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Much Ado about Nothing- Personality Differences

Summary: Personality can control and impact every aspect of a person's life. In Much Ado
About Nothing, this is true for all the characters, but especially for the characters of Beatrice and
Hero. The personalities of these two characters impact the aspect of their life that has to do with
relationships.

"Personality is to a man what perfume is to a flower." This quote by Charles Schwab describes
the importance of personality to a person. The author of this quote is saying that personality is
what defines each person and it is what each person is remembered by, as a flower is defined and
remembered by its perfume. Personality can control and impact every aspect of a person's life. In
Much Ado About Nothing, this is true for all the characters, but especially for the characters of
Beatrice and Hero. The personalities of these two characters impact the aspect of their life that
has to do with relationships. The conditions under which their marriages occur, their statuses in
their relationships, and the ways that their relationships start were all impacted by their diverse
personalities. The personalities of Beatrice and Hero vary greatly, leading them in opposite
directions with their relationships, with Beatrice headed towards a good relationship and Hero
towards a bad one.
The conditions under which Beatrice's and Hero's marriages occur are the effect of their personal
beliefs, which relate to their personalities. Beatrice's view on the circumstances under which
marriage should occur revolve around the fact that true love must be present. This is shown when
Beatrice says,
With a good leg and a good foot, uncle, and money
enough in his purse, such a man would win any woman
in the world, if 'a could get her good
will. (2.1.14-17)
Here, she is saying that a man can possess all these qualities, but he can only have a woman is he
can get her to love him. Beatrice believes in the principle of true love because she wants her
husband to be faithful to her. This is obvious during a conversation between her and her father
Antonio:
Antonio: In faith, she's too curst.
Beatrice: Too curst is more than curst: I shall lessen
God's sending that way, for it is said, "God sends
a curst cow short horns"; but to a cow too curst he
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sends none. (2.1.21-24)
In this context, the word 'horns' is referring to the horns of a cuckold. When her father calls her
'too curst' she replies that 'to a cow too curst he sends none', meaning that by being too curst, she
will have a faithful husband. When Beatrice is made to think that Benedick is in love with her,
she seems to think that he really loves her and that he will be faithful to her, because she agrees
to return his love when she says, "And Benedick, love on; I will requite thee," (3.2.111). This
means that she really loves him secretly also, or else, her belief that a relationship should be
backed by true love wouldn't hold true. Because of this belief of hers, it is more likely that her
relationship will last longer because love is a commitment by both members of a relationship. In
contrast, Hero's marriage by the end of the play seems to have only occurred to uphold the
family honor. Hero's marriage is arranged with Claudio, whom she claims to love. Their plans of
marriage break on the day however, under false accusations of Hero cheating. Hero's death is
feigned after this, in order to gain more time to uncover the truth. This is accomplished, and she
tricks Claudio into marrying her by pretending to be a look-alike cousin of Hero. This plan is
introduce when Leonato says to Claudio, "
Be yet my nephew: my brother hath a daughter,
Almost the copy of my child that's dead,
And she alone is heir to both of us.
Give her the right you should have given her cousin,(5.1.289-292)
Claudio agrees to marry the "niece", and it is apparent that he is only doing so because of honor
when he says, "Which is the lady I must seize upon""( 5.4.53). This shows that he just wants to
take possession of a wife to uphold his own and Leonato's honor. The marriage of Hero and
Claudio without the aspect of true love will lead them to have an unsuccessful married life
because of the lack of commitment from both members. These different circumstances under
which Beatrice's and Hero's marriages occur influence their dissimilar outcomes of their
relationships.
The statuses of each of the characters in their relationships are determined by their contrasting
personalities, and play a part in the end results of their relationships. One of the aspects of
Beatrice's personality that leads her to leading a better love life is that she takes an authoritative
role in the relationship because of her boldness. Beatrice is rash in her way of talking with
Benedick, and at this point in time, it was quite unusual for a woman to be so bold while talking
to a man. For example, while Beatrice is talking to Benedick, she says, "I wonder that you will
still be talking, / Signor Benedick; nobody marks you" (1.1.112-113). She is not ashamed of
being rude towards him or of her outward personality. One time where Beatrice takes an
authoritative role in her relationship with Benedick is after Hero is falsely accused of cheating on
Claudio. In this scene, Beatrice sets conditions for their relationship. Because Beatrice is so
angry with Claudio, she asks Benedick to kill him. When Benedick refuses, Beatrice says, "I am
gone, though I am here; there is no love/ in you. Nay, I pray you let me go!"(4.2.291-292). Then,
soon after, when Benedick is still skeptical about her request but swears by his hand that he loves
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her, Beatrice replies, " Use it for my love in some other way than/ swearing by it" (4.2.324-325).
Benedick is finally convinced that Beatrice really believes that Claudio wronged Hero, so he
says, "Enough, I am engaged. I will challenge him" (4.2.329). This persuasion of Benedick by
Beatrice shows how much control she exercises in their relationship in certain situations. This
occasional exercise of control is good because this way, Beatrice will not be ruled completely by
Benedick, but instead, they will both have an equal amount of control in their relationship. Hero
on the other hand, is the complete opposite. She takes the secondary role in the relationship, by
basically letting Claudio decide what goes on in her life. For example, at the first wedding, when
Claudio accuses Hero of cheating on him, she says or does nothing to defend herself. She lets her
fate be decided by Claudio, while she just stands there and watches their relationship end. This is
unfortunate, because Hero has no say in the events that go on in her own life. If it continues to be
this way, then Claudio will basically rule over Hero during their married life and there will be no
equality present like in Beatrice's relationship. If Hero had the same boldness as Beatrice, she
would not have let this happen to her, and if it hadn't happen to her, she would be in the position
to lead a better love life. These different statuses of Beatrice and Hero in their relationships are
results of their personalities, and will play a part in the opposite outcomes of their relationships.
The ways that Beatrice's and Hero's relationships started reflect their personalities also. The two
very different ways that these two characters began their relationships impacted the fate of their
relationships. Beatrice and Benedick's relationship was the result of a plot made by their friends
to get them to like each other. Beatrice needed this plot to help her get over her detestation of
men. Her nasty feelings towards men because of her unsatisfiable personality is obvious, when
she says,
Not till God make men of some other metal
than earth. Would it not grieve a woman to be
overmastered with a piece of valiant dust? To make
an account of her life to a clod of wayward marl"
No, uncle, I'll none. Adam's sons are my brethren,
and, truly, I hold it a sin to match in my kindred.(2.1.59-64)
Here, she is insulting men and is saying that she will not get married until they change their
ways. Beatrice also needed this plot to help her recognize her true feelings for Benedick. It is
clear that she and Benedick have a past history, because at the beginning of the play, she says,
"You always end with a jade's trick. I know/you of old,"(1.1.140-141). At the end of the play,
when the plot is revealed, both hers and Benedick's true love for each other are unmasked, all
thanks to their friends. This way of their relationship starting was good, because since they had a
past history, they both already knew each other well, but just needed some help revealing their
true feelings. Contrasting from Benedick and Beatrice, Hero and Claudio's relationship began
with a decision that Hero didn't play a very big part in. Claudio was the one who first decided
that he wanted Hero as a wife, and when action was taken, the marriage was arranged by Don
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Pedro and Leonato, as shown in these lines, " ...Here Claudio, I have wooed in thy name,/ and
fair Hero is won. I have broke with her father, and his good will obtained..."(2.1.295-297). Hero
was expected since the beginning to marry according to her father's wishes. This is shown during
this conversation,
Antonio: [To Hero] Well, niece, I trust you will be
ruled by your father.
Beatrice: Yes, faith. It is my cousin's duty to make
cursy and say, "Father, as it please you." But yet
for all that, cousin, let him be a handsome fellow,
or else make another cursy, and say, "Father, as
it please me."(2.1.50-56)
These passages show that Hero's relationship was arranged from the beginning, and was not
started because of personal choice, but was a result of her obedient personality. This is not the
only part of the beginning of her relationship that leads her to having a worse love life than
Beatrice. When Hero and Claudio are engaged, they are just mere acquaintances. Claudio just
made his decision of wanting to marry her because of Hero's physical beauty. Because they had
no past knowledge of each other, unlike Benedick and Beatrice, their relationship was
established according to physical attraction, and not spiritual attraction. This physical judgment
on both Claudio's and Hero's part was the result of their ignorant personalities, and will impact
their relationship negatively.
The personalities of Beatrice and Hero vary greatly, leading them in opposite directions with
their relationships, with Beatrice headed towards a good relationship and Hero towards a bad
one. The circumstances under which their marriages occur, their statuses in their relationships,
and the ways their relationships started all play a significant role in the probable outcomes of
their relationships. Beatrice's belief in marriage only under the principle of true love, her
authoritative status in the relationship, and the plot in which she discovers her true feelings for
Benedick all work together to help her have a better relationship. Hero's contrasting beliefs of
getting married only in order to uphold family honor, her secondary status in the relationship,
and her arranged relationship with Claudio lead her in the opposite direction than Beatrice with
her relationship. "Personality has the power to open many doors, but the same personality must
keep them open." This quote, by anonymous, applies to Beatrice's and Hero's situations directly.
Beatrice's and Hero's contrasting personalities had the ability to lead them into their
relationships, regardless of the circumstances, but now their personalities also have to keep the
relationships going, which is a tougher task.
How Does Shakespeare Portray Women in "much Ado about Nothing"?
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Summary: Shakespeare portrays women quite accurately in his play "Much to do About
Nothing", as all the female characters have widely varied personalities so that main female
stereotypes are covered, without making the women come across as being too patronising,
animated or humorous. The variety of personalities and social status enables different people to
relate to the different characters, and enable a range of relationships to be formed in the play.

