摘 要

阿瑟•米勒是当代最具代表性的美国剧作家之一。他的戏剧探讨的主题主要有个人与社会的责任感，家庭关系，和道德责任。在他众多的作品当中，《推销员之死》是他的代表作。该剧曾获得1949年的普利策奖，此外还获得纽约剧评界奖，戏院俱乐部奖等。在百老汇首演后获得巨大成功，引起巨大轰动，首次上演达742场，被列为百老汇上演剧目最多的戏剧之一，并为33岁的米勒在美国戏剧界奠定了大师的地位。它刻画了一个家庭的各成员间令人心痛的矛盾冲突，描述了主人公威利•娄门悲惨的命运。一些评论家说该剧是对美国梦的抨击，威利的悲剧源于对美国梦不切实际的追求。而笔者对该剧仔细研读，认为主人公威利•娄门的梦并不是“美国梦”，他的悲剧不仅是由社会压迫造成的社会悲剧，而是源于其自身的悲剧性格。论文分为四个部分：第一部分介绍作者和作品，第二部分分析主人公威利•娄门悲剧性格的体现，第三部分分析威利悲剧产生的原因，第四部分将威利与传统悲剧人物对比，指出悲剧性格的特别之处。
 
关键词：《推销员之死》；悲剧；性格

Abstract

Arthur Miller is considered one of the most distinguished contemporary American playwrights. His dramas explore the themes of the responsibilities of individuals and society, familial relationships, and moral obligations. Among all his works, Death of a Salesman is his masterpiece. It brought Miller the Pulitzer Prize, the Tony Award, as well as the New York Drama Critics Circle Award. It ran for 742 performances, and was ranked as one of the most frequently performed dramas in Broadway, which established 33-year-old Arthur Miller as a master of the American dramatic circle. Death of a Salesman describes the tragic fate of Willy Loman, and various conflicts between all his family members. Some critics claim that the play is an attack upon the “American dream”, and that Willy is a victim of the brutal economic system or Willy’s tragedy comes from his unceasing pursuit of the “American dream”. However, by further studying the play, the writer draws the conclusion that Willy’s dream is not the “American dream”, and he is not so much a victim of the social oppression, as he is the victim of his own weak personalities. There’re four parts in this essay: the first part introduces the play and the playwright; the second part presents Willy’s tragic character; the third part explores the causes of Willy’s tragedy; the fourth part presents the contrast between Loman and traditional tragic heroes.

Keywords: Death of a Salesman; tragedy; tragic character

Chapter 1 Introduction
1.1 A Brief Introduction to Arthur Miller
Arthur Miller was one of America's most distinguished men of letters. He was born in October of 1915 in New York City. His plays continued the realistic tradition that began in the United States in the period between the two World Wars. Miller's plays often depict how families are destroyed by false values. Death of a Salesman brings Miller international fame, and becomes one of the major achievements of modern American theatre.