Hagel's Tragic Hero With Relation to Death of a Salesman

Are Willy's self-destructive actions caused by an attempt to act ethically?

Willy's self-destructive actions include;

• Cheating on Linda, as it makes him feel guilty and ruins his relationship with Biff.
• His envy of his brother Ben, as it just makes him feel bad about himself.
• Lying about how much money he makes, as he has to admit it anyway and it damages his self-esteem.
• Advising his children in the wrong direction, as it indirectly makes a failure of Biff, plus they both resent Willy for it.
• Ignoring his natural talents e.g. being good with his hands, as it narrows his horizons and he ends up pursuing the wrong lifestlye because of this (salesman).
• His pride, he is always beating away opportunities e.g. he denys Ben and Charley's job offers, this causes his self-destruction as he regrets it and sticks with his dead end job which highlights his weakness as a salesman.

I am going to look into Willy's self-destructive action of pushing his children in the wrong direction, in more detail. I think this action supports Hagel's idea that self-destructive actions are an attempt to act ethically, an attempt to be good. For example I'm pretty sure Willy doesn't intend for his boys to get as lost as they appear to be in the play. Both Biff and Happy seem totally unfulfilled and confused in life. Biff can't get what Willy considers a 'real job' ie a salesman, whereas Happy has everything he's ever wanted but is still really lonely and not sure if it is what he truly wants. However I think Willy was trying to act ethically by encouraging his sons to be salesmen. He has a warped perception of society and strongly believes that in order to be a success you have to follow the American Dream. So he was trying to make sure his sons had a good chance in life, and push them towards the lifestyle he saw as bringing fortune and happiness. Willy doesn't see that the career of selling isn't for everyone, he seems to assume he is the exception, and despite his own disatisfaction with sales, he still pushes his sons in that direction. So this then makes Biff and Happy very unhappy and to an extent I think they resent Willy for putting so much pressure on them to follow in his footsteps, for example both sons express wishes to work outdoors with "your shirt off", however Willy's rejection of being good with your hands as being a special skill has meant that Biff and Happy feel the same. So Willy's self-destructive action of denying his physical talents has indirectly led to this action. Willy then feels upset about how his sons have turned out, particuarly Biff as he appeared so promising in high school.  So this is a key example of Willy attempting to act ethically but it turning into a self-destructive action as he feels responsible for Biff's 'failure' in life in particular. However this example doesn't support the idea that Hagel put forward about the self-destructive action benefitting other characters.

Aristotle's Theory of Tradegy (the Plot)

Mimesis
According to Aristotle Mimesis is the "imitation of action" which is shown in the characters according to the "law of probability or necessity". This means that tradegy revovles around drama and dramatising what could or may happen according to probability etc, rather than what has happened. Aristotle pointed out that tradegy is more relatable as it deals with the universal (rather than history which deals with particulars) and therefore the audience feels tradegy is more relevant to them and their situation. Tradegy may happen at any time and in any place as Aristotle notes it is "fundamentally embedded in the universe". As a result tradegy makes people fearful, as they can see it happening to themselves.

The Incentive Movement
Aristotle insisted the plot of a tradegy much be "whole", with a beginning, middle and end. In modern terms the Incentive movement is the beginning of the plot, which starts of a cause-and-effect chain of events. The Incentive movement's effects are stressed as they are then the cause of the middle part of the plot. In the Incentive movement a problem is created which will usually be resolved in the resolution, or end, of the play.

The Dénouement
The dénouement is the what Aristotle described as "the rapid cause and effect chain" between the climax (middle) and the resolution (end) (the unravelling).

The Deus ex Machina
Aristotle describes the deus ex machina as outside intervention into the plot which then solves a problem in the play abruptly and quickly, therefore causing a surprising resolution to the plot.