This play is mainly based around battles of the sexes, conflict, relationships and deceiving
people. Women feature very heavily in each of these and many lines can be interpreted in
different ways, to show hidden meaning or to reflect society. The only female characters in the
play are Beatrice, Hero, Ursula and Margaret. All of these women have very different
characteristics, opinions and personalities, and occasionally their personalities clash a little. Not
all of these women's characters fit the typical female stereotype in Shakespearean society
(especially Beatrice), and are possibly made to behave in such a way to add humour, irony or
contrast.
Beatrice is introduced in the first scene of the play, and is portrayed as being a very witty and
clever woman. She frequently plays with words to win arguments or to prove her point. For
example, when a the messenger informs her that Benedick is a "lord to a lord, a man to a man,
stuffed with all honourable virtues" she quickly replies, "It is so indeed, he is no less than a
stuffed man, but for the stuffing - well, we are all mortal." Her quick answers indicate that she is
a woman who will always speak her mind, no matter what the consequences may be, and will
never back down from an argument. This type of attitude and wit in a woman may have shocked
Shakespearean audiences, as during the time this play was originally performed women had little
power over men and were seen as second class citizens. Shakespeare may have decided to
portray Beatrice in this way in order to make a point about women's role in society and to show
that some women were in fact cleverer than men, or he could have done it simply to inject some
humour into the play, as the thought of an independent women may have been a joke and might
not have been taken seriously.
Her relationship with Benedick is a constant battle of wits, as both characters like to play with
words and try to outsmart each other. Although at the beginning of the play they appear to
despise each other and any thought of marriage, after hearing false rumours of the others love
they begin to think of the other fondly and forget their previous dislike.
Although Beatrice comes across as being very competitive, independent, clever and assertive,
Shakespeare occasionally gives the audience a glimpse of the other side of Beatrice, who doesn't
seem to be as happy as she pretends to be. For example, in Act 3 Scene 1, Beatrice overhears
Hero and Ursula talking about her, and later in a soliloquy she says "Stand I condemned for pride
and scorn so much"" which shows that she is shocked that she comes across as being so hard-
hearted. She then goes on to say "Benedick, love on, I will requite thee, taming my wild heart to
thy loving hand: if though dost love, my kindness shall incite thee." This change of heart shows
her true feelings, and causes the audience to feel more sympathetic towards her as she seems
genuinely hurt by Ursula and Hero's comments and willing to change for Benedick.
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Beatrice also makes good use of her feminine wiles to get what she wants. A good example of
this is when Benedick declares his love for her and offers to do anything she asks, and she replies
"Kill Claudio." Although she knows that Benedick murdering Claudio is unlikely to ever happen,
she takes hold of the situation and tries to use it to her advantage.
However Hero is not as confident and witty as her cousin, Beatrice. Although Hero is present in
the first scene of the play she only says one line, "My cousin means Signor Benedick of Padua"
throughout the entire act. The next act she is in is Act 2 Scene 1, and yet again she only says one
line, "He is of very melancholy disposition." Hero is portrayed as being very shy and sensible, as
she barely says a word, and when she does it's always in polite context. Her attitude and
behaviour may have been more similar to the way women in Shakespearean times acted,
compared to Beatrice's witty sense of humour and constant play on words. Shakespeare may
have chosen to present Hero like this to show a contrast between her and Beatrice, and possibly
to make Beatrice seem even more lively and eccentric compared to her retiring and shy cousin.
However, it does become apparent that Hero does look up to Beatrice as the play continues, as
she often uses similar comebacks to Beatrice when teasing men, e.g. "So you walk softly, and
look sweetly, and say nothing, I am yours for the walk, and especially when I walk away."
Both Hero's gentlewomen, Margaret and Ursula, are very confident characters, but in different
ways. Ursula is portrayed as being very well spoken and clever, and like Beatrice also enjoys
teasing men, e.g. "I know you well enough, you are Signor Antonio...I know you by the
waggling of your head." Ursula also has a scheming and secretive side, as she and Hero trick
Beatrice into falling in love with Benedick.
Margaret, in contrast to Ursula, is portrayed as being very crude and rude, and often makes
sexual jokes, e.g. when talking about Hero's wedding dress, she jests, "'Twill be heavier soon by
the weight of a man." She is probably quite similar to a lot of the 'working women' in
Shakespearean times, as although she is cheeky and bubbly, she will not let anyone walk over
her or take advantage of her. Shakespeare has definitely chosen Margaret to be like this in order
to provide some rude humour into the play, and also some normality, as the Shakespearean
audience may have found it hard to relate to the upper-class characters, because the majority
were working class.
When reading or watching the play in the present day and age, we must remember that in
Shakespearean times, every character would be played by a man, no matter what gender the
character was meant to be. Therefore, this may have provided subtle jokes that because of the
mixed casting we have now, we might not be able to pick up on. For example, in act 4, Scene 1,
Beatrice says "Oh, that I were a man! ... Oh God that I were a man!" This would have been very
comical to Shakespearean audiences, because it would have been a man saying this line, which
would add irony and possibly pathos, which we wouldn't grasp today.
Although Shakespeare is a male writer, he doesn't always have the male characters winning
arguments and coming out on top of a situation, and in many cases the male characters are
shamed and the female characters triumph over men. He may have chosen to do this because this
was such an unlikely event that it became humorous, or it could have been his way of showing
that not all women deserve to be thought of as second class citizens.
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An example of women having power over men in Much Ado... is when Beatrice turns down Don
Pedro at the ball. Beatrice jokingly complains that she will be a spinster for the rest of her life,
and Don Pedro offers himself as a husband, "Will you have me, lady"" but Beatrice rejects him.
Beatrice comes out on top of the situation, but also leaves Don Pedro's pride intact with her kind
and mature rejection, proving that she isn't always looking to win a situation and is conscious of
other people's feelings.
The women's relationships with each other are very strong throughout the play, and although
they may occasionally tease each other, they willingly offer support at critical times and give
each other the benefit of the doubt. For example in Act 4 Scene 1, when Hero is wrongly accused
of no longer being a virgin, even when her father, Leonato believes the rumours, Beatrice jumps
to her defence straight away, "Oh on my soul my cousin is belied." However, men also stick up
for each other frequently during the play, which is shown also in Act 4 Scene 1, when Leonato
immediately believes what Claudio has to say, instead of listening to his daughters version of the
event. I think that the character's relationships with other people of the same sex are much more
trusting, because it's natural that we can often relate more to those of our gender and form deeper
friendships without the worry of love or lust getting in the way and confusing things. I also think
that it was very important for women to be close, especially in Shakespearean times, because of
them being treated as second class citizens and also to support each other during difficult times.
Women's relationships with men are much more varied in the play. There are a few important
relationships that help to provide a more complex plot. Obviously, Hero and Claudio's
relationship is a key factor in the play, and is fairly turbulent, but at the end of the play all the
liars are shamed and the couple wed. However, we are always aware that one of the main reasons
Claudio wants to marry Hero is because of her wealth. When Leonato offers Hero's 'cousin' as a
bride, Claudio willingly accepts without a second thought, which makes the audience reconsider
whether Claudio really is in love or mainly attracted to Hero's wealth. Their relationship may
have been typical of a high society Shakespearean relationship, with the couple being
encouraged to marry because of their high status and wealth, and also shows how women are
expected to marry men that their fathers think are suitable, without having much of a say in the
matter.
Beatrice and Benedick's relationship is also a very turbulent one, as I have previously explored.
They constantly give subtle hints that there may be more to their competing than the matter of
pride, especially when Beatrice and Don Pedro talk at the ball (Act 2, Scene 1), and Beatrice says
"Indeed my lord, (Benedick) lent (his heart) me a while, and I gave him use for it, a double heart
for his single one: marry once before he won it of me, with false dice, therefore your grace may
well say I have lost it." However, neither Beatrice nor Benedick elaborate on this quote, and so it
adds mystery and makes the audience wonder what exactly did happen between them.
Overall, I feel that in this play Shakespeare does portray women quite truthfully, as all the female
characters have such varied personalities that all of the main female stereotypes are covered,
without making the women come across as being too patronising, animated or humorous. The
variety of personalities and social status enables different people to relate to the different
characters, and enable a range of relationships to be formed in the play.
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Claudio's Impulsiveness
Summary: Shakespeare's comedies possess happy endings, with characters ultimately getting
what they deserve. Claudio and Hero's marriage is celebrated, and the wounds that are formed
during the extent of the play finally begin to close up. Don John is captured after his attempt to
escape Messina, and the shame on Hero is lifted as her innocence is restored. However, in Much
Ado About Nothing, a large portion of the trouble that occurs can be attributed to Claudio's
impulsiveness.

Shakespeare's comedic play, Much Ado About Nothing, begins with the return of Prince Don
Pedro of Aragon to the city of Messina after his triumphant battle against his bastard brother,
Don John. Under his command is a particular soldier by the name of Claudio of Florence, who
proved to be a valuable asset in the war. Leonato, the governor of Messina, welcomes back Don
Pedro and his company into the Italian city. Claudio is immediately love-struck by Leonato's
only child and daughter, Hero, and the eventual communal love between Claudio and Hero is
what supplies the plot for Shakespeare's play. However, Claudio is revealed early on in the story
as an impulsive character that acts spontaneously and irresponsibly. His reckless nature is
exposed through his misplacement of trust, his tendency to jump to conclusions, and his
eagerness to carry out actions.
Claudio's rash behavior is shown through his lack of good judgment with whom to trust. When
Don Pedro first hears of Claudio's desire for Hero, he agrees to impersonate Claudio and court
Hero for him at Leonato's party. When Don John and one of his companions, Borachio, approach
the real Claudio during the masked ball, they claim that "[Don Pedro] is enamored on Hero"
(II.i.156) and that they have heard "[Don Pedro] swear his affection" (II.i.160) to her. Claudio
immediately believes the villainous pair without even stopping to think that these two men are
enemies that he just recently fought against. In addition, Claudio serves under the leadership of
the kindly prince Don Pedro, so it is reasonable that Claudio should believe him above his
manipulative brother. Afterwards, Don John again tries to thwart the relationship between
Claudio and Hero by having Borachio display his affections with Margaret, one of Hero's
attendants. However, Borachio will call Margaret by the name of "Hero" while they speak by the
Hero's window, so as Claudio views them, he will think Hero is disloyal and unchaste. Don John
joins Claudio and Don Pedro to warn them that "[Hero] is disloyal" (III.ii.98) and to tell them
that he can show them proof of it. Don Pedro and Claudio both ponder and decide if Don John is
truthful about Hero's alleged affair, and agree to observe Hero's window that night. Claudio,
along with Don Pedro, does not bother to consider that Don John is a self-proclaimed villain who
may be speaking lies again. Because he foolishly places his trust in people undeserving of it,
Claudio is revealed as an impetuous character.
Claudio's affinity for jumping to conclusions and presuming what is not true exposes him as a
person who acts out of impulse. Shortly after Don John and Borachio falsely inform him that
Don Pedro has declared his own love to Hero, Claudio quickly assumes that "the Prince woos for
himself" (II.i.166) and becomes enraged. Claudio doesn't speak to Don Pedro directly about the
matter (which would be the logical thing to do) and leaves instead. Don Pedro later explains
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when Claudio returns that he did woo Hero in Claudio's name and that all marriage arrangements
are made. Meanwhile, Benedick of Padua, another young lord under the direction of the Prince,
questions Claudio if he "[thinks] the Prince would have served [him]" (II.i.186-7) like this.
Likewise, Beatrice, Hero's cousin, hints that Claudio's "jealous complexion" (II.i.280) is the root
of his anger. Both Benedick and Beatrice suggest that Claudio thoughtlessly presumes that Don
Pedro harmed his chances of being with Hero instead of helping them. Thus, Claudio's tendency
to take the facts for granted uncovers his hasty temperament.
Claudio is also inclined to hurry through with his actions without considering the consequences,
showing that he is impulsive. After the match-up between Claudio and Hero is resolved, they
vow to marry. When asked about when he plans to wed Hero, Claudio declares that he wishes to
do it "tomorrow" (II.i.339), although he is told by Leonato to wait a while longer. Claudio does
not put an immense amount of thought into his choice when he plans to dive headfirst into
matrimony. Marriage is a life-changing decision, so for Claudio to carelessly settle on this fate is
especially impatient of him. Afterwards, when Don John notifies Claudio and Don Pedro about
Hero's supposed infidelity, they agree to go with the Prince's bastard brother to investigate.
Claudio says that if he spies proof of unchastely behavior in Hero, he will "shame her"
(III.ii.118) "in the congregation where [they] should wed" (III.ii.117-8). Claudio does not give a
second thought about Hero's innocence Margaret's actions are mistook as Hero's. Claudio
immediately wants to publicly disgrace Hero the next day at the altar. The eagerness and
impatience he displays in carrying out a task makes Claudio's impetuosity clear.
Shakespeare's comedies possess happy endings, with characters ultimately getting what they
deserve. Claudio and Hero's marriage is celebrated, and the wounds that are formed during the
extent of the play finally begin to close up. Don John is captured after his attempt to escape
Messina, and the shame on Hero is lifted as her innocence is restored. However, in Much Ado
About Nothing, a large portion of the trouble that occurs can be attributed to Claudio's
impulsiveness. Because of his inexperience with trust, his ridiculous assumptions, and his haste,
Claudio is the source of the many problems in the play. Despite all ending well, much of the
nuisances occurring in the story would be avoided if Claudio was more precautious about his
actions and decisions.
In What Way Is the Gap between Appearance and Reality Explored in Much Ado about
Nothing?
Summary: The fact that every character in the play, no matter how important, is involved in
some form of gull, deception or misinterpretation clearly shows Shakespeare's exploration into
the depth of appearance and reality.

