Salesman Study Guide

8/8/2019 Salesman Study Guide

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Introduction

DEATH OFA SALESMAN:

an

introDuCtion

byDonesh Olyaie

Production dramaturg

ah mlles Death o a Salesman hs

bee he ae ey he

weeh ey. We 1949, hs

ply s he s ble ks pe les b se he

sy Wlly L, he ph

le-lss ly Bkly.

Wlly, sxy-hee-ye-l sles,

ebes ew ype he,

hs lyeve we L l

ss B Hppye he plyes wh

s h hs ls y eh.

the L ly ps lsi

spshs Wllys eeslse he pese. B e Wlly s

s hl elles,

es he s he h, eebe

wh he wshes h hppee? Wlly

hs sse he be lll he

ae de hs ly, b,

he e he y, wh he -

plsh? Wh e ws he hs? a

ae h vles peple wh

e seby, whee es h leve

el y lke Wlly L?

mlle pke he ply wh sses

h y aes h el wh

1949, e e he

e w wl ws he ge

depess. Lke Wlly, wh es he

e hs ee, wh ws hppe

lls aes wk bslee

ses? Wh ws ly

he bk e e ses?

Hw wl e ee el wh

he sh vles he ex? We

selves sk sl qess y. i

shl be spse, he, h Death o

a Salesman es spek s b

w . Se s lly

elly vese Bkly he

1940s, he Ls le kes le

se bh he w.

let:the Bkly Be(Jh assrebl/Yle uvesyVsl reses).

right:mlle hs esk,1962 (al new/gey ies).


4/20

4

MiChael Walkup: chles, s Wlly L le yve lwys we ply?

Charles s. Dutton: Wlly L ws e he e hes i e s y

hee se. Bk he i h he ese ply ll he e ps he hee, b

i wy hee whle, we e h i ws le ll y

yes by. my syle s vey physl, i hh i bee ply he le

w whle i y eh, s eh, sll hve he vl pwe

se wk. is hllee, i lke hk h i b seh le whh

l e s hve be .

MW: ths ye ks sxy yes se he peee Death o a Salesman

Bwy. Hw ses pph hs ply 2009 , pl, he

ple he Wlly?

CsD: i wll be esy ses ey wh y hs h hppe he ply.

Wlly L s whs ppe hs w es les eses.

i i y jb hey expeee he hes ey, i hkSalesman wll

be l jey.

JaMes BunDy: oe he ex hs b Wlly s y see h s ye ,

y ls see h he e hs le. Y hve he whle spe hs lys

hsy pke e eve. a he Ls e ly h, he ee, y

sees see vey h lke he w. i hees ee e wh

Wlly wh he ly he hee, wll le pwel es he ply.

GettinG DoWn to Business

Before rehearsals began for Death of a Salesman,

production dramaturg Michael Walkup spoke with

Charles S. Dutton, who plays Willy Loman, and director

James Bundy about their collaboration.

Interview

let:Jes By.

right:chles S. d.


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5

Interview

CsD: i hk wh s ves y ee s he vsel spe hee

h les es he ply ellelly. i ye eel h he hee,

he y h s well hve sye he lss e he ply.

MW: o s h b ews se Yle rep shele hs p

Death o a Salesman 2009. the ey ke, b we elee he s a

ae pese. Wll hese ew sl pll eles p he p?

JB: chles i wee lk b hs ply eve bee Bk ob ve

hs speeh he 2004 de cve. the pese ws ll-a

ae Death o a Salesman ke pll see; , we ee

he whle s wl be a ae l ls se. S hese exel s

e h e b wh ee s b he ply he eses

heye wh he w expeees.

CsD: i ee. reless he pll le, eless whs hppe

he e slly, hees ply be e. the e i s hk b hwobs x he ey, i Wlly L.

JB: d ll-a ae p, wy, ees he ply be see

s pll see b he a ae expeee. i llws hee be

wl whee he elshp a ae hes whe le es

e w qes. thh he s we wll see hw he sy eepes

eses bh spelly veslly.

