Overview
Synopsis
Death of a Salesman chronicles the last days in the life of Willy Loman, a man who has spent more than three decades in sales and now, in his early sixties, finds his numbers—and his mind—slipping. Biff, his 34-year-old son, is out of work and running out of options. Happy, two years younger, compulsively exaggerates his own accomplishments. Willy’s devoted wife, Linda, supports him unconditionally, but her constant encouragement cannot keep him moored to reality. Willy is literally haunted by the past, and visions of happier days and lost opportunities continually intrude as he struggles to make sense of the present moment. At heart, this is the story of the members of this American family’s love for each other, and Willy’s corrosive love for the American Dream.
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Context
Show Origins
Like many of Arthur Miller’s plays, Death of a Salesman was based on events in his life or in his lifetime. Miller based Willy's character on the life of his salesman uncle and the family home in the Brooklyn house in which Miller grew up. Miller was intrigued by the aim of the American Dream and the idea that not everyone had equal opportunities to succeed. Can an individual flourish in a society that promises a lot but guarantees nothing? Arthur Miller once said that
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ACT I
A “small and fine” melody, “telling of grass and trees and the horizon” is heard upon a flute. Willy Loman, two large sample cases in hand, arrives home early from a business trip. His wife Linda stirs from bed, puts on a robe, and comes down to speak to him. Willy was feeling exhausted and disoriented on the road, and he had to turn back just past Yonkers and return to New York. (“I’m tellin’ ya, I absolutely forgot I was driving. If I’d’ve gone the other way over the white
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Character Portrayals
See StageAgent members who have performed roles in Death of a Salesman.
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Monologues
Scenes
Themes, Symbols & Motifs
THEMES
Order vs. Disorder
Willy loses himself in the past as a coping mechanism with which to deny the present. This occurs more frequently when the present is too difficult to accept. By the time we reach Act Two, Willy is retreating into his memories more and more in an effort to reintroduce a sense of order into his life. For example, Willy goes to see Howard, his boss in New York. After his years of extensive traveling for the company, Willy has convinced himself that Howard will
to read about the themes, symbols and motifs from Death of a Salesman and to unlock other amazing theatre resources!Quote Analysis
All right, boy. I’m gonna show you and everybody else that Willy Loman did not die in vain. He had a good dream. It’s the only dream to have—to come out number-one man. He fought it out here, and this is where I’m gonna win it for him.
(Happy, Requiem)
Context: Happy is standing with his brother Biff at their father’s graveside. Willy harbored dreams of achieving the American Dream and becoming a hot-shot salesman, but he never made it. Instead, he committed suicide in the mistaken
to read our analysis of select quotes from Death of a Salesman and to unlock other amazing theatre resources!Key Terms
A theme in theatre representing hope, success, and its disillusionment, particularly in realist and symbolist plays.
An economic system often critiqued in epic and protest theatre, examining exploitation, class, and power structures.
Innovative performance styles that challenge traditional theatre conventions.
A theatrical style that distorts reality to convey inner emotional experience, popular in early 20th-century drama.
A dramatic device that transports the narrative to an earlier time to provide background or context.
A historic economic crisis dramatized in plays to explore poverty, resilience, and social upheaval.
An extended speech delivered by a single character, either to another character or the audience. Monologues are used for character development and to reveal inner thoughts.
A recurring element, such as a symbol, image, or phrase, that reinforces a play’s themes. Motifs help unify the structure of a work and deepen its symbolic meaning.
A musical or dramatic work honoring the dead, often evoking mourning or closure in operatic and theatrical contexts.
An object, character, or element used in a play to represent a deeper meaning or theme beyond its literal definition.
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