The complexity of the plot
Aristotle said the plot may be either simple or complex, although complex is better. Simple plots have only a “change of fortune” (catastrophe). Complex plots have both “reversal of intention” (peripeteia) and “recognition” (anagnorisis) connected with the catastrophe.  Aristotle explains that a peripeteia occurs when a character produces an effect opposite to that which he intended to produce, while an anagnorisis “is a change from ignorance to knowledge, producing love or hate between the persons destined for good or bad fortune.” He argues that the best plots combine these two as part of their cause-and-effect chain (i.e., the peripeteia leads directly to the anagnorisis); this in turns creates the catastrophe, leading to the final “scene of suffering”.

First Impressions of Biff and Happy in Death of a Salesman...

Our first impression of Biff is that he seems to be a defeated character. We see this in the stage directions that introduce us to him, we are told that "in these days he bears a worn air and seems less self assured". So there is already a comparison between his former self, so this suggests that something has happened to Biff in order to make him have this "worn air". Plus through a comparasion to Happy, we see that Biff has accepted defeat whereas Happy hasn't. We are also told that Biff's "dreams are stronger and less acceptable than Happy's". So this suggests that Biff has different ideas of what the ideal lifestyle consists of. The fact that his dreams are "less acceptable" could insinuate that Willy has rejected Biff's hopes and dreams. We see that Biff may have some negative feeling towards Willy when Happy praises him and Biff merely replies, "I'm going to sleep". So he may be tired of his father's exaggerated success. We see that Willy's criticisms of Biff affect him when Happy says " What happened Biff? Where's the old humour, the old confidence?" and Biff just says "why does Dad mock me all the time?"-he is evidentily upset by it. We also see that Willy's downfall that seems to be taking place has links to Biff, when he is muttering to himself he is often addressing Biff, and Biff hints that he knows something when he says "Never mind. Just don't lay it all to me".

Biff seems to know what he actually wants, whereas not know what he's meant to want. He talks passionately about buying a ranch and contrasts this with the negative view he takes of the American dream, referring to "suffering" etc. Biff acknowledges that he feels lost and doesn't know what the future holds, for example he says "I'm mixed up very bad" and he says he feels "like a boy" because he's not married. He sees maturity as coming with being settled. He is not content with his life at all and is confused as to what he should do with himself.

The stage directions tell us that Happy "like his brother is lost, but in a different way". He has never accepted defeat, and this has consequentely made him more "confused...although seemingly more content" than Biff. Contrasts are made between the two brothers and these shape our first impressions of them.  Happy seems very uncertain about what he wants, he refers to his lifestyle saying it's "what I always wanted... And still goddammit, I'm lonely". This suggests he thinks the American dream is a lie. There are many contrasts between what Happy says he wants and how he feels when he has it. Another example of this is when he talks about wanting to "settle down" but then he says how he sleeps with married women, saying "I don't want the girl, and, still, I take it-and I love it!". He can't seem to decide what he wants. He seems to fall-back on his sexuality as a way of feeling fulfillment in his life. For example because he can't get ahead of other executives in the business world, he reverts to what he's good at to beat them, seducing women. He also has a confused outlook on his past for example he can't remember for definite who he lost his virginity to. Finally having said that he wants success, he concludes to Biff that the most important thing in life is to be "well-liked", suggesting that as long as you are respected and liked by others, you will get ahead in life. This seems contradictory as his constant womanizing isn't likely to make him be "well-liked".

Waybuloo loves Arthur Miller!

Hi-Hi!
Arthur Miller was playwrite! YAY! He lived long long way away from Nara, in magical land called America! Many cheebies live there! Yay we love cheebies! De Li, Nok Tok, Lau Lau and Yojojo would like it there, there we play peeka all day long! YAY! Cheebie Arthur liked to make up stories cheebies act out.
A long long time ago he had a big think-a-pow (yes even bigger than when Yojojo decided to hide the banana to stop himself eating it!) and made up 'Death of a Salesman', his biggest bestest play. YAY, well done cheebie Arthur! People know him for marrying Marilyn Monroe, YAY BULOOOOO! They loved each other like the piplings love their Narabugs. But Marilyn was sad, she had problems even Nok Tok couldn't fix, so she err...left Nara. But we still love cheebie Miller! YAY! Cheebie Miller was one of bestest playwrites in America! His plays are very sad though, too sad for piplings! (they'd ruin your buloo anyday!) Cheebie Arthur can't play peeka no more, he's err...left Nara too.
Oooohh, is that the magical chimes I hear? What's that Yojojo, it is? YAY YOGO TIME!
Buloo to all =D
(Extremely difficult to mix Waybuloo and Arthur Miller, they're hardly a match-made in heaven! So that's why there's very little actual info in here!)