The fact that every character in the play, no matter how important, is involved in some form of
gull, deception or misinterpretation clearly shows Shakespeare's exploration into the depth of
appearance and reality. Much Ado About Nothing explores this gap of appearance and reality
through the flaws of the patriarchal society in Messina, subject of perception, obscure truth as
well as the humorous and destructive nature of such misconceptions.
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What is disturbing about Messina's patriarchal society is that the appearance and obscure truth
from the spoken word has a far greater value than what is in fact reality. The men who are at the
top of this social hierarchy are those who base their lives around the virtues of honour, valor and
nobility, or at least are supposed to be. Right from the start of the play Claudio is described to
have the 'figure of a lamb and the feats of a lion', yet the narrative reveals that he is the most
inconstant man of all. Noble figures such as Don Pedro and Leonato are too easily deceived, and
justice in the city is upheld by Dogberry, the most intellectually challenged character in the play
who ironically unravels Don Johns plot. This whole idea of appearance being more important
than reality can be seen most presently in Act Two Scene One, where all the characters are
having a masked ball. This microcosm of the play is a metaphor for just how everyone has a
faade when around each other without revealing their true self. By creating a flawed patriarchal
society in which appearance is valued over reality, Shakespeare not only shows how these flaws
can undermine a society, but also mocks patriarchal societies of the Elizabethan era where many
were judged on how they were perceived to be, and not how they really were.
Shakespeare also uses appearance and reality to address the nature of love in the play using both
the gulling of Beatrice and Benedict as well as Claudio's shaming of Hero. Claudio falls in love
with Hero upon first glance, describing her as 'the sweetest lady that ever I looked on', but when
he find from Don John that she has been fornicating with another man, it does not take a second
though for him to be disgraced. During the shaming Claudio confronts Hero saying that 'what a
Hero hadst thou been, if half thy outward graces had been placed about they thoughts and
counsels of thy heart'. This becomes both ironic in the fact that Hero never did do anything that
was witnessed, and that when falling in love with Hero, Claudio only saw the outward graces and
not the heart. Beatrice and Benedict, unlike Hero and Claudio, were brought together by a gull.
Benedict, a misogynist, and Beatrice, a known man hater, both 'overheard' others telling of each
others love. This 'illusion' brought the two together, but their love was only true when Beatrice
demands that Benedict kill Claudio. It is this action of Benedicts that shows he loves Beatrice,
because it is what a man is willing to do for a woman, a reality, that shows how much he loves
her, much unlike Claudio who loves Hero like a jewel, an appearance. Here, Shakespeare shows
how true love is created or destroyed through appearance and reality. The comedy of Beatrice
and Benedicts gulls and the sorrow in the gull of Hero and Claudio also show how illusions can
be entertaining but at the same time destructive.
Even the pun of noting in the title explores the difference between appearance and reality, and
touches on the subject of the spoken word. Much of what happens in Much Ado About Nothing
that causes gulls or misconceptions, whether intentional or not, are that of the spoken word, or
obscure truth.

Benedick's Conversion to Love
Summary: In Shakespeare's play, Much Ado About Nothing, over the course of the play,
Benedick converts from a hostile bachelor to a loving husband. In the end he is head over heels
in love for Beatrice whom he once quarreled with habitually.
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Benedick's conversion to love
Throughout Act one and two, Benedick repeatedly says that he will never love a woman or get
married. At some stage in the duration of the play his mindset changes. In the end he is head over
heels in love for Beatrice whom he once quarreled with habitually. The turnabout in his behavior
was brought about by the deceiving Claudio and Pedro who indirectly told Benedick that
Beatrice loved him.
At the beginning, Benedick's attitude is negative towards women in general. He swears he will
never marry, as he is very critical of women and does not trust any of them not to cheat on him.
He seems to oppose with Beatrice in a competition to outwit, outsmart, and out-insult each other.
Obviously he has been in some sort of past relationship with Beatrice because when he meets her
at the masked ball, she describes him as a selfish pig. We can infer that Benedick has some kind
of deep feelings for her because after she insults him he is hurt and says, "Will your grace
command me any service to the world's end? I will go on the slightest errand now to the
Antipodes that you can devise to send me on. I will fetch you a toothpick from the furthest inch
of Asia . . . do you any embassage to the pigmies, rather than hold three words' conference with
this harpy" (II.i.229-235). This blatantly means that he does not wish to talk to her.
When Benedick hears that Claudio has fallen in love for Hero, he is enraged. He thought that
Claudio would live a bachelor's life like him. Benedick tells him that men who are in love are not
masculine. Near the end of Act IV, Benedick's complete change is evident when Benedick
chooses love over friendship. Benedick challenges Claudio, previously his closest friend in the
world, to duel to the death over Claudio's accusation as to Hero's unethical behavior. After
Beatrice complains to him about Claudio's mistake, Benedick gives in, "Enough, I am engaged. I
will challenge him." At this point, there is no doubt that Benedick has switched his allegiances
entirely over to Beatrice. But then again, Benedick was relieved that Hero was proved guilty so
he would not have to fight his close friend Claudio.
On the "second" wedding day of Hero and Claudio, Benedick showed maturity by not fighting
Pedro and Claudio when they teased him about loving Beatrice. He justifies his earlier remark
that he would die a bachelor by saying, "When I said I would die a bachelor, I did not think I
should live till I were married." Benedick is trying to say that he thought he would die young and
not live long enough to get married. When in front of the crowd, Benedick refutes that he loves
Beatrice but is exposed when Claudio shows everyone the sonnet he wrote for her. The reader
can recognize that Benedick is more mature and over his degrading jokes because he tells the
crowd, "I'll tell thee what, prince: a college of witcrackers cannot flout me out of my humor." He
tells everyone to disregard what he said before about marriage because he was not planning on
falling in love.
Over the course of the play, Benedick made a complete turn around from evading love and
marriage to falling in love and wanting to get married. It is clear that Benedick has matured very
much because of his new mature views on love and life.
12

Presentation of Women in Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare


Shakespeare presents the women in much ado about nothing according to
their role and in time of the past time. They do not have control
their own except Beatrice. They are four women in number and descried
accordingly


BEATRICE:

Beatrice is a young but quite old lady, She is of a high status
despite she is an orphan. She has an uncle who is a governor. She is
the only strong-willed bold but unmarried. She is the only woman who
speaks with authority and mockingly to the men "he is the prince's
jester a very dull fool" this shows?


She is the only strong women but unmarried until the last Act. She
dislike Benedick one of the followers of Don Pedro, and Benedick
dislikes her too and he also dislike women which make him say he will
be an bachelor man till the end of his life. When the messenger
brought the news about the benedick and other solider returning from a
victory war, which they succeed in. she speaks mockingly about
Benedick disregarding his status as a solider but the messenger, tried
to defend his follow solider. Beatrice and Benedick their merry war
after his return, they attempt scoring point off each other, benedict
called Beatrice a "rare parrot" this shows that she talks a lot
without making any point any copying other people's words

Leonato, Beatrice's uncle was unhappy about her attitude and advised
her to stop it, if not she will never get a husband and to my own
view, this is the best advice one can give to Beatrice. When Don Pedro
proposed to her, but she refused because she felt that him as a prince
will not love her as well as been self endeared and takes no shape nor
project of affection. This emphasizes don Pedro.


Don Pedro admired her as a woman with a merry heart and Benedick
descried as disdainful. Later when Benedick and Beatrice fell in love
13

with each other after hero and Ursula tricking Beatrice of Benedick
love for her. In addition, Claudio, Don Pedro and leonato tricking
Benedick of Beatrice love for him. Nevertheless, Beatrice is still the
"old Beatrice" This means that Beatrice is still the unchanged one.
Moreover, when they got married as husband and wife, Benedick will
never be able to have control over her.


Beatrice is a women who doesn't only challenge the opinion of war, but
engages in a war of words with Benedick, She was descried by Hero as
"a coy and wild haggard of the rock" this presents her as a
strong-willed woman. She defends herself and does not allow any man
have control over her, so she is a hero or the only heroine in Much
Ado About Nothing.


HERO
====



Hero is a young woman from a high status family, weak and unmarried.
She was descried as "leanato's short daughter" this shows hero's
appearance in height and Don perdo decribed her as "well worthy" and
"pleasant sprited lady and gentle". Hero is the sweet and grace
daughter of the Leanato. Hero's marriage arrangement was held at her
absent because she has no control (over herself).