CsD: i lke le he ee ee wh he ply es he e. the ee

y wlk wy sy, ths s ae, 2009. B s y jb ee hepee he he; ll he he s, eveyh h wll ee he ply

pllly, hppes lly s w.


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6

Ive always made a point o not

wasting my lie, and every timeIve come back here I know that all

Ive done is to waste my lie.BiFF

Like a young god. Hercules

something like that. And the sun,

the sun all around him...

God Almighty, hell be great yet.

A star like that, magnicent, can

never really ade away!WiLLY

BiFF

Will and Lindas olde son

Character Descriptions

Whos Who?

rk Fhex

s Wlly L

ny rbee

s L L

he 2008 p

Death o a Sales-man ae

Se (cesy

ae Se).

And they know me boys, they know

me up and down New England.

The nest people. And when I bring

you ellas up, therell be open

sesame or all o us, cause onething boys: I have riends.

WiLLY

I get the eeling that Ill never

sell anything again,

that I wont make a living or you,

or a business or the boys.WiLLY

I realized that selling was thegreatest career a man could want.

Cause what could be more satisying

than to be able to...

pick up a phone, and be

remembered and loved and helped

by so many dierent people.WiLLY

Willy loMan

a salesman

Youre my oundation

and my support, Linda.WiLLY

[Its] enough to be happy

right here, right now. Why must

everybody conquer the world?Linda

linDa loMan

Wills wife

i Death o a Salesman, he hes lk b heselves eh he. Hweve,

we lwys ep wh hey sy e vle? Lk he llw qes.

d hese ws lly esbe he hes, s hee e beeh he se?

thk b he elshp eh speke he pes hey esbe; wh hbe he v ebellsh s he h?


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7

Character Descriptions

The Woman

hoWard Wagner,Ws BssJenny,Cs Sct

STanley, wt

miSS ForSyThe, leTTa,mss Fsts f

near right:

Thomas Chalmers as

Uncle Ben, Lee J. Cobbas Willy, and Howard

Smith as Charley in the

1949 production o

Death o a Salesman

(Museum o the City

o New York).

ar right:

Arthur Kennedy as Bi,

Lee J. Cobb as Willy,

and Cameron Mitchell

as Happy in the

1949 production oDeath o a Salesman

( John Springer

Collection/CORBIS).

I dont know what the hell

Im working or. Sometimes I sit

in my apartmentall alone.

And I think o the rentIm paying. And its crazy.

But then, its always

what I wanted. An apartment,

a car, and plenty o women.

And still, goddammit, Im lonely.HAPPY

I gotta show some o thosepompous, sel-important

executives over there that HapLoman can make the grade.

HAPPY

HAPPY

W ls u s

A man oughta come in with a

ew words. One thing about

Charley. Hes a man o ew words,

and they respect him.

WILLY

CHARLEY

Ws b f

Bernard can get the best marks

in school, yunderstand, but when

he gets out in the business world,

yunderstand, you are going

to be fve times ahead o him.

WILLY, to BIff

BERNARD

Cs s f

t Bff hpp

Ben. That man was a genius,

that man was success incarnate!

The man knew what

he wanted and went out and

got it! Walked into the jungle,

and comes out,

the age o 21, and hes rich!WILLY

Ws bt

UNCLE BEN

OTHERS


8/20

8

Setting: Play

a hoMe

GroWs

in Brooklyn

byMichael Walkup


Death o a Salesman bes he

Ls he 1949 Bkly. ah

mlles se es esbe he

sll, sle-ly hse s we

ll ses by we, l shpes.

Wlly pls h he hse s bxe by bks wws, wws

bks. He es:

The street is lined with cars. Theres

not a breath of fresh air in the

neighborhood. The grass dont grow

any more, and you cant raise a carrot

in the backyard. They shouldve had

a law against apartment houses.

Remember those two beautiful elm

trees out there? When I and Biff

hung the swing between them?...They

shouldve arrested the builder for

cutting those down. They massacred

the neighborhood.

the ps Wlly ells s he p

se mlles plyhe ely 1930s,

whe Wllys w ss wee hh shl,

Bkly ws sll ee, he eh-

b ses pee he vew

he y. thh leps ey

spe by e s, Wlly

sees lve slesly hese w,

spe Bklys.

