Comparative Analysis of Oedipus Rex and Death of a Salesman - Research Paper Example

English Literature 5 December Comparative Analysis of Oedipus Rex and Death of a Salesman Introduction Literature is a platform where human psychology and the bitter realities of life are incorporated in texts in the form of thematic concerns and these realities are not bound by a particular time period, era or the geographical location, hence they are mostly universal in nature. Consequently it is observed that although “Oedipus Rex” and “Death of a Salesman” have centuries between the time the two plays were written. Yet interestingly the projection of the tragic heroes in both the works provide an excellent basis for a comparative analysis regardless of the difference of the time in which the respective plays were written, their plots and settings. 1.1. Oedipus Rex “Oedipus Rex” is one of the most famous Greek tragedies about a ruler fighting to help save his people from draught and misery. During his struggle to help eliminate their suffering he comes across shocking revelations about not only his past but also his present which totally changes the course of his personal as well as his political life. In the beginning the play appears to be about Oedipus’s quest to save Thebes from draught however it later turns out to be a tale of Oedipus’s quest of personal identity, the truth related to his existence and later his repentance. 1.2. Death of a Salesman On contrary “Death of a Salesman” is set in America depicting a tale of an ordinary salesman named Willy Loman, who falls prey to daydreaming which leads to false illusions and ultimately plays havoc on Willy’s rationality, who loses his mind and in the end commits suicide. According to Harold Bloom, He was the kind of man you see on the subway, decently dressed, perfectly integrated with his surroundings excepting that unlike other people he can no longer restrain the power of his experience from disrupting the superficial sociality of his behavior (28). Although he was an ordinary man but his delusional approach towards life set him apart from the rest. This delusional existence can be compared to Oedipus’s quest for self-identity as both the tragic heroes struggle with inner turmoil and issues of identity in their own way. 2. Comparative Analysis A comparison of Willy Loman and Oedipus shows that the two characters share numerous similarities. For instance, Willy Loman enters the play as a confusing, weary man who is lives in the world of hallucinations and reminiscences, and constantly troubles his family with his nonsensical and illogical ranting. Likewise Oedipus enters the play as a confused king who is in search for a solution to the plague that has infected his people. So from the beginning of the plays the mindset of the two characters is projected as that of a confused individual. Not only are these two characters similar in their mindsets but also it is observed that they are unable to accept reality. Willy Loman is trapped in replays or flashbacks of the past in his mind as he recalls moments of happiness in his career and family life. He has overbearing confidence on his sons that they will be successful. He boosts about being admired and respected by famous and important people. For him life is all about fake appearances as he also says to Biff, “I thank Almighty God that you are both are built like Adonis” (13). Then again he says, “Be liked and you will never want” (36). For him it does not matters that he is a failure as a salesman or that he is in a major financial crisis instead he has to stay good in the eyes of his peers and the society. Which is a major characteristic and a flaw of his delusional nature. Similarly Oedipus also lacks the same unwillingness to accept reality. He was unknowingly born the prince of Thebes. At birth his parents gave him up for adoption in the fear that the prophecy of him killing his father and marrying his mother would come true. As he grows up with his adoptive parents in Corinth, the oracle at Delphi tells him the same prophecy. He is in constant denial. In his eyes, the prophecy he received is now worthless, but he is still exceedingly worried about the part of the prophecy detailing an incestuous relationship with his mother (Miller, 155). He doesn’t want to believe it but he still runs away to the city of Thebes where along the way he kills a poor highway man. The people of Thebes crown Oedipus as King and later on he finds out the highway man he killed was his father the king of Thebes, and the woman he married was his mother. Willy and Oedipus both had a life of abandonment, their loved ones left them and they had to search for some security and hope from their lonely existence. Willy grew up without a father and his brother cared little about him. Biff his eldest son whom he loved dearly, sees his father’s commitment to the American Dream as arbitrary and foolish to which declares he is crazy. His boss Howard, son of his long-time employer and friend, fires him. Willy’s older brother, Ben, hurries to Alaska without giving him any words of affection or sense of concern. All of these things lead to his illusions and they scar