Reality vs Fantasy

• Death of a Salesman and Richard II both feature protagonists who prefer to live in fantasy but are ultimately confronted by reality.
• As Miller says in the opening stage direction, “an air of the dream” pervades the Loman household and, in Act One, we have seen Willy retreat into fantasy when challenged by reality:

  • “Oh, I’ll knock ‘em dead next week”.
• Richard II:

  In Richard II, the King surrounds himself with “flatterers” who only tell him what he wants to hear and, as a result, his reign is littered with mistakes which eventually lead to his own downfall.
• Richard II content:

  Likewise, Richard trusts in the divine right of Kings, chosen and anointed by God, to rule:

  "The breath of worldly men cannot depose / The deputy elected by the Lord."

  However, reality will intrude upon Richard.