Wllys sl ees he 1930s

ae pesss vew he

b yes llw he w

s he es. F s,

he ge depess, e by

he Sk mke csh 1929, bh

evs hshp s jbs evpe

pl e. i he 1940s, he s-

y spke by WWii lhe ae

pspey h evelly see he

uSs ple s wl pwe. B Wllys

s evees he ps ss

he pese, he sees e

by he e, h s hs he s ve-shwe by ew, ll bls.

Se dese S

d esehe

pe phphs

Bkly ehb-hs

hs es (new Yk

Pbl Lby).


9/20

9

Setting: Production

this is

aMeriCa

byMichael Walkup


ah mlle ses Death o a Salesman,

hs expl he s s he

ae de, e he s

u.S. es: Bkly. (the e

y ly ppely pples Bkly

l 1898, whh e bee

pe s e new Yk cys

ve bhs.) Bklys y sehbhs e ese

expeee he ae el p.

the eh es Bkly

wee ees syys wh he

ehbhs es. Bh Beh

Flbsh wee ply Jewsh

ehbhs; Be-Syves

Bwsvlle bee he hss

a aes he 30s

40s. ils ee Beshs, e e y l e

bbe ish tw e he mh

Be. these ppls, e

sehse he e sphs-

e mh, ve Bkly s

ep s he h-sbble bh

sv les.

the s hl he 20h eysw Bkly see: he Bkly

nvy Y bh hss

wkes, spke hs s-

e WWi expe Bklys

esees s h by he -1920s

spsse mh s he s

ppls bh nYc, pe-

e s hs y. Keeh

t. Jks, new Yk cy hs,

ls h s y s e-qe llaes e he hee

e-e Bkly eses.

Bese s le s wy s

sh le p ppl,

Bkly bss e be

ae lks. Ebbes Fel

he he Jke rbs

he Bkly desbee vese

ehbhs el Bkly

l ws elshe ke wy hh-se pe bls. Js blks

wy ss Pspe Pk, 19h-ey

y-be pje e by he

se hes wh ese mh-

s cel Pk. cey isl, he

sh p he bh, ws he

sh lss sees s he cyle

lle se he Seeplehse,

evey se vss elbwe eh

he he bwlk w le

nhs h .

mlle eve wes whh hese

Bkly ehbhs he Ls

lve; hs ply evkes ls yh

Bkly. B he, Wllys e

s he ae de, hs hew

sees be ae sel. mlles lk

spey se y be pesely

he p. a Bkly ve hsel,

mlle e qppe, n e kw

Bkly, bese Bkly s he wl.Jackie Robinson in

Dodger uniform, 1950.

(LIFE Image Archive).


10/20

10

in anD out

oF the spotliGht

by Donesh Olyaie


ah mlles le ws splshe ss he pes ewsppes ve hl

he 20h ey. i y pehps he s sh-e w se

clep, he ws psse ve hs pll pples we

se he s sessl plys hs e. B beh he heles,

ah mlle ws pve, speve whse pb qess es lep

he pe he ae ssess. mlle ws he e

sses ae, l he h pvy, he pps vlvee

Ve, he h ee expess. B lke Wlly, mlle ws ls

Bklye, hsb, he. He ws sps sele by jy

e lve wh bl hs he l ce. as he llw ele ess,

hee s h mlle Wlly L, b hees e veee s well.

About Miller

ah mlle 1949, heye he w he Ple

Death o a Salesman

(Be/corBiS).


11/20

11

1915:ah mlle s b he Lwe

Es Se mh lves

he uppe Wes Se, whee hs he

s sessl l bsess.

1931: tw yes e he new Yk

Sk Exhe shes, he bkpmlle ly ves Bkly. ah

plys bll wh he bys

Bkly l Jls Phlp

Epse, wh wll bee he seewes

Casablanca, es ply

Jes ms Hh Shls bll

e. (a bll jy h mlle ses

hh shl le peves h

sev he ly WWii.)