Rossetti BBC Radio 4 Response

|I have listened to the programme and was delighted to discover it was almost 45 minutes long. Briefly I will say what I found interesting.
I found the bit about the 'Pre-Raphealite Brotherhood' interesting as I had never heard of them before, and therefore was unaware that they influenced her poetry in such a significant way. Making her poetry more bright, vibrant, jewel like and very carefully observed. Which I think you can definitely see in her works, such as Goblin Market.

I was interested in the way they described her breakdown and ill health affecting her and making her have a more melancholic outlook on life.

I thought they analysed Goblin Market very well. I was intrigued by their comparison of the Eucharist and the section in the poem in which Laura sucks the fruit juices from her sister. They likened it to something like taking the blood of Christ into you, which of course offers a completely different interpretation to the ideas that we came up with about Rossetti maybe having some form of repressed sexuality.  So I found this very enlightening in a way as I would never have seen this in a religous light, and I think it shows just how much Rossetti was influenced by her religion. 
I was also interested in the idea they presented that the sisters in Goblin Market are representative of Rossetti and her sister. I think it quite odd that Rossetti saw herself as the less faithful one and would even suggest in the poem that she would give in to temptation (or at least insinuate this, if the characters are supposed to display an element of her and her sister).

Finally I thought they interpreted Rossetti's views on feminism well. I had always assumed when reading her poetry that she had a strong sense of feminism, so I was surprised to hear that she was against votes for women etc.
I hadn't really realised that Rossetti always seems to identify the ideal Christlike condition  with women as apposed to men, for example showing women as redemptive figures and men as inadequate. I think this is important as it shows that although she had total faith in the patriarchal nature of the Church and society etc, she still considered it important to use her faith to portay women in a very positive and enpowering way.

Marie Antoinette-sick gal =P

Like ages ago, you no when deyer waz no Facebook or MaccyDees, deyer was this bang tidy galdem called Marie Antoinette. She hailed from Austria (H.R.E MASSIVEEEEE! BRAP) and she got married at 14 or sumting. SLAG. I think dats well 2 young. she got with dis French geezer called Louis the 5 millioneth or suming. he was shy as and kinda chubby. GUTTED. even tho she waz well fit no one wnted to be her m8, coz dey was well jell. she waz tots minted n had nice threads. but it was well bad coz she neva got any, ppl blamed her wen atch it was old Lozza what couldn't get it up. what a nob hed.
she got wiv the french dude to like make their countrees fwends (Foreign fwends!! inbetweeners). but peeps were so suspish of her coz dey wazzzz weeeell racist, i wunder where dat martin luther king guy waz at he cud hav sorted it out, he probs had hiz fone turned off or summot.
l8ter on, she had kidz (lozza probs took sum ting). what a G.

the world was well crap wen she lived. evryting waz about power and basics in frogland some shit went down wiv sum revolution or summat. Marie babes waz kinda buggered coz no one lyked herrrrr. so her n the fam chipped to paris. dey tried to escape l8ter on but dey got caught. LOL FAIL.
b4 all dat went down, some fool sed she did some jesusdude 4 some bling. (as if she didnt jus nick it). me tinks dis dude waz just beggin it. peeps were also well womanist and gals had 2 do what men sed.
basics wen she waz chillin around, that big place Europe waz changing. some skint guys got peeved coz they were lyk starving or summot and dey went on dis INsane killin spree, im tlking serious COD kill streak.

in de end dey used some gill ting to kill Marie, basic she got shanked in de neck n her hed fell off. SAD TIMES.

dats bout it. big respect 2 da sick gal M.A.
S7 MASSEEEEVVVEE.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

I think this is genuinely the best piece of writing I've ever done. I can't believe I managed to do lower case 'i's' for the whole thing. I don't know if you managed to get any actual infomation from that, but it was fun to write.

