded, the audience know that he has passed through the gloomy night of the soul and has survived the worst.\r\nAt this stage Oedipus joins the chorus in a lyrical exchange, a kind of duet that begins with an outcry of pain and suffering ‘ unfortunately! alas! and woe for my misery . In join ing the chorus in song meter, he expresses with a saucily level of emotion and sympathy with humanity. This is in unornamented contrast to his previous commanding distance and he can now identify and stand beside clear mortal man †which he is himself. I think this is one of the most important parts of the play with regards to Oedipus being presented as a hero.\r\nWe can identify with him because even if he did pursue a ‘hell-bent path he made it out alive †and can now empathise with the rest of humanity. A tragic hero must encounter a cataclysm †or else they are not heroic, and I definitely can say Oedipus encounters a tragedy. Oedipus does not bounce or hide away from what he has dome †he speaks clearly ‘And she that bore me has borne too my children. This accession and courage shows the endurance of the human spirit, Oedipus transcends suffering. The audience lead feel a degree of optimism for humans †all is not lost in Oedipus genus T yrannus.\r\nOedipus, distant before, now accepts his constituent ‘My fate must take the configuration it leave and accepts it quietly and calmly. The audience do not see the common self-pity of the protagonist in this tragedy unlike others †e. g. Lear in Shakespeares King Lear. Oedipus remains a lift of strength. Oedipus here highlights the surmount qualities found in humans. Aristotle verbalize that it is the quality of the heros response to the peripeteia and the manner in which he confronts it that determines his essential worth as a tragic hero and gives him ultimate tragic status.\r\nOedipus, in coming through the dark night of the soul, confronts his destiny with courage and bravery. This is echoed in Willy Loman, who neer gives up his moon of success for him or his son Biff. To imply that Oedipus is on a hell-bent path suggests that fate has secondhand him. I believe this is not true †Oedipus could have left the plague in Thebes, he could have left t he murder of Laius un-investigated and he could have not pressed Teiresias or the herdsman for the truth. However, his piety, justice, and desire for knowledge meant that he must.\r\nAnd thus it is his character that has caused the tragedy †his good and bad qualities †his human qualities †and so thus I find that we do share his suffering and misfortune. Willy is a product of the optimistic post war society, and he has a real burning desire to trade in and succeed: ‘Goddammit, I could sell them! ‘ This is admirable, and shows an iron aim as well as joyous transport in Willys character, and so one could argue that like Oedipus iron ending, Willy has aspects in his character that highlight the best in humanity.\r\nHe has a real horse sense of competition, and acknowledges that the ‘competition is maddening! ‘ Willy doesnt accept this competition with belt down †he presses on †he even states to Biff: ‘Never leave a job bowl y oure finished. I dont see how striving till the very end, regardless of how sure-fire you are in financial terms, is considered ‘hell-bent. Willy loves his family: ‘The man who never worked a day but for your benefit and I feel that the audience would definitely share in his suffering and misfortune †millions of people straight off strive to provide for their families.\r\nWilly is an admirable in his determination for success for his family: ‘I get the feeling that Ill never sell anything again, that I wont make a financial support for you, or a business for the boys. The audience feel a sense of pathos, Willy is striving for a better life for his family, and his struggle is against a mighty and reigning force, that ultimately leads to his demise †quite like the gods in Oedipus Tyrannus. Like Oedipus, although he cares for his family deeply, his drive to preserve his face-to-face dignity and honour surpasses their need, and this could perhaps expla in why he chooses to kill himself †leaving Linda with nothing.\r\nExternal forces such as consumerism also shape Willys way of thinking, and would have affected millions of people in that period in America. Consumerism was a major force in the late forties, with families having more disposable income and industry and economy booming, consumer products were pissed out faster than ever before to incur the demand. This is demonstrated in Death of a Salesman: ‘theres nine-sixty for the washing-machine. And for the hoover cleaner theres three and a half speaks Linda in play One, and Willy laments how ‘we shouldve bought a well-advertised machine.\r\nArthur Miller denounces consumerism through Willy: ‘Once in my life I would like to own something outright before its broken. A contemporary audience should be able to identify with this, that Willy has an up-hill struggle against a mottle society. Willys mistaken path is not entirely his own doing, but the above s tatement does not consider these external factors in shaping Willys destiny. Willy lies unthinkingly †it is almost like an automatic reaction.