Dramatists such as Aristotle started to write a series of plays called tragedies. They were as follows: the play revolved around a great man such as a king or war hero, who possessed a tragic flaw. This flaw or discrepancy would eventually become his downfall. These types of plays are still written today, for example, Arthur Millers "Death of Salesman" and Henrik Ibsens "A Dolls House." "Death of Salesman" shows the downfall of the modern tragic hero, Willy Loman, a middle class working man. Nora, in" A Doll's House" displays that characteristics of a tragic hero, in that she shows potential for greatness, but is stifled by her society. Willy Loman in "Death of a Salesman" and Nora in "A Dolls House" are two perfect examples that illustrate a tragic hero.
In "Tragedy and the Common Man", Arthur Miller discusses different criteria and definitions for tragedy as they apply to the common man. Miller's ideal tragic hero is one who "is intent upon claiming his whole due as a......
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