When Claudio who was engaged to marry Hero, fall into Don john evil
plot to woo hero on Claudio's behalf to woo Hero. He was so bitter and
called hero a "rotten orange"; this show that she is not worthy and
unclean. He spoken harshly to her "turn all beauty who thought of
harms" he present hero as someone with an innocent appearance but not
innocent in thoughts. Hero was surprised and disappointed about
Claudio statement and it was on the wedding day . hero knew she was
innocent and that was all false accusation. She said "they know they
do accuse me, I know none". But unfounately for hero her father
believed Claudio and Don Pedro false accusation about his daughter.
out of the bitterness in him, he wished that Hero should die.
14



Beatrice,Benedick and fair listen to Hero and advice Leonato to listen
to his daughter because they felt she was innocent of all accusation.
but they all suspect that Don John was behind that accusation. The
fair said to Leoanto that "this sweet lady lie no guiltlessness here
under some biting error" the fair was able to see the guiltlessness in
Hero.


When Claudio realized about the evil plot plotted by Don John. He
realized his mistake and when to recognize, whish he was asked to
mourn for Hero and he did. On the finally wedding day, he realized
that Hero was not death and he was filled with tear of joy .Hero was
also filled with tears of joy and said to him "when I lived I was your
other wife and you were my other husband"; this shows that they are
now husband and wife as it would have been. Hero's name has no impart
in her life meaning she that her name play no role in her life.


MARGARET
========



Margaret is of low status, she is a young woman, unmarried and wicked
she is unwitting help dishonor to Hero or Beatrice. She is not only a
servant but neither is she of social equal with Hero or Beatrice. She
is a hidden character and fund of talking about love. She was so
foolish and wicked to take part in wooing Hero. By allowing Broachio
to have sex with her in room, wearing hero's dress by the window side
and was called Hero to confuse Claudio and Don Pedro. Margaret is a
wicked servant of Hero.


URSULA
======

Ursula is one of Hero's servant, she is not really a young and
unmarried. She plan's with Hero to tricks Beatrice of Benedick love
15

for Beatrice . she is a hidden character in the play.


The women were always talking about the men, they mock the men in the
dance they often have little conflict among each other. Benedick
descried the women "wise or I' none virtuous, or I'll never cheapen"*

Shakespeare presents the women as the weakness link in the play they
had less control (over themselves).

Realism in Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman

Realism may be defined as an attempt to reproduce the surface appearance of the life of normal
people in everyday situations (Kennedy 1410). Basically realism is a situation that normal people
can relate to based on their own experiences. Realism is extremely prevalent in the play Death of
a Salesman. The characters in the play have real world problems. Lack of money is one of the
problems, which is a problem for many people. There are also many conflicts within the family;
related to each characters definition of success.

Willy Loman also wants his children to have a better than he has and tries to do everything he
can so they will have a better life, including ending his own. One realistic situation that many
people can relate to is money problems. Money is one of the main problems that Willy Loman
had throughout the play. The Loman family had many purchases on payments. Linda even states
for the vacuum cleaner theres three and a half due on the fifteenth (Miller 1650). The Loman
family was living from week to week. Every time Willy came home from a fairly successful day
selling, he would think he was finally getting ahead. Willy would tell Linda how much he had
made, but she would then point out how much they owed on everything. Willy then felt
overwhelmed and said My God, if business dont pick up I dont know what Im gonna do!
(1650). Linda would then reassure Willy and tell him Well, next week youll do better (1650).
Many people in real life have this same problem. Every time they feel they are getting ahead
financially, a problem occurs and they find themselves right back where they started.

Most people also have to deal with problems and conflicts within their family throughout their
life. Family problems were not exempt from the characters in Death of a Salesman. Biffs idea of
success was completely opposite from Willys. Willy viewed success as achieving money and
power; Biff however viewed success in life as being happy. Biff realized that Im just what I
am, thats all (1703). Biff realized he was a dime a dozen (1703), but his father could not
accept this reality. This situation where parents always keep telling their children what they
should do with their lives is common in many families. In truth, Biff and Hap are where they
16

want to be in life, but Willy just cannot accept their childrens contentment. Biff spent most of
his life trying to please Willy, but Biff finally realized that he never could. He was what he was.

The most realistic part of the play may have been about how much Willy loved his children and
how he wanted their life to be better than his own. Willy raised his children the best he could.
The character Ben even seemed to appear when Willy was trying to make a decision on how to
make the boys lives better. This situation with Ben makes it appear that Willy has such a hard
time making a decision about what is best for the boys, that he relies on his imagination for an
answer. The main reason Willy ends up killing himself is because he thinks it will help Biff start
his own business with the life insurance money. Willy did everything with the best of intentions
and thought his actions and decisions would benefit his children. Most parents are the same way
and will do anything in their power to help their children.

When reading Death of a Salesman, most people can relate to the problems of the Lomans. The
similarities of the Lomans problems to the everyday problems that average people face make
this a play full of realism.

Theme of Success in Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman

One of the important themes in Death of a Salesman is the nature of success. Many people
believe that success is about making a lot of money. They say that with money comes happiness.
However this may not always be true. In other words success is defined as the accomplishment
of something that was desired. Furthermore it is about being happy, proud and secure about
yourself. Although true success originates from the heart, achieving it requires hard work and
determination. In Death of a Salesman, the characters that are successful are Dave Singleman,
Ben and Bernard.

Dave Singleman was a successful individual. He was an eighty-four year old salesman in the
Parker House. In order to make a sale all he had to do was "pick up his phone and call the
buyers, and without ever leaving his room, he made his living..." (Death of a Salesman, p81.)
This quote describes his success as a salesman. At the age of eighty four he was able to make an
adequate amount of sales. Although he did not get rich from the sales that he made, he enjoyed
what he was doing. As a result of his success life, he died honorably. "He died the death of a
salesman, in his green velvet slippers..." (DOS, p81.) This example shows that he was successful
right until the end. After living the life of a successful salesman he died the death of a salesman.
When he died he was still wearing his green velvet slippers, which in a way symbolizes that his
success is still with him. Another example that shows Dave had a successful life was at his
funeral. "When he died, hundreds of salesmen and buyers were at his fune The second successful
character is Willy's older brother, Ben. This man became successful by taking a risk. He "walked
17

into the jungle, and comes out, the age of twenty-one, and he's rich." (DOS, p41.) When Ben
went to Africa, he found diamonds in the mines and as a result he became rich. This incident has
made Ben's life successful and ever since, Willy has been regretful. If Willy was to take the risk,
he too would be successful. Not only is Willy envious but he also idolizes Ben because of his
success. Willy often asks Ben, "what's the secret?" (DOS, p91.) This quote proves that Willy is
aware of Ben's success. As a result Willy want's Ben to tell him the secret to success. The real
reason Ben was successful was because he had determination. "He knew what he wanted and
went out and got it." (DOS, p41.) Although Willy changed his mind about going, it did not stop
Ben from going. He knew what he wanted and in the end, his determination brought him
success.

The third successful character is Bernard. In the past he was a typical nerd and nothing more
than a follower. As fifteen years pass by, Bernard turns out to be a very successful individual. He
has finished university and is now an important attorney.. Moreover he is "...gonna argue a case
in front of the Supreme Court." (DOS, p95.) In this example one can obviously see that Bernard
is successful. Being chosen to argue a case in front of the Supreme Court proves that Bernard is
successful because it shows that he is at a high position in his career. Furthermore Bernard is
married and has two sons, showing that he is settled. Therefore he is not only successful career
wise but he also has a family to look forward to at the end of the day. Moreover, Bernard's
friends are also successful. He goes to Washington "to stay with a friend who's got a court."
(DOS, p91.) As a result of his hard work along the way, Bernard has earned him friends who are
on the same level as him. They respect him for who he is, and u In conclusion, the three
characters from Death of a Salesman that are successful are Dave Singleman, Ben and Bernard.
These characters earned their success by working hard. As a result of hard work and devotion
money is usually the prize. However in some cases happiness may also be a reward of success.
Although success is often related to money, status, rank and fame, we must not forget that
success is also emphasis on the heart, the inner being and the seed plot for our thoughts, motives
and decisions.

The Conflicted Willy Lowman in Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman

Willy Lowman is a character that most anyone can identify with. He has

two sides to his life; On one side he creates an image of being

successful, well liked, and bold. On the other side he feels old,

unsuccessful, defeated and disliked. He maintains the successful image

18

to comfort his wife and friends. This veil of success becomes thinner

and thinner until he lingers between fantasy and reality of the cruel

world, often changing back and forth in the course of a conversation.

The core of Willy's slow painful demise into nothingness is based upon

his beliefs. Willy thinks that success is not what you know, but who

he knows and how well he is liked. These beliefs he instills in his

sons, who find themselves adrift and meaningless just like their

father. In addition Willy sees the world changing, and his own

inability to change with it, will seal his fate. He misses the open

land and the smell of flowers in the summer, the pollution and high

rise apartments add to Willy lies dismal existence. An example of

Willy's shift from fantasy to reality is during his conversation with

his wife about the Chevy. He thinks the car is fantastic, the best ever

built. Later he and his wife discuss some bills that were paid, and

when told about the bill to get the Chevy's carburetor fixed, he says

that they ought to prohibit the manufacture of the car.



Willy Loman is finding himself less and less capable. He dreams of

making it big and has visions of Uncle Ben who gives him advice on how

to get rich, but never the kind of advice Willy wants to hear. Willy

19

is concerned about his image. He is a great showman who can brag and

flaunt like the best of them, and as witness to the hard truth of his

failure he continues to weave fairy tales and live in fantasy. Willy

wants his sons to be better off and more successful than him, but he

has already corrupted them, and they too claim achievements well beyond

reality. Biff comes to the reality of his position in life in the

opening of the play. He knows he is not cut out for the business world.

Biff prefers to move back to Texas and work on a farm. Although he

realizes working on the farm won^t make him successful, he knows that

it^s his calling in life. Happy who is fairly stable and comfortable in

his work, prefers to continue with the charade, and the deception so as

long as it! makes life easier for him. Although his sons will not be

successful, I think Willy Loman did the best he could. Willy is not

to blame for his sons disappointments, although he has delayed their

success by giving them false ideas about success.