1933: mlle es abh

Ll Hh Shl Bkly.

1934:aley ejee e, ah mlle

e-pples he uvesy mh.

up eev se el, mlle

kes pesl ppel he e

he vesy ese. mlle

s lely e l

bss; e h e mh, he s ssely e hh

ks. t pse hs llee eee,

mlle leves hs jb chwk

dele, mh ble

wehse ely le whee

Ll cee w ss, ves

a ab, mh.

1938:ah mlle es heuvesy mh. d hs llee

ee, hs w h ee h w

Hpw aws d,

l shlshp he thee

gls Be new Plys. ae

e he Bkly, mlle bes

w plys he Feel

thee Pje , h se, es

hs hh shl sweehe my ge

Sley.

1941: mlle jles sevel jbs

spp hs ly: he s wke bx

y, spwe uS w b

vesees, shpes helpe

he Bkly nvy Y. He es

we plys hs ee e.

1944: mlles plyThe Man Who Had

All the Luckpeees Bwy lses e ly pees.

mlles s hl, Je, s b.

ah mlle pee lly new

Hve gee, 1968

(Be/corBiS).

About Miller


12/20

12

About Miller

1947:All My Sons pes e sess.

i bes Eee onells The Iceman

Cometh he d desk aw,

mlle elebes by by hsel

Sebke veble. the ply

ls ws ees he F.B.i., wh

se be cs pp.mlles se hl, rbe, s b.

1948: mlle bls sll b

rxby, ce, bes w

Death o a Salesman hee.

1949: Death o a Salesman pes he

ms thee Bwy. the ply

es mlle Ple Pe, ty aw,

hs se d desk aw.El K, eqe llb wh

mlle, es he ply.

1953: mlle peees The Crucible. the

ply, el wh ss hyse, s

ply spe by he vess mlle

h wh K, whe K esse

hs e ppe bee he Hse

cee u-ae aves

(Huac) evel vls he beleve be cs syphes. as esl

mlle, belev h hs ws beyl

s llbs, spek

h y yes.

1955: mlle peees w ew wks

new Yk:A View From the Bridge

A Memory o Two Mondays.

1956:Whle w The Crucible, mlle

bes ess mly me.

ae sly ve hs s we

my, mlle es he Hllyw

s; mlle eses pee wh

Huac vess.

1960: mlle wks hs se

seeplyThe Mists, s hs we

mly me. the -ye-l

e s ley shky ,

, by 1961, he ple ves.

1962:ae ee he se The

Mists, phphe ie mh

he we qkly evelp el-

shp y 1962. the s hl

ehe, rebe, s b le h ye.

1964: Incident at Vichy Ater theFall eb new Yk; bh plys el

wh mlles eps e

he eves he Hls.Ater

the Fall ls ks mlles e

wh El K.

1965: mlle s elee he Pesey

PEn iel, el

ss wes whse ss s

ve lee wlwe peee expess.

19651968: mlle wks hh he

se weess

pes ae eve Ve.

Hhlhs le eh- hs

l e, he uvesy mh,

s well s lles ss he hes,

l e he new Hve gee.

1966: mlles yes s, del,

s b. Shly e hs bh, del s

se wh dws Sye.

Fllw el ve

he e, mlle ses h lve

s. mlles s elshp

wh del hs bee she

seey hs bee se s

vesy.

1968: The Price pes new Yk.

th se ye Death o a Salesman sells

s llh py.

1972: oe mlles ew eps

ey, The Creation o the World and

Other Business, pes new Yk b

lses e wey pees. tw

yes le, hs sl p he

ply, Up From Paradise, pes a

ab, mh.


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13

About Miller

1977: The Archbishops Ceiling pes

Wsh d.c. p evews.

Hweve, s sessl s L

1985 bes ah mlle evvl

El.

1980: The American Clockpes b s

qkly lse e ep espse.Hs ply elevs b ss

n e p, Playing or

Time, s.

1982: Elegy or a Lady Some Kind

o Lady ke he peee new

Hve he L Wh thee, he s

plys pe e he ew

bl. Whe he L Wh pee

1965, hey pe The Crucible

s he s shw.