him for life. Similarly Oedipus was abandoned at birth and was put up for adoption. So it is observed that the lack of willingness to accept the truth fundamentally stems from their life experiences. Another similarity between the two characters is that both of them are tragic heroes. Willy Loman might not fit in the stereotypical mould of a tragic hero however the act of committing suicide and saving his family from further suffering because of him is a commendable act that makes him a tragic hero. Harold Bloom also says, “This act is an act only found in someone who demonstrates qualities of a tragic hero” (33). Though it is also believed that perhaps the strongest case for Loman's status as a tragic hero is that his demise is a result of almost entirely internal struggles (Wakefield, 27). On the other hand the extent of repentance which Oedipus applies and the manner in which he punishes himself makes him a tragic hero as well. Although the two characters share similarities on the basis of their upbringing, their mindsets and the undeniable fact that both are tragic heroes yet they are different at many levels as well as the manner in which they deal with their revealed realities is totally opposite. The protagonists of both plays experience the slow unraveling of their lives by living in constant denial of their tragic circumstances. However, while Oedipus searches for the truth of his troubled past, Willy Loman spends much of the play contemplating his past and searching for moments in his life where he went wrong. In addition Oedipus' character attempts to hold an honorable demeanor as he discovers the shame in his past. Conversely, Willy Loman embraces his shame and seems to get in more trouble as he resorts to blame his problems on others. Although he holds his ego in high esteem and feels insulted by Charley’s offer of a job yet he readily takes loan from his friend to pay the bills. On the whole, while both characters face very tragic incidences, their choices as individual characters are quite different as Oedipus holds his pride in high regards while Willy seems to have no issue in embracing his shame. In the play Oedipus spends the majority of the time discovering his identity and revealing shocking truths about his existence mainly; that he is married to his mother, Jocasta, and that he killed his father. As the play unfolds Oedipus ventures through Thebes in hopes of finding more information about his past. The more information he uncovers, the more he finds the disturbing truth about his life. In one respect, both Oedipus and Willy use their pasts as a door to reveal secrets and come face to face with their selves. In contrast, however, Willy does not go to others to search for information about his past. Instead “Death of a Salesman” includes many instances where Willy simply reflects on his past through a series of flashbacks. The flashbacks lead to Willy's constant guilt trips that he suffers throughout the play thus ending in his suicide. These flashbacks, however, also provide a sense of hope for Willy as it allows him to blame his issues on others rather than himself. Ultimately Willy Loman realizes that he is the only one at fault and is left with only two choices either to kill himself or unburden his family from their suffering at his expense or else providing them with the badly needed financial support. Though his act of committing suicide can be perceived as a noble act yet in the hindsight it highlights his lack of courage as well. On contrary Oedipus proves himself to be not only a man of pride but he also sets an example for the readers and inspires them to take responsibility for one’s actions. He believed that death was a dishonorable escape so he gouges his eyes out and asks the people of Thebes to cast him out doing this requires not only courage but also the strength and determination to own ones mistakes regardless of the manner in which life treated him. His courage is also reflected in the lines when he says, “Stop, my children, weep no more. Here where the dark forces store up kindness both for living and the dead, there is no room for grieving here it might bring down the anger of the gods” (58). 3. Conclusion Oedipus and Willy Loman are easily paralleled on the basis of their lack of self-awareness. Both characters choose to dwell on their past and it brings them to their shameful conclusion. Although both characters ended their story with a dark finish, they choose to exist in totally opposite manner. Oedipus refuses to allow himself to escape an easy punishment such as suicide while Willy gives up on both his family and himself by ending his life. These characters are significantly different in their level of priorities yet their journeys and the choices they make result in providing the readers with an interesting analysis. Works Cited Bloom, Harold. Willy Loman: Modern Literary Criticism. New York: Chelsea House, 1991. Print. Miller, Arthur. Death of a Salesman. New York: Penguin Books, 1996. Print. Sophocles. Oedipus Rex. New York: Penguin Books, 1990. Print. Wakefield, Thaddeus. The Family in Twentieth-Century American Drama. Vol. 39. New York: Peter Lang, 2004. Read More