\r\nThe audience can see though; Willys later hesitance, stuttering and pauses ‘Well, I †I did about a hundred and eighty-gross in Providence showing the utmost(a) discrepancy between his dreams and his reality. This shows his insecurities behind the bravado ‘Im fat. Im very †foolish to look at, Linda. These poignant moments show the established insecurities within Willy †and I think the audience will be able to identify with Willy at these clock †and sympathise with him. Although Willy may be deluded and lie unthinkingly, we can see that he is not completely deluded though, and in this strange metaphor ‘The woods are burning! Willy is realising that his dreams are going up in smoke. This is juxtaposed with the realist vernacular that occurs throughout the play, and suggests this line is of great immensity †that Willy is aware that his path is mistaken. However, it suggests that at this stage, he must continue to follow it to retain a sense of personal dignity. This shows the complexity of Willys decisions, and I feel the above quote trivialises them somewhat. Willy is tired and exhausted †this is made clear in the stage directions: ‘Even, as he crosses the stage to the doorway of the house, his exhaustion is apparent.\r\nHe unlocks the door, comes into the kitchen, and thankfully lets his encumbrance down. This staging helps to enhance the realism of Willys character, and the audience can see visually as well as from the dialogue this mans exhaustion. This very humanistic portrayal of Willy would drive a note with the audience, and I feel that we can share in his suffering, and that he is not following this mistaken path for trivial reasons †he very wants to be better. We can also see in Willy the worst in ourselves †this man has many flaws.\r\ nThere are no attempts to idealise Willy †he is perhaps an anti-hero, and Arthur Miller states that this tragic process is ‘not beyond the common man. As an audience, we should be able to identify with Willys suffering and misfortune even more than Oedipus, as it is not so far removed from our own selves. Willy can be rude and dismissive ‘Dont be a pest Bernard! What an anaemic, his language here being vulgar and childish. He can also be intensely angry at the people who love him †he is seen on stage as ‘exploding at her (Linda).\r\nHe also betrays Lindas trust in his occasion with the woman †which, in warehousing time †comes back to haunt him: ‘[The WOMANS laugh is heard. ] Willy: Shut up! Willys upcountry is explored through the use of memory time. Willy often reverts into episodes of memory time when reality becomes too labored to bear. From a psychological point of view, it shows that Willy is perhaps trying to strangulate the pai n he is feeling. This enables the audience to see a more rounded view of Willys situation, and we are shown his psychological suffering graphically, which increases our sympathy for this character.\r\nThe staging in Oedipus Tyrannus is much simpler and relies mostly on the dialogue †and so a modern audience may not be able to identify as much with Oedipus, as we do not see such detail into his mind. Other characters also highlight Willys suffering; Linda says ‘Hes been trying to kill himself. Is Willy finally giving in to his failure? We see however, later on in the play, that his attempts to kill himself are not because he is admitting failure, but to gain i??20,000 in life insurance policy in order for Biff to become successful: ‘Its twenty thousand dollars on the barrelhead.\r\nGuaranteed, gilt-edged, you understand? ‘ he tells Ben in a fictional episode. Ben uses the sinister metaphor: ‘The jungle is dark but full of diamonds, Willy to describe Wil lys suicide. This is perhaps a point in the play were I do agree with the expressed view ‘hell-bent on following a mistaken path. Willy has such determination that he will end his own life to secure some sort of success. I feel that here the audience would find it hard to identify with this †most of us would never go this far, and I think most of us would get to how success is not the most important thing in life.\r\nFor Willy though, it is what he has based his whole life on, and like Oedipus, he wants to preserve that honour. Miller states that the tragic feeling is evoked in us when we are in the presence of a character who is create to lay down his life, if need be, to secure one thing †his sense of personal dignity. This perfectly describes Willy, and so, even if we cannot perhaps identify specifically with his struggle, we are relieve in the presence of a tragic hero. We could contain however, does Willy need to lay down his life for his personal dignity?\r \nIt doesnt matter what we think, because for Willy, this is the only way to. I feel that Willys path is certainly more hell-bent than Oedipus in that Willy never gains self-knowledge or approaches an anagnorisis of what he unfeignedly is, Biff sadly states in the Requiem ‘He never knew who he was. Whereas Willy dies perhaps in vain, Oedipus survives the dark night of the soul, and accepts his destiny. This could be why audiences more promptly see Oedipus as a tragic hero whom we can see the best and worst of ourselves in.\r\n'