19871994: mlles plys I Cant Remem-

ber Anything, Clara, The Ride Down

Mt. Morgan, The Last Yankee, Broken

Glass peee new Yk. Hs

seeplyEverybody Wins s le

elese.

19971998: the Se thee

cpy new Yk ees s ee

ses s mlles wk.

1998:Mr. Peters Connection peees

new Yk.

2002: Resurrection Blues pes mepls he se ye h mlles

we, ie mh, es.

2005:ah mlle psses wy hs

he rxby, ce.

mlle wh hs h

we, ie mh,

he rxby he,1975 (ale

Esese/LiFE

ie ahve).


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14

Theatrical Genre

FanFare

For the

CoMMon Man

byMichael Walkup


des ey hh hsy

e e h ly slly eleve

es, sh s hees les,

ke pppe pss (hk

Sphles K oeps, res

Qee Phe, Shkespees PeHle, ll he he e

hs he Wese ). F

ees, plywhs ese he ks

hes hse wh

ble bl pp hh he ves.

ah mlle, w ey se

1949 Bkly, lles hllees

hs hsy hs plyDeath o

a Salesman. i

hey pl sple, mlles le esh hs he ses less ly sk

h hs behe ses hs ply

pps hel s

ey whh e bk e ahes.

a 330 BcE, he geek phl-

sphe asle we The Poetics whh

he sh ee w ees plys:

ey ey. i ey, he sys,

we lh hes ees,

whle ey we eel py s we wh

hes e he

b. asle he sshes

bewee he ees by h ey

es sel wh e wh e

lwe h we, whle ey els

es wh e hhe.

d he Hh il resse

(. 14501530 cE), asles ws

ey, l wh he plys he es

The Poetics, wee ehsslly ee,

hs bsevs k he weh

h--s les plyw

ees llw. i 1749, ve 250

yes e he esvey asle,

he ppl Feh ss plywh

Vle esly ssse he

w sessl ey b lw

he: iee, wh l pl

bewee e eve be?B Vle ws w s

he es. i he 1700s, sh e

pwe Epe bh he hee

ew le-lss ees wh wshe

see he w sesbles efee -

se, he h hse he esly

pe hs bles, whse

ese ws elee by he ae

Feh revls. i ws he

w he bes , ees ees h el le-lss

pleses pbles. B he ves-

bewee hh lw ees

e hee.

i he se ye mlle we Death

o a Salesman, he le ske

he ebe, ee Wlly Ls

ss hs essy tey

he c m. Se sy h mlle

ee e-y Evey Wlly, vee e whse sy ss

w sees hw j-

ey hh he ehss pls

he ae de. thse wh

hs e he ply pesss

e h Death o a Salesman mlle

elly ehes bk he lsss

eleves hs lw he (s

he p L h e) he

ss he l, sse,

lke L L, h e s be

p he ll .

Show me ahero and I

will write you

a tragedy.

F. Scott

FitzgEraLd,

1945

Tragedy

is if I get a

paper cut.

Comedy is if

you fall into an

open sewer

and die.

mEL BrooKS,

1975

I believe thatthe common

man is as apt

a subject

for tragedy in

its highest sense

as kings were.

artHur miLLEr,

1949


15/20

15

Theatrical Style

insiDe

Willys heaD:

arthur Miller

anD aMeriCanexpressionisM

byJeff Rogers

i 1949, ah mlles es ve

h h The Inside o His Head ws

vey le hs ew ply b hewey le e eh

sles. ths le ws, mlle, lel

esp hw he evse he

ply: lpse he ble

Wlly L. the syle he ply ese-

e pevs ae expees

wh expesss s syle h

evelpe Epe he he

weeh ey. Expesss pes

ejee he ess pssve sb-jevy ipesss (e.. des,

re, me) e se

essve syle bs wh psyh

vby ( syle ppe wks by

V gh, Bek, Kkshk).

