Diction In Death Of A Salesman Essay

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The play Death of a Salesman, written by Arthur Miller, has recently started being debated as to whether or not it classifies as a modern tragedy, evaluated under the rules written by Barbara McManus in her essay of Aristotle’s Poetics it classifies as a modern tragedy. There are no holes in the story of Death of a Salesman; we see the whole story, through the use of flashbacks, the character of Willy Loman fits the definition of a true to life character, he has his flaws and those flaws hold him back in life. Death of a Salesman is a thought provoking play, and the reader must go through and dissect flashbacks in order to determine what truly happens. The play uses diction in a somewhat confusing way, the characters don't say their true intentions …show more content…
Diction is broken into two categories: the implicit meaning behind the dialogue and the use of relevant metaphors. As previously stated the characters implied meanings are to be taken differently than the literal meaning of their words. The metaphors in Death of a Salesman are double edged, as they have multiple meanings. “Kid, I can’t take blood from a stone, I…”-Howard (Miller 58) This metaphor is Howard telling Willy that he can’t make him a floor salesman directly. Indirectly, Howard is telling Willy that he has already ruined his career, and that even Howard can no longer help him. He is subtlety telling him that he is the one to be responsible for his failed career, and that he never went anywhere in …show more content…
(He turns around as if to find his way; sounds, faces, voices, seem to be swarming in upon him and he flicks at them,crying.) Sh! Sh! (Suddenly music, faint and high,stops him. It rises in intensity, almost to an unbearable scream. He goes up and down on his toes, and rushes off around the house.) Shhh!”-Willy (Miller 101) This is the ultimate climax of the plot, and the reader is awed by the detail Miller put into describing this horrifying scene. Death of a Salesman as it was written by Arthur Miller is a true tragedy, with it drawing several parallels to the ancient Greek play Oedipus Rex, which was considered by Aristotle to be the perfect tragedy. This play follows all of the requirements written by Barbara McManus and in doing so clarifies it’s place as a modern
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