All My Sons Greek Analysis - 1299 Words

Arthur Miller—the author of All my Sons, The Crucible, and Death of a Salesman—was born in 1915 in New York City. He lived through the Great Depression and both World Wars. A self-proclaimed modern tragedian, Miller says he looks to the Greeks for inspiration, especially Sophocles (the author of Oedipus the King). Miller elevates â€Å"the common man’s failures, his anguish, and his family relationships† to the magnitude of a tragic hero (Galvin). All my Sons is a great example of how Miller uses the six elements described by Aristotle to create modern American tragedies that reflect ancient Greek tragedies like Oedipus the King and Antigone. Plot: Miller chooses to start the plot late into the actual story. Like in Aristolian or climatic†¦show more content†¦Character: According to criteria for distinguishing the tragic Greek protagonist from central characters, the protagonist should be â€Å"a noble person who commits an act resulting in profound suffering the affects him personally, his family, and the state. Through this suffering he attains self-awareness and knowledge of what he has done. As a result of this new understanding, he gains the wisdom and the power to restore equilibrium.† The play should also end when the protagonist has achieved or failed to achieve his goal. Keller fits this description as he drives the action of the play in his need to keep his past actions a secret. He tries to butter up his old partner by offering him a job after he gets out of jail and tries to reconcile with George by offering to talk to his attorney friends. His actions of offering to go to dinner for the family and Ann serve as a need for everyone to be on his side. He has committed the act that has made his wife lose a son, his son lose a brother, and his business partner lose his dignity. Many families’ sons died because of him and so affected the whole community. The play ends when Keller has discovered that Larry’s ultimatum was Keller’s life or his own. He has gained the knowledge of equilibrium is his own death since the family’s dignity is lost if he is still unpunished. After the climax and anagnorisis, very little falling action occurs and so leaves little debate forShow MoreRelatedMedea Plot Analysis1392 Words   |  6 PagesMedea is an ancient Greek tragedy play written by Euripides. The play bases itself on the ancient myth of Jason and Medea. The plays plot centers itself on the actions of Medea who was the Barbarians former prince who seeks revenge against Jason who betrayed her with another woman. 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