DOAS

• '(He... comes into the kitchen, and thankfully lets his burden down)'

  METAPHOR for his mental and physical exhaustion demonstrating the effects of being a salesman. SYMBOLISM of carrying it into his domestic sphere suggests his burden is conjoined with his family, as well as his work.
• Willy- 'I'm tired to the death'

  METAPHOR emphasising his exhaustion and FORESHADOWING his tragic end.
• Linda- 'Maybe it's your glasses'

  Linda provides opportunities and excuses to deny anything is wrong with Willy and therefore protect him from his shortcomings. However it perpetuates Willy's downfall as she is adding to his manipulation of the present.
• Willy- 'Biff is a lazy bum!' vs 'There's one thing about Biff- he's not lazy'

  JUXTAPOSITION and self contradiction demonstrate Willy's fractured consciousness. His crippling self-delusion is shown, changing his reality to fit his psychological needs at the time. Denying the present allows him to retain hope that Biff will achieve his expectations; he is attempting to create order from disorder.
• Willy- 'They massacred the neighbourhood'

  METAPHORICALLY represents industrialism as a result of the American Dream. Utopia of past memories conflicts with the dystopia of the present in an expressionist way. Futility.
• Happy- 'You taught me everything I know about women.'

  Happy emulates Biff's high school behaviour as a way of dealing with Willy's clear favouritism of Biff. He PARALLELS Willy in elevating Biff and trying to give him status despite Biff admitting his failures.
• Happy- 'I went and ruined her, and furthermore I can't get rid of her. And that's the third executive I've done that to.'

  Happy is unable to be content as he is driven by a need for power and sexual gratification. He thrives off forcing disorder into the order of his superiors. The sophistication of the ADVERB 'furthermore' JUXTAPOSES the rest of his dialogue, suggesting confusion and a desperation to be more than he truly is.
• Willy- 'Terrific job, boys'

  Willy projects himself as the perfect authority figure in his flashbacks, projecting an idyllic environment. However it may not be truthful as Willy uses flashbacks to help him cope with his present. In his flashback the boys idealise him.
• Willy- 'I want you to return that.' vs 'Coach'll probably congratulate you on your initiative!'

  Reprimands Biff and then praises and defends Biff leading to confusion. IRONIC as Biff's tendency to steal in adulthood is a key element in preventing his success, putting Willy partly to blame.
• Willy- 'With scholarships to three universities they're gonna flunk him?'

  Willy reinforces to Biff that he is not answerable to the same social boundaries as others, IRONICALLY catalysing Biff's continued failure in the future as he is unable to conform to those social boundaries. Willy see's Biff's success as a reflection on himself.
• Willy- 'Bernard is not well liked, is he?'

  Willy's twisted view of what success consists of. He tries to follow the American Dream, but does so according to his own flawed principles and interpretations meaning he will never achieve it. He doesn't believe Biff could fail as he is 'well liked' and so never communicates the possibility to Biff, IRONICALLY leading to failure. Use of questions shows he is teaching his children these qualities.
• Willy- 'They ought to prohibit the manufacture of that car!

  Linda forces Willy to be truthful leading him to become aggressive and argumentative. His JUXTAPOSING contradictory criticism of the car demonstrates his need to bring order into his life by passing judgement and authority over something. 'Chevrolet' is often seen as a symbol of the American Dream and suburbia implying Willy's implicit disapproval.
• Linda- 'You're the handsomest man in the world

  vs

  Willy- 'Linda, you're a pal'

  Linda loves Willy despite his imperfections. Despite this, Willy's dialogue suggests he views Linda as more of a friend, demonstrating his disregard for her.
• Willy- '(pleased) You picked me?'

  The Woman acts as an ego boost for Willy's harmatia and is a strong catalyst for his tragic downfall.
• The Woman- 'And thanks for the stockings'

  Any success Willy experiences is based on lies and deceit, never due to his own talents. His affair is a mutual exploitation for his own gain. The stockings are SYMBOLIC of his affair and continue to remind him of his adultery.
• Willy- 'I won't have you mending stockings in this house!'

  The stockings become a MOTIF and tangible reminder of Willy's transgression, leaving him with feelings of guilt, anger and betrayal. METAPHORICAL psychological weight as a symbol for betrayal and sexual infidelity.
• '(The Woman bursts out laughing, and Linda's laughter blends in)'

  Expressionism of Willy finding it increasingly difficult to distinguish between episodes in the past and the present. The 'laughter' leaves Willy guilt ridden, and is another MOTIF defining his descent into unrest. He is continually reminded of his affair when in the presence of Linda.
• Willy- '(exploding at her) There's nothing the matter with him! You want him to be a worm like Bernard?'

  Linda takes the brunt of Willy's frustration. Willy contradicts himself by praising Biff again. Following the American Dream but doesn't appreciate the need for hard work and so he, and Biff, will never achieve it.
• '(The leaves are gone)'

  SYMBOLIC of a switch back to the present from Willy's idyllic past, and a subsequent loss of hope. PARALLELS the jungle suggesting the wealth and opportunities implied by the jungle have 'gone'.
• Charley- 'I had a heartburn'Willy- 'Well, you don't know how to eat'

  Willy's constant, childish criticism of Charley stems from his own jealousy, despite Charley being nothing but a kind friend.
• Willy- 'A man who can't handle tools is not a man. You're disgusting'

  IRONIC as Willy can't afford to pay someone to repair anything, and so has to do all his manual labour himself. Also ironic as it seems Willy is better suited to physical labour, yet it wouldn't fit into his ideology of success defined by being 'well liked'. Foregrounds his jealousy towards Charley despite his kindness.
• Willy- 'I remember you walking away down some open road'.