The family situation is that of the standard dysfunctional family. The

mother is upset by her sons because they have no respect for Willy and

show no concern for his decline. Willy loves his wife, but often

mistreats her, cuts he off in mid conversation and belittles her. Biff

20

begins to hate his father because of the constant pressure to succeed,

along with his fathers adultery and abuse of his mother. However Biff

still cares very deeply for his father deep down inside. Willy's

favorite son is Biff; however Biff is also a continual source of

disappointment for his father because of his inability to assert

himself in the business world. Happy is most like his father in the way

that he much prefers fantasy over reality. Happy is willing to continue

with pretending everything is all right so as long as it makes life

easier. The conflict is Willy versus nature. Nature being the

environment and Willy's inability to change and conform to it^s dynamic

and changing nature. The characters in this play are easily understood

because of their similarity to most people who find themselves washed

up in this game called life. People watching the play can easily

identify with these characters who represent the average working class

family. Nobody wins in the end because it^s real life. The father kills

himself, hoping that the insurance money will send his family on their

way to success; and in actuality the insurance money from his death

will heal no wounds, or right any wrongs.

The American Dream in Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman

Material happiness provides the ambition behind seeking the "Arthur Miller's Death of a
21

Salesman ." In Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller, Willy Loman's determination to live up to
his "American Dream" and to seek material happiness only takes his life.

What is the "American Dream"? The "American Dream" cannot be defined. I know that my
"American Dream" consists of a Porsche, a large house, and a happy family. Willy Loman's
definition does not differ greatly from mine although while trying to pursue this dream, Willy's
mind slowly drifted further and further away from reality. The "American Dream" is the idea that
any man or woman can make his or her own fortune, despite his or her past. Willy is trying to
achieve success through this thought, believing that being "well liked" and working hard will be
enough to ensue his success. Willy was wrong.

Social class is a major factor in Death of a Salesman. Willy is a salesman. Willy believes that
success comes from being well liked and popular and has tried desperately to instill his notions
to his two boys Happy and Biff, Willy's biggest aspirations in life. His wife Linda is extremely
supportive and is Willy's only connection to reality. While raising his boys and trying to instill
his "American Dream", he fails to teach them any sense of morality, leading them down to what
he feels is the wrong path. At one point, he defends Biff for stealing just because he was an
amazing football player. "Loaded with it. Loaded! What is he stealing? He's giving it back, isn't
he? Why is he stealing? What did I tell him? I never in my life told him anything but decent
things." (Pg 41. Act 1)

Willy's goal throughout life was to climb out of his social class. As a salesman, Willy was a
failure and he tried desperately to make his sons never end up like him. As a result, he loses his
mind and his grasp on reality. Throughout the story, Willy often has flashbacks of the
conversations that he and his brother Ben once had and the author intertwines them in past and
present very nicely.

Ben: "Is mother living with you?"

Willy: "No, she died a long time ago."

These flashbacks illustrate Willy's loss of reality from the world. As Willy and Charley are
playing a game of cards, Willy has a flashback of him and Ben and Charley becomes completely
confused, believing that Willy is speaking to him.

Ben: "I'd hoped to see the old girl."

Charley: "Who died?"

22

As a character, Ben represents the opportunity that Willy did not take and all the fortune that he
missed.

Structure, Themes, and Motifs in Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman

At first glance, Arthur Miller's play, Death of a Salesman appears to be a simple story of the
tragic life of an ordinary man. Through a few flashbacks, it would seem that his whole dreary life
is told and that is about it. However, this can not be the case, as we know that Arthur Miller is
one of the greatest playwrights alive. After reading the play for the fourth or maybe fifth time, I
became fully aware of the intricate structure, many themes, and different motifs that Miller used
to make this play a classic.

In the case of this work, the title would just about sum it up. It is about a salesman, Willy Loman,
who is quite ordinary and very unsuccessful. In the end, to no ones surprise he kills himself. The
play takes place in the span of three days (including the funeral) and revolves around the return
of Willy's two sons who are grown up. He has worked for decades traveling all over New
England selling goods for a firm and seems to think that because he is well liked (which really
isn't all that true), he is successful. He wishes that his sons too could be like him while they know
that they will never be decent businessmen. This is a source of major conflict between the
brothers, Biff and Hap, and Willy. Linda, Willy's wife, is very naive and thinks that her husband
is just an innocent confused old man and faithfully loves him. She can not stand to see her sons
argue against their father even thought they often are right.

Through flashbacks and events in the play, it is apparent that Willy, at least subconsciously,
believes his life has been terrible. He wishes he could have been as great as Uncle Ben, who
made his fortunes in the African diamond mines and not on the rice patty. Willy was having an
affair with another woman in Boston and Biff found out about it after his last year in high school.
Incidentally, this event probably led to Biff's failure to complete math in summer school, which
led to him not graduating high school. Willy tried numerous times to commit suicide with his car
and the gas furnace. In the end, the salesman became convinced that he was worth more dead
than alive and finally succeeded at something, killing himself with his car.

By far the most important feature of this play is its flashbacks. They provide the viewer with
crucial information that helps make sense of the disorder at the Loman household. They enabled
Miller to make the action take place within three days as opposed to many years. This ingenious
method makes the play much more interesting while not sacrificing any important information.
By the end, the audience is able to fully comprehend what factors have brought the Loman's to
the breaking point.

23

The largest theme in the play is the ever-present conflict of reality vs. illusion. Of the four, Willy
has the hardest time distinguishing between the two. Often, it seems he drifts back into time and
relives certain defining moments in his life. This problem, of course, brought about his down
fall. The illusion that he was well liked and that he was successful killed him when he saw the
truth.

Another theme that is present is man's general tendency to resist change. Willy has trouble in the
modern era. This is evident in his troubles with the refrigerator and when he realizes there was a
radio in the car that could be played as he was traveling. It seems he "is constantly in a race with
the junkyard." Death of a Salesman can easily be a social commentary. Willy was obviously
attempting to live his American Dream and he wished his sons would follow on the same path.
However, Willy failed. After working all of his adult life, the machinery of Democracy and Free
Enterprise spit him out like a spent "piece of fruit."

Several motifs of reoccurring elements of the story appear in the play. The largest would have to
be the garden that Willy is always talking about. In Act One, he mentions that "The grass don't
grow anymore, you can't raise a carrot in the back yard." His final act in life is planting a garden
in the middle of the night with a flashlight in the backyard. Perhaps he does this as an attempt to
leave a legacy after he realizes that he actually wasn't "well liked" and a successful salesman.

Other motifs would be the diamonds along with the jungle and the moon and the stars. Diamonds
and the jungle always come up when Willy is having his imaginary conversations with Uncle
Ben. These two things are more than likely symbolic for success and life. Ben is always talking
about "going into the jungle and fetching out a diamond." Last but not least, Willy often stares
out into the night sky and comments on the beauty of the moon and the stars.

Upon further reading, it became apparent how intricate and detailed Death of a Salesman by
Arthur Miller really was. The presence of many universal themes and common motifs would
certainly lead many to read or see this wonderful play over and over again.

Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman as Social Commentary

Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman portrays the Loman's and all the
family conflicts they faced. It's also apparent on a bigger scale that this
play is a social commentary. It touches all the problems brought on by
wealth and success in our culture. Death of a Salesman is more effective as
a reflection of society and the problems it faces than as a depiction of
family conflicts.

24

The play showed how Willy Loman's longing to be successful controlled his
life and ruined his family. Willy also represents a large piece of society.
He portrays the people in our culture that base their lives on acquiring
money. Greed for success has eaten up large numbers of people in this
country. It's evident in the way Willy acts that his want of money consumes
him. This constantly happens in our society; people will do anything to
crawl up the ladder of success, often knocking down anyone in their way.

Death of a Salesman also reflected how families treat people once they
are older. Willy raised Biff and Happy when they were completely dependent
on him, but the boys aren't willing to help Willy out when he needs them.
This is more effective when looked at as if Willy represents all the older
people in our society. It shows how the elderly are looked down upon, are
thought to be crazy, and have their jobs taken away for no reason other than
age. At times you feel sorry for Willy because these things are happening to
him and he is powerless against them. This makes the reader stop to examine
our own culture and the ways we discriminate against people who should be our
equals and treated with respect.

This play also represents how Willy's actions affected his entire family.
He always pushed the boys to have to be the greatest at everything they did.
This made the children grow up to always feel like they could never do
enough to please their father. They ended up doing things against what they
truly wanted. Biff never found a sufficient occupation and was forced to do
things like steal. Happy ended up lying to make things always seem better
than they were. But it's how this represents society that makes it so
effective.

The biggest issue this play imitates is peer pressure. Willy's pressure
on the kids is like pressure from friends to do things you normally wouldn't
do. Our culture thrives on peer pressure. It can sometimes be positive,
like when it pushes you to give your best effort, and sometimes negative,
like when it causes you to conform excessively. Either way, Death of a
Salesman shows the effects of society's pressure on normal people. Willy is
just a man who wanted to be well off. To him, this meant rich and
successful. Many people are just like Willy; they have to be well liked
because to them, that's what success is.

Death of a Salesman shows both family and society conflicts. However,
it's definitely more effective when looked at as an exposing of society's
25

conflicts. It forces you to evaluate the morals and values of this culture.
It shows what kinds of things we hold most important and all the hurt that
results from making those the most valued things. The play is a depressing
but truthful reflection of our society.

Irony in the Requiem of Arthur Miller's play, Death of a Salesman

Arthur Miller's play, Death of a Salesman tells a sad story of a man who was too proud to admit
that he was a failure. Willy Loman created a world of illusion to help him to continue with the
daily drudge of living. He spent his life trying desperately to convince himself, and others, that
he was successful and "well liked" until the day he died. The requiem is the last act of Miller's
play where the sad truth of Willy Loman's existence is revealed to the audience and the Loman
family. The requiem serves as a place where Miller paints a picture of Willy's death as an ironic
end to his tragic life.

Charley's speech during the funeral is vital to understanding Willy as a tragic character because
Charley takes the blame away from Willy for his death. "Nobody dast blame this man", are the
opening words to Charley's speech that depicts Willy Loman as a product of his environment and
a victim of his profession. He explains that the life of a salesman is an upward struggle to sell
himself, "riding on a smile and a shoeshine...when they (customers) start not smiling back - that's
an earthquake...and you're finished." Here Charley is alluding to Willy's inability to separate the
personal from the professional. Willy took his professional rejections personally and it was a
blow to his character. Willy wanted so desperately to be liked that he convinced himself that he
was liked so he would be able to continue on with his life and his career. It is important that the
audience sees Willy's delusions as a coping mechanism to deal with his personal failures, and
therefore takes pity on him. If the audience blames him for his death then his death is not viewed
as a tragedy.

