'The tragic hero's downfall is a product of their hubris' - To what extent do you agree with this view?

In an Aristotelian definition of tragedy, the tragic hero's downfall is an amalgamation of their hubris, hamartia, and the tragic villain. In Shakespearean tragedy, however, the hamartia is altered to becomes less of an act and more of an inherent character flaw, which is replicated in Miller's tragedy of 'the common man': Death of a Salesman. Willy Loman's downfall is a product of both his hubris and a mistaken belief in the Capitalist American Dream, as defined under the 1940s consumerist culture: the promise of material splendour. Willy believes in an outdated view that an individual must be 'well-liked' and stresses the importance of 'personality' in succeeding financially. However, this is in contention with the doctrine of hard-work promoted in the American Dream that boomed under the development in economic liberalism. Willy's hubris leads him into a state of self-delusion, in which he is unable to accept his failures, believing himself to be 'well liked' and 'vital in New England'. His hubris prevents him from abandoning his mistaken beliefs and leads him into further financial turmoil, for he refuses Charlie's job. This hubris concurrently prevents him from acknowledging the potential offered to him in the pastoral American Dream. The flute motif established at the start symbolises this pastoral American Dream, evident in the description of how it is 'telling of grass and tress and the horizon', which all display the natural imagery aligned with the pastoral. The flute occurs throughout the play, playing even after Willy's death. Miller describes how 'only the music of the flute is left on the darkening stage', which emphasises the sense of loss, in that it outlives Willy and offers the potential that he could have lived, had he adopted the pastoral American Dream. In contrast to the initial quotation, therefore, Willy's downfall is not only a product of his hubris, but a variety of factors. His hubris, tragic flaw, and the social environment that preys on him all work together in propelling his psychological turmoil and eventual suicide.

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Answered by Jack P. English tutor

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