  Willy lacks tangible money nor intangible legacy due to his abandonment by his father. He attempts to be well liked in order to cope with abandonment first by his father and then by Ben. He seeks approval from everyone instigating a cycle of rejection. His desire to be a good father and salesman stems from his own father's failure.
• Linda- 'Biff, a man is not a bird, to come and go with the springtime'

  IDIOM; Linda is aware of Biff's character in which he drifts from job to job aimlessly as a result of insecurity and lack of a role model.
• Linda- 'A small man can be just as exhausted as a great man'

  Linda becomes determined and vocal when defending Willy. She knows the truth about what Willy does to feign success but allows him to continue in order to protect him. Demonstrates Miller's subversion of a traditional tragedy in order to create a more domestic setting.
• Happy- 'Displays in the Royal Palms- all the hotels'

  HYPERBOLE and exaggeration of facts in order to maintain Willy's fantasy and create his own. False hope of the idea is a placebo placing empty confidence instilled in Willy; in many ways this makes his final fall more crushing.
• Willy- 'talk as little as possible, and don't crack any jokes'

  Willy believes he has regained his position of authority over his sons. Leads to a worse downfall when he realises this isn't the case.
• Biff- '(furiously) Stop yelling at her!'

  Biff can't forgive Willy for his affair; despises Willy for degrading Linda through his affair and insulting her despite her constant support and encouragement.
• Willy- 'Like a young god. Hercules - something like that'

  IRONIC SIMILE as Willy compares Biff to a myth. He elevates Biff beyond anything Biff could ever live up to creating a sense of futility in Willy's hopes. Hercules is the son of the Zeus, the Olympian god of all other gods and men; Willy is implicitly likening himself to Zeus showing extreme delusions of grandeur.
• '(Biff... draws out a length of rubber tubing... strains of Linda's desperate but monotonous humming rise)'

  Biff sees the peace within the family is temporary and the fear of suicide hangs over them. Linda seems uncertain- order is short lived. Music holding a strong SYMBOLIC weight within the play; demonstrates the mother-child relationship Linda and Willy share.
• Willy- 'I'm always in a race with the junkyard!'

  IRONIC METAPHOR as the constant need for new material possessions provides business for a salesman. FOREGROUNDS Willy's incompetence. His rapid mood change from complacent and optimistic to anger and despair show his inability to maintain order. He partakes in a constant cycle of acceptance and rejection, even towards himself.
• Howard- 'I think you need a good long rest, Willy'

  Howard acts kindly towards Willy through the OMISSION of the plain truth that he is 'firing' Willy. Willy's behaviour brings embarrassment to the company. In losing his job, Willy not only loses his financial security but also his salesman identity. This is shattering for Willy considering the value he places on the American Dream and capitalism.
• Willy- 'Touchdown! Eighty thousand people!'

  HYPERBOLE of Biff's success in his memory. Switching between idealised memories in an attempt to create order from the disorder of being fired. He will be forced to admit his failure to his family, which he is unable to bear without retreating to the past. Willy's memories of Biff symbolise the imminent greatness Willy still believes is possible for Biff to achieve.
• Bernard- 'What happened in Boston, Willy? / (Willy looks at him as an intruder)'

  Willy carefully selects and edits his memories, enabling him to process the present. Bernard awakens unbidden memories and could be seen to act as a voice of reason. Willy is defensive as a way of denying his own culpability but is beginning to realise his own part in Biff's failures.
• Happy- 'I sell champagne, and I'd like you to try my brand'

  PARALLELS Willy in that he HYPERBOLISES details in order to aggrandise himself and satisfy his desire for power and sexual gratification. Derogatory portrayal of women.
• Willy- '(To Happy) Very hard man to see, y'know'

  Biff tries to achieve order by admitting the truth of his failures but Willy and Happy attempt to conceal it. Willy interrupts in order to continue creating his own interpretations. Happy contributes to Willy's fantasies. Willy's mental instability temporarily compels Biff to drop this approach to prevent Willy hallucinating.
• Biff- 'You phony little fake!'

  The affair diminishes Willy's character and negates all Willy's tales of greatness that have previously motivated Biff; his need for approval no longer guides his actions, leading to purposelessness and failure. Willy is shown to be partly responsible for Biff's subsequent failures.The affair is SYMBOLIC of the beginning of Willy's downfall. Previously repressed memories are emerging, forcing Willy to confront them.
• Linda- 'You're a pair of animals!'

  METAPHOR; Linda becomes outspoken when defending Willy and feels betrayed and desperate knowing all hope for Willy is lost.
• Willy- 'He'll see what I am, Ben!'

  Willy believes Biff will re-idealise him and forgive him for his affair if he commits the ultimate act of self sacrifice. IRONIC as Biff will simply see it as another form of Willy's dishonesty. Ben represents success and wealth; a flashback incorporating Ben suggests money will alleviate Willy's guilt.
• Biff- 'Why am I trying to become what I don't want to be?'

  Use of the RHETORIC demonstrating growth in Biff's character (he is a ROUND CHARACTER) as he realises his ideology of success is less materialistic than the American Dream. He is a victim of his society.
• Biff- 'Will you take that phony dream and burn it before something happens?'

  METAPHOR; Biff longs to be released from Willy's unattainable dreams and so he can make and live up to his own. Futility of the American Dream FOREGROUNDED.