Miller continues to drive the sympathy out of the audience when Willy's oldest son, Biff, gives
his analysis of his father's life. Biff comes to a realization at the end of the play that his father
lived a life of illusion, "He never knew who he was." Willy spent so much time believing in the
false promises of wealth and popularity that the life of a salesman could bring that he never took
the time to realize that he really enjoyed working with his hands, "...there's more of him in that
front stoop than in all the sales he ever made." Biff implies that his father wasted his life as an
unsuccessful salesman saying that "he has all the wrong dreams". He should have spent his life
in a profession that he was good at and that he could take pride in instead of wasting his life
trying to reach unattainable goals as an unsuccessful salesman. The tragedy behind this is that
Willy wasted so much of his life being mentally invested in the American Dream that he was
blinded to any other alternatives.
26


There are aspects of Willy's death that are both tragic and ironic such as the attendance of Willy's
funeral. Before Willy's death he had a conversation with a vision of his older brother Ben in
which Willy described the motives behind his suicide. Willy wanted to prove to his son Biff
once and for all how well known and respected he was. "Ben, that funeral will be massive!
They'll come from ME, MA, VT, and NH...that boy will be thunderstruck, Ben, because he never
realized - I am known!" Willy envisioned his final triumph where he could finally prove his
worth to his family, and the only way that he could do that would be in death. Ironically, no one
attends his funeral except for his family and Charley. Instead of his funeral being his final
triumph it is his final humiliation. The absence of people at the funeral validates to the Loman's
and the audience that Willy's entire life was an illusion. Sadly, even Willy himself did not
realize the fallacy in his proclamations of fame and success.

Another ironic twist on the death of Willy Loman is the fact that he took his own life because he
thought that he would be more financially beneficial to his family if he was dead. Willy
foreshadows his suicide during his final conversation with Charley when he says, "After all the
highways, and the trains, and the appointments, and the years, you end up worth more dead than
alive." Willy truly believes that he is doing what is best for his family by taking his own life, in
his eyes his twenty thousand dollar insurance policy will be worth more to his family than his
own life. He envisions that the money will go to his son Biff and he will be able to become the
successful man that Willy always knew that he would be, "...imagine that magnificence with
twenty thousand dollars in his pocket." Ironically in the requiem the audience realizes that
Willy's death was in vain because his son, Biff, not get the insurance money because suicide was
not covered in his policy. His death also convinces his other son, Happy, to follow in his father's
footsteps toward an unrealistic dream of unattainable goals.

Willy's wife Linda also plays a role in the irony at the requiem. Linda takes a moment alone
with Willy's grave telling him, "I made the last payment on the house today. Today, dear. And
there'll be nobody home." Ironically Willy kills himself just before he is "free and clear" of
debt. There is also another ironic piece to Linda's final words to her husband. She says to him,
"Why did you do it? I search and search and I search, and I can't understand it, Willy." This is
ironic because throughout the play Linda is the only person that loves Willy unconditionally for
who he is, but in reality she has no idea who he is at all. Linda never let herself understand
Willy's psychological problems, therefore the only thing she can think to blame for his suicide is
their financial burden.

The requiem serves as the final chapter of Willy's life where, for the first time, the harsh realities
of his life are revealed. Sympathy is pulled from the audience and reasons for Willy's behavior
are given. Willy cannot be blamed for his actions because he was merely a salesman that was so
27

far sold on the idea of the American Dream that was incapable of seeing his life for what it really
was, even in his final moments. The requiem shows that Willy died just as deluded as he lived.

Crumbling Dreams in Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman

Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman is a play best summed up in its title, it is just that, the death
of a salesman. This death is not necessarily the physical end to a human life, but the crumbling
end to the dreams of Willie Loman, the play's main character.

The three main parts to Willie's world are his job, his family, and his image as seen by the rest of
the world. Although these parts are interwoven and interrelated, they are best divided and given
separate analysis.

The first part of Willie's world is his job. Willie is a salesman for a large company in New York.
Willie's self-image and much of his self-worth are based in his job. In his own mind he is still as
he used to be, well known and well respected among the clientele in the New England area.
Things have changed though and the people Willie once knew in the business are no longer there
and he no longer has the connections he once had. His inability to cope with and adapt to this
changing business has caused, among other things, a loss in pay. Willie has lost his competitive
edge, and with it his feeling of self worth and identity.

The second part of Willie's world is his family, more specifically his son, Biff. Biff is the
firstborn and favorite son of Willie. Willie has high expectations of, and transfers his dreams, as
so many fathers do, onto Biff. Biff can not live up to the expectations of his father and has
dreams of his own which cause Willie to see him as a loafer, a shiftless bum with no desire to
succeed. Although Willie's dreams are not realized in Biff, his son's respect is still important.
This respect is lost when Biff catches his father in an affair with a young lady. Even though this
is not talked about (Biff never told anyone, not even his mother) it still creates tension and causes
Biff to lose the respect he once held for Willie.

Willie's main philosophy in life is "Be liked and you will never want" and this is the cause of the
problems in the third part of Willie's life, his image. Image is everything to Willie. In his past he
was a well liked, well known, respected man who turned his image into his success, but his
image has changed. He is no longer well known and so he makes less sales and less money. His
loss in pay has caused him to borrow money just to support his family. The constant borrowing
of money is a source of great tension for Willie, he is no longer self-sufficient and feels he is
nothing.

The compounding of Willie's problems, the loss of his self-respect, and the loss of respect from
28

others cause Willie to go mad. He sinks into a manic/depressive state and loses touch with
reality. He has no dream and no will to live causing him to entertain thoughts of suicide. In the
end it is the love for his son and the belief that his insurance money will make Biff "magnificent"
that give him the needed excuse and cause him to end his life.

A man's life is his world and this world is expressed through his dreams and desires. Death of a
Salesman is the loss and destruction of one man's dreams. The effects of this loss and destruction
are utter madness that eventually lead to suicide. This dramatic work has a moral that should not
soon be forgotten: When a man loses his dreams he loses everything and a life without dreams is
a dull and empty void.

Comments on Society in Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman

Often times when we read literature, we can derive certain ideas or messages that the author of
the work is trying to illustrate. After reading the play Death Of A Salesman by Arthur Miller, it
is evident that he is trying to comment on our society . These comments on society being
expressed are demonstrated in several examples throughout the play.

I think the idea that Miller is trying to get across to the audience is that, today's society is filled
with people who don't get the credit they deserve for the "little things" they do in life. These
people in society are like "unsung heroes" because the hard work they do might be overlooked. If
others around you see that you are not living up to their expectations or their standards, they may
put you down instead of giving you the credit you deserve. Other times we do not appreciate the
"little things" that our loved ones do for us until it is too late. Usually these little things impact us
the most.

In this play, I think the "unsung hero" is no doubt Willy Loman, an aging salesman, father, and
husband to the Loman Family. For example in the play, Willy is getting old and his success in
business is suddenly declining. His salary was even taken away, leaving him to depend only on
commission. Because of this, his two sons Biff and Happy, along with others that knew him,
constantly put him down for not always being on top, saying how he didn't have any character,
and that he was crazy. No one knew him at work anymore and no one showed Willy the respect
he needed. Others looked down on him not realizing how exhausted he was trying to make a
living just for his family. In reality, Willy would drive 700 miles to work and come home
without even earning a cent. He had to borrow money from Charley just to provide food on the
table so that he could provide a future for his sons. I think that Willy should've been
acknowledged for that in itself but instead, his two sons never even took the time out to thank
him for just going out everyday trying to make it in the world. Unfortunately, Biff and Happy
could only fully realize this when Willy was at the end of his rope, secretly trying to kill
29

himself. An example from the play that I think demonstrates this is when Linda (his wife) and
the 2 sons are in the kitchen while Willy is outside vomiting. While they are in the kitchen, Linda
is trying to persuade Biff and Happy to stop being lazy and get out and find a good job in
business for their father's sake. Linda tells them all about Willy and how he doesn't get paid for
the hard work he puts into his job, all for them. Linda then says 'he put his whole life into you
and you've turned your backs on him...' . I think that statement representing Willy and his sons,
really proves an example of how people in society will treat their loved ones as unsung heroes
because they may not know how much the little things in life can affect us.

In conclusion, I think the author of this play, Arthur Miller, has commented on todays society by
writing about an unsung hero like Willy Loman.

Biff's Changing Perception in Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman

In Death of a Salesman, Biff's perception of society is altered through a chain of events
throughout the play. His unrealistic expectations about how to succeed, learned from his father,
eventually caused the destruction of his fantasies. His concept of an ideal society, where being
liked is what is needed to succeed, is harshly changed to a reality where he must realize that hard
work and devotion are necessary to prosper.

Through a series of events, Biff gradually comes to a realization of what is necessary for
success. First, we are shown a part of his childhood where Biff is told that "the man who makes
an appearance in the business world, the man who creates personal interest, is the man who gets
ahead." This idea appears in direct contrast to Bernard, one of Biff's childhood friends, who
works and studies hard. Biff decides that Bernard will not succeed because he is "only liked, not
well-liked," and being well-liked is the cornerstone of success. Nonetheless, later in the play we
see that Bernard has become very successful, underscoring one of the messages in the play, that
success is not just a result of popularity. Second, we are shown a scene in Boston soon after Biff
has just failed math for the year. He discovers his "heroic" father having an affair. Biff comes to
the painful realization that his father's values, his views, and everything that Biff had made the
foundation of his life, are all completely "fake" and "phony." Unfortunately, he has nothing with
which to replace it. Lastly, Biff decides to leave to try and find himself, but an argument
develops between Biff and Willy. Biff begins to see himself as like his father, "nothing," just an
average man trying to make a living, and quite possibly failing. Biff's earlier image of his
father's greatness has crumbled entirely, leaving a lost young man trying to find his way. Biff
realized that he now needs to find his own values in life. He has finally tasted reality and now
must dive head first into the pot, without any real preparation.

Thus, it is clear that in the novel Death of a Salesman, Biff's perception of society is drastically
30

altered. He discovers that his father's values, not his own, directed his life, leaving him with few
if any tools of his own to develop a value system and shape his future. Biff became disillusioned
with society as he understood it, a process which resulted from a series of events depicted in the
play. Each event furthered Biff's loss of his fantasies about how the world worked until, with his
father's death he was left with the knowledge that the old rules did not work, but that he had no
new rules with which to replace them.

The Importance of Bernard in Death of a Salesman
All of the characters in the performance Death of a Salesman have special traits that are
indicative of their personality and literary purpose in the piece. Each serves a particular purpose
and symbolizes distinct goals, functions, or qualities. The author places every character in a
specific location to contrast, or emphasize another characters shortcomings, mistakes, or areas
of strength. For this purpose, Bernard, a character in Death of a Salesman, is placed next to Biff,
the protagonists son. Biff, is lost in a world created by his dazed father, who instills in him a set
of false values, and eventually becomes a failure in his early age. In spite of the fact that Bernard
admires Biff and believes he is able to help him prosper, Biff is unable to listen. Bernard also
interacts with the protagonist himself, again showing the same traits that are indicative of his
character. Bernard, who is a successful student and later a successful attorney, is opposite the
characteristics Biff is taught makes a man great.

