What Are The Similarities Between Oedipus And Willy Loman

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Hamartia is an inherent defect in the hero of a tragedy, whose misfortune is not brought about by villainy, but by an error of judgment. In other words, it is a moral flaw. According to Aristotle, Sophocles’s Oedipus the King is a prime example of hamartia in Greek tragedies while Miller’s Death of a Salesman incorporates modern tragedy. Both tragedies share the similar concept of downfall as Oedipus is a king who was born with undeniable fate and Willy is a salesman who fails to reach success. Blind faith is a tragic flaw that both Willy Loman and Oedipus acquire although they portray this flaw adversely though their excessive arrogance and perpetual ignorance. Retaining overbearing pride is a character flaw that restrains one from accurately perceiving his fate. Willy Loman’s exaggerated self-opinion paired with self-deception conceals his profound anxiety and isolates him from recognizing his downfall. When Charley…show more content…
All his life, Willy eminently measured himself to Charley, and had criticized him and his son Bernard for not being well-liked and therefore not being able to be prosperous in the business world. Conversely, Willy has become profoundly jealous of Charley’s successful status compared to his own deteriorating one. The generosity displayed by Charley toward Willy sparks resentment in Willy and affirms his delusional self-pride and tendency to be unable to discern his personal failure since Willy still believes that he can make it on his own. Moreover, the overwhelming sense of pride is also readily seen through Oedipus’s swayed belief that he escaped his faith in defeating the Sphinx. At the beginning of
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