How Does Austen Create Her Characters In Chapter 11?

Austen creates her characters using many different methods in chapter 11. She focuses on the characterisation of Miss Bingley, Elizabeth and Mr Darcy.

One effective way in which we learn about the characters is through the narrator and the opinion they present us with. These opinions are often combined with the opinions of other characters, such as Elizabeth. For example at the beginning of the chapter we are told by the narrator what Elizabeth thinks of Bingley's sisters, so this influences our opinion of them. We are told that "their powers of conversation were considerable. They could describe an entertainment with accuracy and relate an anecdote with humour, and laugh at their aqquaintance with sprit" and that "Miss Bingley's eyes were instantly turned towards Darcy". This tells us that as soon as Darcy is around, Miss Bingley has eyes for no-one else, her motives are therefore clear; to entertain and more importantly attract Darcy.  So we know from the start of the chapter that Caroline Bingley's main focus is Darcy. We even see that she has planned her actions in advance, in order to secure him as "she had obtained private intelligence" that Darcy doesn't like cards, she is making sure she knows what will please him beforehand. So the narrator is important in creating characters.

The character of Miss Bingley is created further throughout the chapter, and the way Austen writes it, she seems to be making a mockery of Miss Bingley in order to describe her determination to secure Darcy. For example we are told how Miss Bingley mimics Darcy's behaviour to try and draw his attention, "Darcy took up a book;Miss Bingley did the same". Austen seems to mock her as she keeps asking Darcy what his book is about, yet the book she is supposedly reading is the second volume of his. So it displays her desperation to attract Darcy and portrays her actions to be quite silly. Another example of this is contrast and therefore hypocrisy shown between her speech and her actions. For example we are told she was "quite exhausted" by her book and she then searches the room "in quest of some amusement", however directly after this she says "there is no enjoyment like reading! How much sooner one tires of anything than of a book!"-What she does contrasts with what she says, which agains illustrates that everything she says is simply aimed at Darcy and impressing him by pretending to share his interests. So this has been done purposely by Austen to shows Miss Bingley's relentlessness in pursuing Darcy.

Contrasts between characters are used in chapter 11 to create/display their nature. For example at the beginning of the chapter a comparison is made between Mr Hurst, Darcy and Bingley. Darcy and Mr Hurst are a lot more formal in their adressing of the women, for example "polite congratulations" are given and Mr Hurst even gives a "slight bow". Whereas Bingley is described as being "full of joy and attention"-his greeting is a lot less formal and seems more genuine. So this highlights the difference between the men.
There is also a contrast shown between Elizabeth and Miss Bingley. We see how they are totally different in their attitude towards things. For example Elizabeth is willing to tease Darcy whereas Miss B "was incapable of disappointing him".

Through the conversation that Darcy and Elizabeth have we see how they are comfortable and flirtatious with each other. We see how just like Miss B can't keep her attention off Darcy, he can't help but look at Elizabeth. For example this has already been shown when Elizabeth joins Miss Bingley for "a turn around the room". He completely ignores Miss B and remains "inflexibly studious". Whereas when Elizabeth stands he immediately look up and "unconsciously closed his book". So we see his feelings for Elizabeth starting to show. Following this he and Elizabeth have a playful conversation in which Elizabeth tricks Darcy about vanity and pride. They mimic each other's language and talk with ease "And your defect" "And yours repeated with a smile". There is also no attribution of speech and this shows the intimacy and flirtation of their conversation. This shows their natural chemistry. This is obviously observed by Miss B who we are told is "tired of a conversation in which she had no share". This provides Darcy time to check himself and "He began to feel the danger of paying Elizabeth too much attention"-This reiterates that he is aware of the risks and of Elizabeths social status in comparision with his.

Overall character is created very skillfully by Austen throughout chapter 11, some particuarly strong/effective methods in my opinion are the way speech is used and the way she mocks Miss Bingley and her actions.

(I planned for 10 mins and then wrote it up on paper for about 35 mins. I wrote 2 sides using my notes and what we worked on in the lesson)