The Hamartia of Blindness in Death of a Salesman and...

The Hamartia of Blindness in Death of a Salesman and Oedipus Rex â€Å"Tragedy is an imitation not of men but of a life, an action†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Aristotle). Tragedy is not about learning of certain characters, but rather learning about life itself. The inability to confront reality is a matter that takes place both in everyday life and in both plays. Despite the differences in both plays, Death of a Salesman and Oedipus Rex, the theme of being unable to confront reality is revealed through the protagonists’ shared hamartia of blindness. Through experiences with themselves and other characters, the protagonists show that their tragic flaw is what leads to their downfall. Both plays display the blindness of the protagonists, Oedipus and Willy Loman, when coming to terms with what they believe to be true. Although Oedipus truly is the murderer, he does not have the slightest thought that it could be him. He is blind to the prophecy and decides he must take action towards the murderer when he says: â€Å"Whoever killed King Laà ¯os mightâ €“who knows?–/Lay violent hands even on me–and soon./I act for the murdered king in my own interest† (Sophocles, 141-143). This is very ironic because Oedipus is feeling threatened by the murderer when he is in fact the one whom he seeks, but he is blind to that fact. Throughout the play, Willy Loman is consumed by the fact of being ‘well liked’ and maintaining a respectable status. He lies to friends and family about his successes to remain above the socialShow MoreRelatedHamartia in Oedipus Rex and Death of a Salesman834 Words   |  3 PagesHamartia in Oedipus Rex and Death of a Salesman Hamartia is defined as a fatal flaw leading to the downfall of a tragic hero. Aristotle defines a tragic hero to be a man â€Å"who is not completely good and just, whose misfortune is brought out not by vice or immorality, but by some error or weakness.† The three key requirements of Aristotle in regards to a tragic hero are; a high social standing, goodness or moral excellence, or error committed by the hero in unawareness or ignorance. Two quality examplesRead Moreâ€Å"Aristotle’s Definition of the Tragic Hero and Irony in Tragedy† Oedipus Rex, Othello, and Death of a Salesman3217 Words   |  13 Pagesmisfortune due to some flaw of character or failure to find/some deviation from the moral and righteous path, which is referred to as the hamartia. (Myers) However, he cannot be of paramount virtue or righteousness for this would objectify him, in turn isolating him from human perceptivity and compassion though he must be of high or noble character. The hamar tia at some point must be realized by the character and this experience is known as an anagnorisis; it is to be noted that the relationship between