74 pages 2 hours read

Arthur Miller

Death of a Salesman

Fiction | Play | Adult | Published in 1949

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.

Activities

Use this activity to engage all types of learners while requiring that they refer to and incorporate details from the text over the course of the activity.

“Epitaph for a Salesman”

In this activity, students will write epitaphs for Willy Loman. An epitaph is a brief statement written in memory of someone who has died and often appears on a tombstone.

In considering Willy Loman’s death, identify what he wanted from life. What means did he use to achieve his goals? What were his successes and failures? What caused these successes or led to these failures? Why does he die by suicide?

  • Write a 7- to 10-line epitaph for Willy Loman.
  • You might begin with this frame: A(n) _____ (adjective) man here lies at rest.
  • Subsequent lines may begin: The (son, brother, father, husband, friend, salesman) of/who _____.
  • Then, finish with how he will or should be remembered: If _____, then he _____.
  • You are free to alter the frames in any way or to ignore them altogether in favor of your own ideas.

Take turns delivering epitaphs. Afterward, discuss the class’s views of Willy. In what ways are the epitaphs alike and different? Is Willy Loman an antihero, a victim, or something else, and why?

Related Titles

By Arthur Miller

Study Guide

logo

All My Sons

Arthur Miller

All My Sons

Arthur Miller

Study Guide

logo

A View from the Bridge

Arthur Miller

A View from the Bridge

Arthur Miller

Plot Summary

logo

Incident At Vichy

Arthur Miller

Incident At Vichy

Arthur Miller

Study Guide

logo

Tragedy and the Common Man

Arthur Miller

Tragedy and the Common Man

Arthur Miller