Our first example of Bernard's character is his interaction with Biff is in Act I, when the reader
infers Bernard is tutoring Biff: Biff, Listen Biff, I heard Mr.Birnbaum say that if you dont start
studyin math hes gonna flunk you and you wont graduate. I heard him!" These initial
statements, spoken by Bernard, are indicative to the reader of how helpful he tries to be to Biff.
He is among the only characters with a sense of reality; the only character that tries to help Biff
take concrete, analytical steps to helping him succeed. He understands the consequences of
Biffs actions, and tries to dissuade his directionless ambition towards a more solid goal. Hes
gotta study Uncle Willy. Hes got regents next week. Just because he printed University of
Virginia on his sneakers doesnt mean theyve got to graduate him, Uncle Willy. Once again,
this illustrates Bernard is the one of the only characters in tune with reality. He cares for Biff and
wants to see him graduate. This is why he is constantly pushing Biff to complete his work.

As Bernard matures, he continues his modest, responsible attitude towards life. The protagonist
himself is confronted with Bernards character, and comes to terms with the sudden insight his
son is no where near as well off as Bernard, even though they were initially given the same
opportunities. Now, the reader infers Bernard is an attorney: Oh, just a case I've got there,
[Washington] Willy. When Bernard describes his Supreme Court case as just a case, the
reader sees how admirably modest he is. He has become a great man, as inferred from his lines,
without being well liked or extremely handsome. He is a developed gentleman,which the
31

protagonists admires, and confides in Bernard asking him where did his son miscarry. But
sometimes, Willy, its better for a man just to walk away. In this last line of advice, given by an
adult Bernard to Willy, the protagonist, the reader sees his basic foundation of caring for another
person is not destroyed: he still means for the best in what he does and says. He is concerned for
the needs of both the protagonist and his son, and proves this by telling Willy to continue with
his life and let his son find his own path.

In conclusion, the character traits of the players in Death of a Salesman are evident. It is also
apparent that they are placed juxtapositionally with each other to highlight the others features.
The characters indicative qualities are what makes animates the plot, and makes for a vibrant
literary piece.

Lack of Morals and Ethics in Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman

Much of a person's personality is derived from his or her parents

or the people with whom they live. One's behaviors are a reflection of his

or her up bringing. All actions of others in one's environment have an

impact in one's behaviors. That is especially true of parent's influence

on a child. Nearly all morals and ethics are learned from parents.

Sociologists have indicated that as time progresses American ethics have

decayed immensely. Parents in America have become more lax with their

children, and the strictly enforced code of ethics seems to have diminished.

Arthur Miller's play, Death of a Salesman, portrays the consequences of

the laxity of parents with regards to ethics through the relationship of

Willy Loman and his two sons, Biff and Happy.


Rather than having played a positive role model for his sons Willy

32

Loman, established a poor standard of morality. For example, when Biff was

in high school he was the star of the football team. One afternoon he

stole a football from the locker room. When Willy became cognizant of

Biff's actions, Wily did not punish Biff. Instead, he told Biff that the

coach was likely to congratulate Biff for his show of initiative (29, 30).

Similarly, at another point in the play Biff and Happy stole lumber from a

nearby construction site. Instead of teaching the boys a lesson in ethics

Willy was proud of his sons. In fact, he bragged about the amount of

construction materials the two stole (50, 51). Willy allowed the boys to

steal, which could be considered an immoral act, worse yet, Willy's praise

for their actions prohibited Biff and Happy from knowing stealing was an

immoral act. Studies have shown that at a very young age children were

extremely impressionable. Teaching the difference between right and wrong

would give hope for a moral future. In the play there was little hope for

Biff and Happy because Willy continued to show poor standards of morality

in a positive light.



In addition to stealing, being dishonest also surfaces as an

unethical behavior that was practiced and thus promoted by Willy Loman.

Willy was a salesman who had a rocky past few months. Instead of admitting

33

his failure to his wife, Linda, he lied about his income. He lead Linda to

believe he earned more than he actually did. Each month his debt grew

greater and greater because he had borrowed money to continue to live the

lie (72, 73). With the knowledge that Willy lived a lie, Biff saw no wrong

in dishonesty. In turn, he too lied to Linda. He told her that he was

ready to settle down with one women. His statement was only said to please

Linda; it could not have been further from the truth (68). Dishonesty is

against traditional ethics. If Willy taught it as an unethical behavior

Biff and Happy would be aware of it as well.



Moreover, Willy's poor treatment of others revealed his unethical

character and also paved the path his sons would follow. An example of

Willy's poor treatment of people was his affair. Although, Willy and Linda

were married for many years, Willy must not have been satisfied with his

marriage, because he had an ongoing affair with another woman (116, 119).

Linda would have been crushed to know about Willy's unfaithfulness.

Willy's poor treatment of Linda lead his sons to believe that dishonesty

toward others was acceptable. They too treated women as objects. For

example, at one time they left their father at a restaurant so they could

go rendezvous with a couple of woman (24, 25, 27). Through his dishonesty,

34

Willy was not even competent enough to teach his sons the most important

law of ethics, the golden rule. Do onto others as one would want done onto

them. In a perverse way the Loman boys did practice the golden rule. They

did to Willy what he did to others.

In conclusion, Willy's relationship with his sons in Death of a

Salesman reflected the lack of enforcement of morals and ethics in the

American society. Through the character Willy Loman, Arthur Miller

demonstrated that it was necessary to teach children a solid code of ethics,

which should be applied to everyday life. Without an ethical background

people would lead immoral lives. Perhaps, if Willy had been more strict

and a more positive role model his sons would have turned out as more

ethical and conscientious people. Rarely does a parent who behaves

unethically raise a child who grows up to be remotely ethical.

The Pitiful Happy Loman of Death of a Salesman

In Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman, Happy Loman is

distinguished by his exorbitant insecurity. He constantly relies on other

people's opinions to make his own decisions. His degrading attitude

towards women makes him an immature man. The reason his is so insecure is

because of the example that is set by his father, Willy.


35


Happy is always following the opinions of other people. Whether

it's his father Willy, or his mother Linda, he consistently makes sure that

his opinion coincides with everyone else's. When Willy asks Biff if Oliver

gave him a good welcome, Happy intrudes, crying "Sure, pop, sure (107)."

He continues to tell lies to his father because he wants to agree with him

and make him happy (107-8). When Happy and Biff come home after deserting

their father at the restaurant, Happy attempts to cool his mom's anger by

saying "But, Mom, he had a great time with us...(120)" By telling people

what they want to hear, Happy thinks he will be well liked and accepted.



Happy's approach to women is quite despicable. Rather than trying

to settle down with someone, he goes through one girl after another. All

that he cares about is having sex with women, not about having a

relationship. Happy brags to his brother about his conquest of sleeping

with women who are engaged to be married (25). In a conniving attempt to

pick her up, he lies to the girl in the restaurant saying, "I sell

champagne, and I'd like you to try my brand. Bring her a champagne,

Stanley (101)." He eventually deserts his father at the restaurant,

rushing the girls out, eager to make a move on one (115). Happy needs to

grow up and start treating women like people, not pieces of meat.
36




Happy's insecurity stems from his father's behavior towards him.

When Happy was in high school, Willy didn't pay as much attention to him as

he did to Biff. In Willy's eyes, Happy wasn't good enough. Therefore,

Happy was always trying live up to his expectations and please him. He

would repeat such comments as "I'm losing weight, you notice, Pop?(29)"

Willy instilled the idea in Happy: "Be liked and you will never want (33)."

With these kind of values being taught to him by his father, it's no wonder

why Happy acts so insecure.



Happy needs to find better ways of dealing with situations other

than lying his way through it. My philosophy is that your own happiness

comes before everyone else's. He should focus on his own views, not

persistently try to match the views others.

Irresponsibile Biff in Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman

Have you ever felt as if you do not know what to do with your life?

Everyone does sometimes, but certain people are like that their whole life.

These people are irresponsible and depend on others to survive. In "Death of a

Salesman", Biff is one of these people. He is irresponsible because he depends

37

on Happy, depends on Willy, and does not know what to do for a living.



Biff looks up on Happy as an example of good life. It seems to him that

Happy's life is stable and successful. Even though this is not true, Biff lets

it bother him. He wants Happy to get him a job in New York so they could work

together. This shows some of his dependency and irresponsibility. Biff does

not seem as if he could live on his own successfully. This disappoints both

Happy and Willy. But this is not the only problem Biff has.



Biff also depends on Willy to get him through life. Willy's low morals

cause Biff to think it's all right to concentrate on football when he was in

high school. Biff does not think he has to work in school. When he flunks math,

he does not know what to do and once again turns to Willy. Now Biff cannot go

to college and since he has been concentrating on football, he has little or no

skills at anything else. He depends on Willy's support to help him. But since

Willy's expectations of Biff are not met, Biff does not receive the help he

needs and moves off on his own. This leaves Biff to find a goal in life and

reach it.



Finally, Biff does not know what to do for a living. He is constantly

38

moving around, unsure of what to do next. This may be because of his

uncertainty of a future. Biff has never held a steady job. Because of this, he

has never held a steady home. This shows a lot of irresponsibility. Until he

knows what he wants to do, Biff cannot settle down and become an adult. This

inconsistency in employment makes Biff irresponsible.



So far in Biff's life, he has not accomplished anything. He depends on

Happy and Willy, and does not know what to do for a living. He realizes that he

has wasted his life and has to find something besides football to succeed in.

With Happy becoming tired of his antics and Willy on the verge of a breakdown,

Biff is now on his own and has to become responsible.

The Deplorable Willy Loman of Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman

For those of you that don't know what deplorable means then you

need to check out the tragic play "Death of a Salesman", by the American

writer, Arthur Miller. The main character of this story is Willy Loman,

who is almost the walking definition of this word. The life of Willy Loman

is portrayed as a tragic existence for these few reasons; he was a

ghastly role model for his sons, a inconsiderate and unfaithful husband,

he allowed one incident to affect the rest of his life, and finally, he

killed himself, when he still had so much to live for.
39




First of all, Willy was a dire role model for his two sons Biff and

Happy. He was a loving and giving father, but he always treated Biff

better than he did Happy. Biff was the all-star quarterback and everyone

in the city loved and admired him. Willy was no different, he always put

Biff before anyone else in his household, which is something that a father

should never do to his family. Willy's love for his sons was very apparent,

however he set in them very low moral values. For example, Willy told Biff

and Happy to run up the street and steal some sand to finish some steps,

which tells them that stealing is OK. This is a trait set in him by his

father, which proves to haunt him his entire life. Willy was also a cheat,

whether it was adultery or simple card cheat, his dishonesties certainly

rubbed off on his children, and proved to be the downfall in their lives.



