Aristotle understood the notion of the “tragedy” as the imitation of serious and complete action. According to his view, this action was considered to be covered by pity and fear causing a burst of emotions. Such an understanding of a tragedy remained for many years and was reflected in the definition of a tragic hero. But the appearance of such characters as Oedipus and Willy Loman proved the fact that every real person could suffer tragedy. That is why these two heroes were described as tragic heroes and discussed by many critics; Aristotle paid attention to these characters disclosing his own vision of their characteristics and defining their role in the tragedy.
Considering the definition of the tragedy given by Aristotle one can identify the main features of the tragic hero. Thus, the tragic hero should combine the following characteristics:
- He should cause emotional attachment;
- The audience should fear for the fate of the hero;
- A tragic hero should cause pity in the audience.
Taking into account the entire features one can surely identify Oedipus as a real tragic hero. His virtue and nobility are considered to be the keys to the successful role of the tragic hero. Nobility is the component for which he is respected by the audience. Oedipus is the son of Corinth Queen and King; his parents are royalty which explains his nobility. The character deserved the respect of the audience for his really heroic actions and royal roots.
Besides, there is one more factor that identifies Oedipus as a tragic hero according to Aristotle’s view and vision. He has hamartia; it is really important because Aristotle identified that every tragic hero should have a hamartia, inherent or accidental. This factor is very important in the scenario because it can cause fear of the audience for the hero’s fate.
Willy Loman, a character in the story Death of a Salesman, differs a lot from Oedipus. Arthur Miller is considered to be the creator of Willy Loman as an ordinary man and a tragic hero at the same time. He wanted to illustrate a perfect man who tried his best to be misguided by the newly established superficial standards of the modern generation. The author tried to illustrate this hero as a man who did his best in order to reach his goals of life to become a successful salesman. There are a lot of differences in the description of Oedipus and Willy Loman, but these differences make Willy be closer and relatable to the reader. Willy’s characteristics as a tragic hero are not so bright as those of Oedipus, though they certainly exist.
The difference lies in the flow of events of the scenario; the audience comes to know about the fate of Willy Loman too quickly, almost from the very beginning of the story. The audience is involved in the early change of the character’s life which does not coincide with the opinion of Aristotle who considered that readers should fear and pity till the end of the story. A quick turn of events happening in Willy’s life showed his sufferings from illusions. The end of Willy Loman is considered to be a tragic one; the atmosphere of the story is covered by suicide and regret, nevertheless, the character is relatable to the readers.
It should be stated that the notion of the tragic hero is really subjective. At each time such characters were identified as influential and significant. Nevertheless, it is very difficult to call Willy Loman a tragic hero taking into account the characteristics of Aristotle. He is not from nobility and does not show the rapid dramatic downfall causing fear and pity. Nevertheless, there is one point that can help to identify him as a tragic hero. The author managed to illustrate the inner struggles of Willy Loman. He depicts inner struggles with his inner world and his own reality. Willy Loman is an example of confirmation and denial of his own thoughts and actions. (Wakefield, 2004)
Comparing these two different characters and taking into account the definition of the tragic hero given by Aristotle it is necessary to contrast Willy Loman and Oedipus. The differences between both of them are vivid. Oedipus proves his heroic nature by his brave and significant actions, while Willy Loman is considered to be a selfless person. He considers that the only way out of a difficult life situation is committing suicide. It is impossible to name these thoughts heroic according to any liberal definition of a true hero.
Oedipus is the symbol of heroic actions. His steps are fulfilled out of any ignorance. The depiction of this character allows the audience to see a real tragic hero with all necessary for its characteristics. He deserves the respect of the reader even by his flow of thoughts which is wise and unmistakable. It is impossible to find similarities in the heroic actions of the two characters under analysis. (Knox, Oedipus at Thebes: Sophocles’ Tragic Hero and His Time)
Willy Loman considers that his role of helping his wife can be fulfilled with the help of suicide. He shows his weak-willed personality which cannot characterize him as a true hero. The characteristic of a traffic hero lies in his influential nature and significant actions, but Willy Loman is not the reflection of these features. In contrast to his activities, Oedipus meets the requirements of the definition “hero”. The audience feels fear for him till the end of the story expressing pity in many moments of his life. All his actions are done regarding his own choice and it explains his brave nature and strong-willed character.
The analysis of the true tragic hero showed the main characteristics and features of such characters. It should be stated that not only Aristotle but many other critics and thinkers considered this definition to be appropriate. It reflects all the sides of a real tragic hero described in the books of previous generations.
The characters analyzed above are quite different and combine various features of the heroic image. It is important to stress that the similarities of the characters are almost unnoticeable and that is why it was very difficult to name both of them tragic heroes. According to Aristotle, the world of literature agreed on the features of the tragedy given by him, that is why there is an established notion of the heroic characters in the literary depiction. This notion completely coincides with that one provided by Aristotle.
As a matter of conclusion, it is important to stress that both Willy Loman and Oedipus are heroes in a way. They are quite different in their behaviors, origin, and actions in the scenario, but there is one common feature. Both of them had a tragic end. It was proved that Oedipus was depicted as a true tragic hero and Aristotle considered him to be a symbolic reflection of a heroic protagonist. The main difference lies in the fact that Willy is not a tragic hero but a tragic figure of the story. His actions and flow of thoughts contradict all the norms and features of the fixed definition of a hero. Thus, one can say that among the analyzed characters only Oedipus can be regarded as a true tragic hero combining all the necessary qualities of such a character.
Willy Loman and Oedipus are great examples of two contrasting personalities playing the role of the heroes in the world they live in. They are considered to be the heroes of their time no matter what criteria real heroes should have. The authors managed to illustrate the tragic fates of two different characters whose moral values and life standards differed a lot from each other. The readers had an opportunity to compare and contrast the examples of model tragic characters which left a print in the world of literature.
References
Knox, Bernard. Oedipus at Thebes: Sophocles’ Tragic Hero and His Time. London: Yale UP.
Miller, Arthur. (1996). Death of a Salesman. New York: Penguin Books.
Wakefield, Thaddeus. (2004). The Family in Twentieth-Century American Drama. Vol. 39. New York: Peter Lang.