Willy Loman & Oedipus - Tragic Heroes?

Oedipus is perhaps one of the foundations of Greek tragedy writing, but he also comes with controversy. Despite the timing of its writing and the way in which it fits Greek tragedy, the question is still raised among literary circles as to whether he is a tragic hero. Willy Loman of "Death of a Salesman" certainly has elements that appear to fit the mold on first glance, but the controversy definitely makes its presence felt as well, and it is a much more difficult case to make.

Willy Loman is an entirely different kind of character, though it is those differences that makes him more relatable to the reader. When reading and critically analyzing both stories, however, there is no question that, while you can easily confirm Oedipus' status as a tragic hero, Willy Loman simply does not fit the mold, though he has many of the characteristics necessary. There are simply too many glaring omissions to make the assertion.

Before a true comparison of the two characters Oedipus and Willy Loman can be made as to their labeling as tragic hero, we must first determine what, in fact, a tragic hero is. What qualities does he possess? What events must take place in the story in order for this label to be attached to a character?

According to Aristotle, the character must be of some form of nobility, suffer from some form of error in judgment, go through a period of reversed fortune, and finally recognize that the error was actually caused by his own actions. Often times that flaw is actually a direct result of the tragic flaw (McManus).

The Hero also often discovers that his fate was, in fact, determined from the beginning of the story, and that he caused his fate, as opposed to it being decided by the actions of others or happenings out of his control. Furthermore, his nobility must be such that the audience is still able to relate to him. That is, he is not so far and above human feelings, happenings, and regular events.