At different times, Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman and Sophocles' Oedipus Rex offer different perspectives on the theme of tragedy and what is defined as a tragic hero. Although Oedipus may be considered to better represent the tragic hero archetype due to tradition and era, the modern tragic hero of Oedipus Rex is rather gloomy. The analysis of their respective hamartias shows that the New York businessman, with his humble story, proves more stimulating than the king of Thebes and his melancholy story. **By incorporating a more relevant character and plot, Arthur Miller helps to have Willy Lowman heading towards his own downfall while eliciting more emotion and response from the audience than with Oedipus. When Oedipus learns of his horrible actions, it causes shock and despair. Starring Willy Lowman, the audience embarks on a bumpy ride to the eventual, but expected, accident. **(NEEDS WORK) The two main characters are tragic heroes, with radically different perspectives on the definition of tragedy with two very different stories and settings. Oedipus is of noble status, he has demanding pride and is in conflict with an unknown adversary, who turns out to be himself. These qualities classify Oedipus as the apotheosis of a tragic hero. Oedipus feels invincible and unprecedented, to which his cantankerous enthusiasm contributes. This hamartia leads to his exile and suffering. Meanwhile, Willy Lowman expresses undeniable pride. His passion allows him to put so much energy into becoming a successful businessman, even though his pride and drive are very impractical. His past failures in his career as a businessman and father show no real basis for motivation...... middle of paper ...... Ller's character arouses emotions on a personal level through realistic situations, responses and reactions. Linda Lowman makes it very clear that even though Willy is not as august as an Oedipus, at the end of the day, they are still people who deserve the same decency. She reveals to Biff: “I'm not saying he's a great man. Willy Loman never made a lot of money. His name was never published in the newspaper. He's not the best character who ever lived. But he's a human being and a terrible thing is happening to him. So you have to be careful. We must not let him fall into his grave like an old dog. Be careful, you finally have to be careful of such a person. (Miller 44) While the audience knew from the start that Oedipus was going to crash, the bumpy journey Willy takes them on shows hope and ambition, but even that isn't enough to stop him from s 'crush..