Epe plywhs, sh s as

Sbe Fk Week, sl-

e h syle he w. the plys

e ee pss he

jey sve hs e sel hs

ple he spl ss.

me ves ae ply-

whs lke Eee onell Ele

re se hs expesss syle s

h e he e

by esly ehe

pesl wl. onells The Hairy Ape

(1922) ees he jey p

l ske he h belly se-

shp hs eh he hs pe

, whle res The Adding Machine

(1923) llws m. ze, bkkeepe,

hs ph ppse hs le e

he s eple by he.

these plys, lke he Epe ebes,

se ll he es he hees,

lh, seey, eve sells

evke he el e

he pss sle. deesle, mlle eplye hs expesss

y ew ae ex

he sle he le lss ee

s l ey he e hsh

e eles.

i keep wh hs l e

he plys le, mlle hh he seey

shl lk lke ss-se

Wlly Ls b. dese J mele

(19011976) h hs w es bhw vey Wllys e sle.

mele bse mlles e ee

ss-se Wlly Ls le. Hs

es ee he we-e ses

sll hse se by we-

pe bls. gee le

pes wee pjee h e

s, lle ss, llw he

we pes sslve wy, s

e ey. ths sepe ws he vey essee he ex-

pesss es fy el

esy le he ee eep

Wlly Ls psyh sle. the es

he l p Death

o a Salesman epeses ekble

llb bewee s

(mlle) vsl s (mele),

yslle he vsl fee

expesss he ae hee.

opposite page:

Jseph Hshs

ee Lee J. cbbs Wlly L he

l 1949 Bwy

p.


16/20

16

International Productions

travelinG

salesMan

by Donesh Olyaie


is e ke e h Death

o a Salesman hs ee ple he

ae , wh less p-

s s hees. B he

ppel Death o Salesman s slely

ae phee; he ply

hs s wy ses ss he

wl l ps dek,Fe, gey, ily, Jp, mex,

he nehels, nwy, Sh Ke,

rss, El hes. the

ey Wlly L es ees

eless ll bk,

svey e 1983 whe he

ply, ee by mlle hsel, peee

he Peples repbl ch. Hw

wl s chese ees

e ply h el wh plssey? Whe ske hw hs ae

ply wl sle chese

ee, mlle se, i epes he

he he he he hle.

ths wh s b. the sles p

s wh he es sy lve. B he l

be pes, he l be, wheve.

the p, pee chese,

plye pke hses Bej. Wh

bee le hh he pees

ws h he elshps he

L ly eee ll sl-

. the chese ply Hppy

we, oe h b he ply h s

vey chese s he wy Wlly es ke

hs ss sessl. the chese he

lwys ws hs ss be s.

B hese elshps e

ese wh ees s we ee

he 21s ey? the plys pesee -

se s s s s eve y, wh

y ps h sse he sk

e-ex . c ew hees

elees be svee hh hese

esh e-s Death o a

Salesman? a ee p he

Shspelhs Bh gey

pple wh hs sse, expl he

ply epy es. the eJe Kse ee se es h

pke s h ae ksh

he se s pssble. ies nve

ae is,1950s lk e,

ule S e he spe.

a Bb dyl qe ws pse ex

Shell ol s, whh

B Hppy pe lss ls

l The Godather Taxi

Driver. the qes he ee hep: hs Death o a Salesman

bee pee ae lke evey-

h else se? Kse k hs

sep he s he ele e

he ply esqe pe

plee wh mly me, he whe

sk bllw p, Se Lbey

y hbsh se h.

Whle hs p epe qe

ae le, evews sll se

he pwel sy he plys ee.

the L ly he elshps

speee he jbs pp le

ee se h eve. i sees

L L hs h h ll l,

ae s be p sh pes,

hs se, sh ply.

ah mlle ebes he Deatho a Salesman s he Bej Peples athee Bej,ch (ie mh/m Phs).


