推销员之死

DeathofaSalesmanArthurMiller(1915-2005)ArthurMillerandMarilynMonroeMarriages•1940CatholicgirlMarySlattery•1956MarilynMonroe•divorcesin1961•1964writesAftertheFallself-destructivemaincharacterbasedonMM•1962IngeMorath(dies2002)ArthurMiller(1915-2005)•anAmericanplaywrightandessayist.•aprominentfigureinAmericantheatre,•wrotedramasthatincludeaward-winningplayssuchasAllMySons,DeathofaSalesman,andTheCrucible.HisAchievement•Americanplaywrightwhocombinedinhisworkssocialawarenesswithdeepinsightsintopersonalweaknessesofhischaracters'.•MillerisbestknownfortheplayDEATHOFASALESMAN(1949),orontheotherhand,forhismarriagetotheactressMarilynMonroe.•Miller'splayscontinuedtherealistictraditionthatbeganintheUnitedStatesintheperiodbetweenthetwoworldwars.•WithTennesseeWilliams,Millerwasoneofthebest-knownAmericanplaywrightsafterWWII.SeveralofhisworkswerefilmedHisplays•1944.TheManWhoHadAlltheLuck--closedafter4performances•1947.AllMySons,aboutairplanemanufacturer；openedattheCoronet(1/29)andranfor328performances--Miller'sfirstmajorsuccess.•1949.DeathofASalesman,openedattheMorosco(2/10)for742performances.Hisplays•1950.TheEnemyofthePeople,adaptedfromIbsen'splay,openedattheBroadhurst(12/28)for36performances.•1953.TheCrucible.theSalemwitchtrials;Relatesto“theRedScare”;McCarthyism麦卡锡主义；OpenedattheMartinBeck(1/12)for197performances.•1956.AViewFromtheBridge,one-actversionpairedwithanotheroneacter,AMemoryofTwoMondays.OpenedattheCoronet(9/29)for149performances.Hiskeydramaticdevices•Theidealistwhopaystoomuchforhisinabilitytocompromise.•TheGreatDepression.•Thethemeofman'sresponsibilitytohisfellowman.•TheGuiltofthesurvivor.•Anordinaryman'stragedydoublingassymbolofalargersocietalflaw.•APenchantforBigOperaticSpeeches.TheDeathofaSalesman(1949)DouglasHenshallasBiffandBrianDennehyasWillyLomanTheDeathofaSalesman(1949)•WinsboththeTonyandthePulitzer•OriginallytitledTheInsideofHisHead•Thequestionofhowdoesourmindwork?•“streamofconsciousness”Time—RealandRemembered•AttimesmemoryandthepresentwillintertwineinWilly’sactions•Mustreadstagedirections•Presenttime—boundariesofthesetarerespected•Pasttime—theboundariesdonotexistTragedy•Aristoteliandefinition—biggestpartsoftheplotsarethereversalsandrecognitions•Reversal-changebywhichtheactionveersaroundtoitsopposite•Recognition—protagonistrealizeshis/herplaceinthetragedyArthurMilleronTragedy•“Thecommonmanisasaptasubjectfortragedyinitshighestsenseaskingswere.”•Tragedyspringsfromtheindividual’squestforaproperplaceintheworldandfromhisreadinessto“laydownhislife,ifneedbe,tosecureonething—hissenseofpersonaldignity.”TheDeathofaSalesman(1949)•TheplayattemptstoraiseacounterexampletoAristotle'scharacterizationoftragedyasthedownfallofagreatman:thoughLomancertainlyhasHamartia,atragicflaworerror,hisdownfallisthatofanordinaryman.•Inthissense,Miller'splayrepresentsademocratizationoftheancientformoftragedy;theplay'sprotagonistishimselfobsessedwiththequestionofgreatness,andhisdownfallarisesdirectlyfromhiscontinuedmisconceptionofhimself--atage63--assomeonecapableofgreatness,aswellastheunshakableconvictionthatgreatnessstemsdirectlyfrompersonalcharismaorpopularity.TheDeathofaSalesman(1949)--Style•TheplayismostlytoldfromWilly'spointofview,anditshowspreviouspartsofWilly'slifeinhistimeshifts,sometimesduringapresentdayscene.•ItdoesthisbyhavingascenebegininthepresenttimeandaddingcharactersontothestagethatonlyWillycanseeandhear,representingcharactersandconversationsfromothertimesandplaces.•Manydramatictechniquesarealsousedtorepresentthesetimeshifts.Forexample,leavesoftenappeararoundthecurrentsetting(representingtheleavesofthetwoelmtreeswhichweresituatednexttothehouse,priortothedevelopmentoftheapartmentblocks)TheDeathofaSalesman(1949)--Style•Howeversomeofthesetimeshifts/imaginingsoccurwhentherearepresentcharactersonstage,oneexampleofthisisduringaconversationbetweenWillyandhisneighborCharley.•Duringtheconversation,Willy'sbrotherBencomesonstageandbeginstalkingtoWillywhileCharleyspeakstoWilly.•WhenWillybeginstalkingtohisbrother,theothercharactersdonotunderstandwhoheistalkingtoandsomeofthemevenbegintosuspectthathehaslostit.TheDeathofaSalesman(1949)--Style•However,attimesitbreaksawayfromWilly'spointofviewandfocusesontheothercharacters,Linda,BiffandHappy.•Duringthesepartsoftheplay,thetimeandplacestayconstantwithoutanyabruptflashbacksasusuallyhappenswhiletheplaytakesWilly'spointofview.Willydiesself-deceived.TheDeathofaSalesman(1949)--Style•Theplay'sstructureresemblesastreamofconsciousnessaccount:•Willydriftsbetweenhislivingroom,downstage,totheapronandflashbacksofanidyllicpast,andalsotofantasizedconversationswithBen.•Whenweareinthepresentthecharactersabidebytherulesoftheset,enteringonlythroughthestagedoortotheleft;however,whenwevisitWilly'spasttheserulesareremoved,withcharactersopenlymovingthroughwalls.•