On the other hand, Willy affected more than just his sons life

with his deceit. He greatly altered his own when he was caught in the mist

of an affair with a meaningless prostitute, by his beloved son Biff. This

event proved to be the turning point in these two individuals lives.

Willy's wife Linda, was a great women who certainly didn't deserve the

heartache and disrespect that Willy gave her. For instance, on many
40


occasions in the story Willy is talking to his sons, and Linda will simply

try to state something until Willy orders her to, "shut up." This

unfaithfulness and disrespect to his mother is what proves to drive Biff

away from his dream of football and his father whom he so dearly loved.



Consequently, Biff dropped out of school and ruined his sparkling

future in football. So, as time past on, the boy that everyone just new

was going to be something special seemed to be casting it all away. This

realization was to much for Willy to handle. So instead of accepting the

harsh facts that his extraordinary son was "a dime a dozen", he chose to

live his life in the past. He decided to live off of memories of the time

when Biff was still in the spotlight and he was his best friend. These

memories would cause Willy to slip into a dream state, where he talks to

himself and more times than not talking to Biff. He also has this

hallucination of his dead brother Ben coming back and talking to him. This

sort of denial to real life causes Willy be more unsuccessful than before

as a salesman and a liability on the roads. In due course, he was unable

to fulfill his job as a traveling salesman, so after thirty-four years he

was fired. This incident left Willy feeling worthless and ashamed of

himself.
41




As a result, Willy decides to follow his brother Ben, not to Africa

or Alaska but to the thereafter. So he deliberately wrecks the car and

kills himself, in hopes of leaving Biff twenty thousand dollars from a life

insurance policy, about which he tells Ben, "can you imagine that

magnificence with twenty thousand dollars in his pocket?" Willy says this

a few seconds before he walks out the door. Nonetheless, Biff never did

get any money because insurance doesn't pay in the case of a suicide, so

Willy's death was completely in vain. The day of Willy's funeral, Linda

finally made the last payment on their house, so they were completely free

of debt, therefore they really didn't need any money. So all he really did

was leave alone one grieving widow and two heartbroken sons.



In conclusion, Willy Loman was a sad man who's only dream was

burned in front of his eyes and held to haunt him the rest of his life. He

was a loving but horrible father and unfaithful husband, who in the end

only measured himself and his family up to what they had become and seeing

no reason to go on took the easy way out and killed himself. If only Willy

had accepted what he had and was grateful for that, the entire Loman family

would have been much better off.
42


Death of a Salesman as Parody of the American Dream

In 1949 Arthur Miller wrote the play, Death of a Salesman. The play is a parody on the concept
of the American Dream. The aim of this essay is to explain in what ways this statement can be
said to be true. But at first; what is the American Dream? Well, if you are an American and if
you have a family, a house and a car, a decent job with a good salary and if you consider yourself
to be surrounded by people who respect you for who you are, you can be said to have reached the
American Dream. The concept of the American Dream became a popular idea during the
nineteenth century when millions of people immigrated to America in search of better lives. At
that time, a better life could mean a cottage or perhaps a house, some cattle and a piece of land to
cultivate. Even today the meaning of the American Dream is quite the same; be sure to have
valuable possessions, a social life with high standard and keep up good standards.
The phrase the American Dream came into the American vocabulary starting in 1867 when
writer Horatio Alger came out with his book Dick. It was a rags-to-riches tale of a poor boy in
New York City who saves his pennies, works hard and eventually becomes rich. It became the
model that through honesty, hard work and determination, the American Dream was available to
anyone willing to make the journey.

There are several connections to the concept of the American Dream in Death of a Salesman.
One can be found on page 32 when the principal charachter Willy Loman expresses his jealousy
towards the successes of his brother Ben. Ben knew what he wanted, Willy says. He started with
the clothes on his back, walked into the jungle and came out enormously rich at the age of
twenty-one owning several diamond mines. Willy continues: That man was a genius, that man
was success incarnate! (32) Another example of a mans success, and therefore also of the
American Dream, is found on page 38. Willys imaginary memory of Ben describes their father
as a great inventor who travelled with his whole family westwards through America. He was
successful in selling his inventions and he also became rich. On page 54 Willy remembers one
occasion when his son Biff was playing at Ebbets Field. There was this glow around him and
people cheered his name when he came out. He was a star then and this kind of personal success
is also a typical example of the American Dream. And as described on page 62, Willy himself
experienced a personal success in his work. It reached its peak in 1928, when his commission
average was at its highest level.

The whole story of the play is in itself a parody on the American Dream. Willy Loman is a weary
63-year-old man who wants nothing more than to reach the American Dream, but in reality he
fails (has failed?) big time. He is no longer a good salesman, he does not earn enough money, he
does not manage to communicate with his family, his sons lives are a disappointment to him and
he disrespects his own family by having a mistress. The parody lies in the gap between Willys
wishes and his actual accomplishments. Willy does not have a healthy ideal self, compared to his
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real self. The rift is too deep for two feasible reasons. Firstly, it is not possible for Willy to
achieve all of his goals due to external circumstances such as a changed labour market and the
free will of his sons. Secondly, it is not possible for Willy to achieve all of his goals due to
internal circumstances such as a decreasing capacity to master social situations and a consciously
made choice to commit adultery.

Willy Loman, in his naive world between determined hope and painful awareness, represents a
parody of the American Dream. But at the same time, he represents a memorable saying by
George Bernard Shaw: You see things as they are and ask, Why? I dream things as they never
were and ask why not?

Narrative Technique in Arthur Millers Death of a Salesman

In telling his story Miller returned to a narrative technique he had found useful before. The
father's guilt in All My Sons becomes apparent to the audience and to the antagonist after being
hinted at in a succession of fragmentary references to a hidden crime. Though in Death of a
Salesman the son already knows his father's sin, the audience again learns the truth in a climactic
revelation that follows a series of covert allusions. "There's one or two things depressing him,"
Biff says in the opening scene, beginning the series; later he adds, "I know he's a face and he
doesn't like anybody around who knows!" Linda, blindly loyal, suspects nothing: "what has
[Biff] got against you?" she asks her husband. Bernard, a neighbor, inquires into the secret
shared by father and son: "what happened in Boston, Willy?" Willy's response, "I can't tell you,"
sums up his reticence on the topic.

Suggestive references of this kind, however, are relatively unimportant in this work. The chief
narrative method of developing tension, temperament, and fact is dramatized memory, which
allows Miller to represent time as a melding of the past and the present into one rather than a
sequence of events. This subjective approach to delayed exposition brings to light not only
crucial past events but also the emotional charges associated with them; Willy Loman wig wags
between current and past guilt feelings. The memories, generally concerned with the
disintegration of his family and his professional aspirations, are released by events in the past
that are dramatized on stage in his mind. Thus, after he is fired by Howard in Act II, Willy
remembers his refusal of a vocational opportunity that might have led to success in Alaska
instead of the present humiliation of being fired. And Biff's unfavorable report on an attempt to
get financial backing from Bill Oliver turns Willy's mind back to the hotel room in which Biff
discovered him with his mistress -- a discovery that the father fears has initiated his son's
failures.

Transitions in place and time are cleverly implemented by ingenious stage effects, a skeletonized
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house-set, multiple playing areas (apron, forestage, and two levels of the house), and the
repetition of key words or topics (motifs) before, during, and after each recollection. Miller's
skill in executing imaginative, meaningful transitions is apparent in the opening scene, which
introduces the subject of family disharmony. A conversation with Linda about his driving that
day reminds Willy of the old "Chevy" he owned when his boys still loved and obeyed him. As he
"loses himself in reminiscences," sitting in his kitchen, interest moves to another playing level,
the upstairs bedroom, where the brothers too have been discussing their father's careless driving.
Then, when they recall their popularity with girls in their youth, they in turn are interrupted by
Willy "mumbling" downstairs to an imaginary Biff on the same subject: "the girls pay for
you?...Boy, you must really be makin' a hit." Musical motifs, lighting arrangements, and scenic
changes complete the preparation for the first vision, which opens, appropriately, with Willy
admiring his popular teen-age sons as Biff polishes the "Chevy."

During this transition, as in others, recurring themes are grouped in psychologically significant
combinations. While Willy visualizes a joyful, affectionate family group, another intimate but
less innocent scene from a still earlier time -- again involving a "girl" -- breaks in on the word
"make""

Willy [to Linda]: There's so much I want to make for

The Woman: Me? You didn't make me, Willy. I picked you.

Willy's family-dream returns, with Linda mending stockings (his mistress had asked for "a lot of
stockings".); but, since innocence has been corrupted, shame colors the recollection. Now the
mention of girls and cars, punctuated by "The Woman's laugh," denotes Biff's (and by
implication, Willy's) irresponsibility, not worth. Changed to waking nightmare, the daydream
disappears and leaves Willy alone in his kitchen, guiltily denying responsibility for his son's
failure.

Two motives impel Willy to conjure the "reminiscences." First, he seeks escape from his
problems by reliving a happier time ("how do we get back to all the great times? . . . Always
some kind of good news coming up"). Disturbed by recurring troubles, however, he involuntarily
recalls bad news; then he seeks the origin of his and Biff's difficulties. "Why?" he continually
asks "what -- what's the secret? . . . Why? Why! Bernard, that question has been trailing me like
a ghost for the last fifteen years." Yet the same lack of self-awareness that caused his failure as a
father keeps him from learning the "secret" contained in the visions. In contrast to Biff, who
finally accepts his limitations, Willy remains unalterably determined that his son shall show the
world "all kinds of greatness." His hallucinations thus measure the blind intensity of his
ambition, which is strong enough to withstand not only galling indignities in the present but also
agonizing internal re-creations of his inadequacy in the past.
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As circumstances become more threatening and as his remembrances become more real, leading
Willy back to the central trauma of his life, his resistance to fact the truth grows correspondingly
more desperate. He stubbornly refuses to admit defeat; for example, when Charley offers him
work as a way to salvage his pride, he "furiously" refuses. The effect of his growing anxiety is to
steadily increase tension as the action progresses: Willy's agitated justifications gradually
cumulate great excitement. When dealing with an intense character who concentrates his
energies "upon the fixed point of his commitment," Miller writes, a playwright must design
"scenes of high and open emotion, and plays constructed toward climax rather that the evocation
of a mood alone or of bizarre spectacle."