The definition of a tragic character is something that has been considered established since ancient Greek times. Aristotle's Poetics defined what constitutes comedy and tragedy, and that definition has been widely accepted ever since. However, Arthur Miller believes that Aristotle's definition of a tragic hero is incorrect. Through the character Willie Loman, Miller redefines what makes a tragic hero in his work Death of a Salesman. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Traditionally, tragedies have been defined by their tendency to deal with aristocrats, such as members of royalty or other noble birth. These tragic heroes are usually forced to fight against a fate imposed on them by the Gods or some other supernatural force, and ultimately fail in this fight due to some sort of tragic flaw. Ultimately this results in ruin or at least loss of status for the tragic hero. This is evident in many classical tragedies such as Oedipus the King and Hamlet. Arthur Miller challenges this trend by using Willie Loman as a tragic hero. Willie's status as an American everyman stands in stark contrast to the strong noble status that defined many of the previous tragedies, but his life and the events surrounding it keep him firmly defined as a tragic hero. Willie Loman's position as an everyman is a defining factor that sets him apart from tragic heroes before him. Traditionally, tragic heroes were required to have a position of prosperity that could be tragically lost, limiting them to roles such as kings, nobility, and wealthy aristocrats. However, Miller believed that the characteristics of a loss due to a tragic flaw were something that was common to everyone, not just those who were wealthy to begin with, saying “when the question of tragedy in art is not in question, we never hesitate to attribute to the well placed and the exalted the same mental processes as the humble” (Miller, Tragedy and the Common Man). Since anyone could suffer from the same tragic flaws and anyone could suffer from them, the limitation of tragic heroes to only those of high rank was a flaw in the design of tragedies from the beginning. Willie's position as a tragic hero is kept intact by his desire to reach a higher position in life and the flaws that ultimately prevent him from achieving success. Miller states, “I think the tragic feeling is evoked in us when we are in the presence of a character who is prepared to give his life, if necessary, to secure one thing: his sense of personal dignity” (Miller, Common Man). Willie's goal in life is to become someone who is widely recognized and liked by people throughout New England due to his success in his job, traveling from town to town as a salesman. Since his job is worth nothing, but requires him to go places no one else in his immediate life would see on a regular basis, Willie goes around talking about his status in various places, artificially boosting his pride in an attempt to appear more than what it really is. AND. His sense of pride ultimately ruins his successes, creating a feeling of sympathy among both readers and other characters, as when his wife Linda states, “I don't say he's a great man. Willy Loman never made much money. His name has never appeared in the newspapers... But he is a human being and something terrible is happening to him. So you need to pay attention. We must not allow him to fall into his grave like an old dog. Attention, attention must be paid”. 1949.