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17

its like

Dj vu allover aGain:

MillersSALESMAN

in 2009

by Monica Achen

Whe Death o a Salesman peee Feby 1949, he ue Ses ws

he s eess, y

he se e hllees h

l 2009: be ke, pl

hs pes, wl se

ee, s eplye. Se

ee h he epess ws

h. mlle kes e eeees

he 194849 eess Death o a

Salesman, js s he s les ve

e es hsl eves sh

s he ge depess he Se

Wl W. neheless, plpble

sese e xey hs ve

he plyxey h wll lkely eel

ll l ys ees. theLs ee les k hse

ely f less aes:

he ly sl ke e

pyes, he l-e eplyee

l wh w, he ll

pe be l

be w hle.

mlle ws e he plh

hse ppe he s wh

he es Jh Keeh glbhlle he fe sey ( hs 1958

bk he se le), hse wh

he ae pse ppy

es llle. iee, he ply s

se he s new Yk cy:

Bkly. i 1949 (s w), Bkly ew

hse ble mh es:

wk lwe-le lss les,

rss, Plsh, Jewsh

es, a aeseely ve he Sh seh

wk. the bh hbe hse

sv bh e sl

epe, e wh le sess.

the Ls beleve heselves hve

heve he sese sey

ls ple by he e le

lss. they sve le h he

by bewee le pephey

s e le h hey h e.

Sxy yes eSalesman peee,

lls aes sll he

se ples h.

Contemporary Context

Charles S. Dutton as

Willy Loman (Steve Pyke).


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18

BeFore

1. relshps e p hee

Death o a Salesman. iey he

ee elshps he Ls hve

wh eh he wh peplese he ly. Which o those

relationships do you eel are the strongest?

The weakest? Which relationship eels

the most real to you and why? F les

he ply spp y swes.

2. Death o a Salesman ws s pe

1949 es be se ll

ve he wl.Ater reading the play, are

there parts you eel are no longer relevant?

Which parts o the play aected you the

most? Why do you think the play lives on?

3.We he le 15h ey, Every-

man s meevl ly ply. the sy

llws he e Evey

s he kes hs l jey eh; he

s e hes lke Seh,

Bey, Kwlee hs wy. the

ply es llse hw sle pes

ph le

chs heve. Se peple sy h

Wlly L s Evey. In what

ways can you see that Willy represents

people in general, and in what ways is his

story very specic and unique?

aFter

1. Ater reading the play, which character

did you most strongly connect with? We

pph sss why. ae see

he ply, evs hs pph. Did whatyou see on the stage reinorce your choice?

Or have you changed your mind? Did

the actor change what you thought about

the character rom reading the script?

2. Death o a Salesman hs yes

whee y, s he ee, see he ps

s Wlly L eebes . Be pepe

sss hw he s, e

wh he e eses, heve

hese ees he ps. Hw es he

se ey ke he ply eel e

less els? Hw h hese e-

es ese expesss? (the

le ise Hs He: ah mlle

ae Expesss, pe 14,

y e y hs pess.)

3. ah mlle s evew

wh chle rse 2006 h hes

e pjes he h.Ater

seeing Yale Repertory Theatres production,

which character or characters do you

eel are a refection o Arthur Miller?

(Y y helpl bk

ee mlles b pes 1013.)

Discussion Questions

J meles p

he se shw he le

ee he Bwyp (F Pee L.

HyssMiller: Death

o a Salesman, 1995).


19/20


20/20

Fo moe infomation onyale repeto Theate

and

Charles s. Dutton

Death

oF a

salesMan

go to ou website:aleep.og

yale repertory theatre

JamES BundY

as de

Victoria noLan

m de

stuDy GuiDe Writers

monica acHEn

Yle Shl d, mFa 06

donESH oLYaiE

P d

Yle Shl d, mFa 10

JEFF rogErS

Yle Shl d, mFa 07

micHaEL WaLKuP

P d/as c,Yle Shl d, mFa 06

DesiGn

aLiza dziK

eDitors

amY BoratKo

Ley me

rutH m. FELdman

de E & aessbly Seves

[email protected]

speCial thanks

Scott dougan

maggiE ELLiott

JEnniFEr KigEr

KatHErinE onEiLL

JorgE rodriguEz

catHErinE SHEEHY

arEna StagE

Funding orWiLL PoWEr! 2008 09

is generously provided by:

mS. ESmE uSdan

and

Salesman Study Guide

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