Tragedy in Oedipus the King and Death of a Salesman

The Origins and Definition of Tragedy

As a form of literature, tragedy has been in existence since the time of the ancient Greeks. It has evolved over the centuries from the ancient world to the modern world while still retaining its basic themes and concepts as a branch of literature that explores, in a serious manner, how a character is affected by misfortune and anguish. Two tragic stories separated by 2,400 years—Oedipus the King and Death of a Salesman—each tell the story of a suffering character and each serve as a reflection of the society in which they were written.

Tragedy can trace its roots back to ancient Greece, where Aristotle defined it as "serious, complete, and of a certain magnitude…in the form of action, not narrative, through pity and fear effecting the proper purgation of these emotions" (Aristotle, 11). In other words, it is a form of drama in which the audience engages with the emotions of fear and pity for a character in the story. The main character of a tragedy is one who suffers catastrophic events, and the story often ends in tremendous sorrow with the devastation of the tragic character. This tradition, which began with such tales as Sophocles' Oedipus the King, continued through the Medieval period and into the Elizabethan period, and finally into the modern world with such tragic characters as Willy Loman from Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman.

Oedipus: The Fall of a King

If a fall from grace is required as a component of tragedy, then Oedipus the King begins with a consummate tragic hero. Oedipus, the King of Thebes, is faced with a catastrophic plague that can only be ended when the killer of the previous king is brought to justice. It emerges that Oedipus himself was the killer—but this is only the beginning of his suffering. He soon discovers that the previous king was his father, and that his current wife, the mother of his children, is in fact his birth mother. Devastated by this revelation, his mother and wife hangs herself, while Oedipus blinds himself. As a final tragic turn of events, even though he begs for death, he is banished instead.

The subject of ancient Greek literature was often the magnificent deeds of gods and heroes, while everyday life was largely set aside. As a result, the tragedies of that era frequently featured a great person—sometimes one with a major personality flaw—who suffers extreme torments and a mighty plunge from an exalted position. Nothing exemplifies this excessive suffering more than Oedipus, a man who became a king only to discover that he had unwittingly killed his own father, married and had children with his own mother, and ultimately ended up a blind beggar. His tragic journey took him from king to pauper, and this was precisely what the ancient Greeks expected of tragedy.

Willy Loman: The Fall of an Everyman

Willy Loman, the main character in Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman, is a not-so-successful salesman who never attained any high rank or station, yet still suffered a catastrophic fall from grace when he was fired from his job. He went from a person who had value to someone who felt himself to be nothing. While this may not have been as dramatic as the fall of a king, in twentieth-century America it was a tragic fall that audiences could readily identify with. He was a dreamer at a stage of life when the dreams were all gone, and the only thing left was the stark reality of a failed existence. Willy Loman was pitied by his family for his inability to succeed, and his shame at not being able to provide for them became too much to endure. In the end, this failure as a father, husband, and salesman committed suicide, leaving behind a disappointed family.

Willy Loman is a tragic figure of the twentieth century, and his torments and failures reflect a modern commercial society. His occupation as a salesman is representative of what is valued in modern life—primarily the ability to generate income. Loman's failure at what is considered fundamental for success in modern society is what makes him a tragic figure, and his fall is symbolic to everyone living within that society. Modern society may not have kings who are reduced to beggars, but it does have tragic figures who both reflect societal values and connect with contemporary audiences.

Conclusion: The Enduring Power of Tragedy

Tragedy, as an art form, has existed for thousands of years. While misfortune and calamity remain constant themes, the specific tragic actions have evolved over the centuries to reflect changing societal values. In ancient Greece, the subjects of tragedies were larger-than-life characters who experienced outrageous hardships. In the modern world, audiences find connection with tragic characters whose experiences more closely mirror their own lives. While the scale and notoriety of tragic characters may have changed, along with the types of tragic events depicted, what has not changed is the emotional experience itself—the pity and fear felt by the audience. It is this enduring emotional core, as Aristotle identified it, that ensures tragedy remains one of literature's most powerful and resonant forms.

Works Cited

Aristotle, S.H. Butcher. "Poetics." The Internet Classic Archive. Web. 8 April 2012. http://classics.mit.edu/Aristotle/poetics.html

Miller, Arthur. Death of a Salesman. London: York, 1998. Print.

Sophocles. "Oedipus the King." The Internet Classic Archive. Web. 9 April 2012. http://classics.mit.edu/Sophocles/oedipus.html