Act II of Death of a Salesman

E592651

Act II of Death of a Salesman is the pivotal middle section of Arthur Miller’s classic play in which Willy Loman’s illusions increasingly collide with reality, driving the drama toward its tragic climax.

All labels observed (1)

Label Occurrences
Act II of Death of a Salesman canonical 2

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (49)

Predicate Object
instanceOf act of a play ⓘ
centralTheme conflict between illusion and reality ⓘ
failure of the American Dream ⓘ
family conflict ⓘ
personal responsibility ⓘ
dramaticFunction builds toward the tragic climax ⓘ
pivotal middle section of the play ⓘ
featuresCharacter Bernard ⓘ
Biff Loman ⓘ
Charley ⓘ
Happy Loman ⓘ
Howard Wagner ⓘ
Letta ⓘ
Linda Loman ⓘ
Miss Forsythe ⓘ
Stanley ⓘ
The Woman ⓘ
Willy Loman ⓘ
follows Act I of Death of a Salesman ⓘ
linked to: Death of a Salesman
leadsTo Willy Loman's suicide in the Requiem ⓘ
narrativeTechnique expressionistic shifts between past and present ⓘ
use of flashbacks ⓘ
partOf Death of a Salesman ⓘ
plotEvent Biff and Happy abandon Willy in the restaurant ⓘ
Biff and Willy have a climactic confrontation at home ⓘ
Biff attempts to meet Bill Oliver ⓘ
Biff breaks down and cries in front of Willy ⓘ
Biff realizes he has been living a lie about his past success with Bill Oliver ⓘ
Biff steals Bill Oliver's fountain pen ⓘ
Biff tries to tell Willy the truth about his failures ⓘ
Flashback reveals Biff discovering Willy's affair in Boston ⓘ
Howard Wagner fires Willy Loman ⓘ
Linda confronts Biff and Happy for deserting Willy ⓘ
Willy and his sons plan a celebratory dinner at Frank's Chop House ⓘ
Willy asks Howard Wagner for a non-traveling job ⓘ
linked to: Willy

Willy decides on suicide to provide life insurance money ⓘ
Willy interprets Biff's tears as proof of love ⓘ
Willy learns Bernard is successful ⓘ
Willy retreats into denial during the restaurant scene ⓘ
linked to: Willy

Willy visits Charley for money ⓘ
precedes Requiem of Death of a Salesman ⓘ
linked to: Death of a Salesman
settingPlace Charley's office ⓘ
Frank's Chop House ⓘ
Howard Wagner's office ⓘ
New York City ⓘ
Willy Loman's house ⓘ
settingTime one day ⓘ
tone increasingly tense and tragic ⓘ
workBy Arthur Miller ⓘ

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (2)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Charley → appearsInAct → Act II of Death of a Salesman ⓘ
Howard Wagner → appearsInAct → Act II of Death of a Salesman ⓘ