Death of a Salesman is a 1949 play by American playwright Arthur Miller and is a classic of American theater. The play ran for 742 performances, directed by Elia Kazan with Lee J. Cobb starring in the leading role.

Death of a Salesman made both Arthur Miller and the character Willy Loman household names. The play raises a counterexample to Aristotle's characterization of tragedy as the downfall of a great man: though Loman certainly has Hamartia, a tragic flaw or error, his downfall is that of an ordinary man (a "low man"). Like Sophocles' Oedipus in Oedipus the King, Loman's flaw comes down to a lack of self-knowledge; unlike Oedipus, Loman's downfall threatens not the city but only a single, bourgeois household.

In this sense, Miller's play represents a democratization of the ancient form of tragedy; the play's protagonist is himself obsessed with the question of greatness, and his downfall arises directly from his misconception of himself as someone capable of greatness. One night, Willy Loman, a beaten-down traveling salesman based in New York City, returns home from a long business trip. His patient and loving wife, Linda, is surprised to see him but greets him warmly.

From their ensuing conversation, it is revealed that Willy's early homecoming is due to his growing senility. Linda dotes on him and tells him to come to bed. Willy agrees but eventually remains in the kitchen, reminiscing, aloud to himself, about better times.

His two sons, Biff and Happy, eventually awaken to Willy's loud mutterings but they remain in their beds to share a conversation. Biff, who had been working on a farm in Texas, talks to Happy about working outside, and how this house brings back bad memories, and boxes him in. Throughout the play, Willy also exhibits skills that would be more suited to an outside life, but he does not see these skills, primarily his ability to build and repair the house, as useful.

The only success he can accept is the materialistic success of the 'American dream', which is beyond him. Willy goes outside and flashes back to Biff's childhood: Biff is the star quarterback of his high school football team. His father continuously dotes on Biff, while ignoring Happy.

When Biff confesses to "borrowing" a football from his school's locker room, Willy simply writes off his behavior as initiative. Biff's classmate and neighbor, Bernard, arrives to help Biff study for math, but Willy and his sons ignore him and carry on playing football. Later on in the flashback, Willy goes inside, where Linda talks to him about their budget.

Willy is reminded of a flirtatious encounter he had with The Woman, during which he gave her some silk stockings, originally meant for his wife. When he returns from the flashback, he sees Linda mending some stockings and snatches them away in guilt. Later, he and Charley engage in a card game (casino), during which Willy is reminded of his brother Ben.

Ben begins a dialogue with him, and Willy contemplates why he can't become successful. Throughout the play, Willy has these imaginary conversations with Ben, during most of which he asks Ben how he made his millions. Ben had tried to go to Alaska to find their father but ended up in Africa.

In Africa, he "stumbled" upon the diamond business and became wealthy by the time Willy was old enough to care about his own career. Willy feels that he can also become successful by luck alone. However, it is made apparent that Ben never spent much time with the rest of the Lomans and gave only rudimentary descriptions of how he gained his wealth.

For instance, whenever Willy asks Ben (in his flashbacks) how he made his millions, Ben only answers "When I walked into the jungle, I was 17. When I walked out, I was 21, and by God I was rich." In addition, Willy worked for a man who only had to wake up in the morning, put his slippers on, and make phone calls, and had made millions of dollars. Willy assumes that one does not need to work hard or develop skill and experience, but that all that one needs is a "smile and a shoeshine" to be successful.

In a sense, Willy's dream is the American Dream of material success. Willy has no interest in spiritual values or altruism.

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