7.1.2

Act Two

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Act Two: The Present

In the present and the final few hours of Willy's life, a series of calamities push him to his final act.

The present

The present

  • In the present, events soon begin to spiral downwards.
  • We move outside of the Loman home to Howard’s office, Charley’s office and the restaurant. In each new setting, a new calamity occurs.
The present cont.

The present cont.

  • Willy is effectively sacked from his job, refuses a job offer from Charley and is then abandoned by his sons.
  • The play moves swiftly towards its climax – Willy’s final confrontation, back home, with Biff.
  • It is after this that Willy decides on his final act.

Act Two: The Past

Willy’s memories and imaginings intrude into the present at an ever faster rate, eventually overwhelming him.

The past

The past

  • As the play moves towards its final act of tragedy, Willy’s memories and imaginings intrude into the present at an ever faster rate:
    • Young Bernard announcing that “Biff flunked Math!”
    • The voice of the telephone operator.
    • Biff entering the Boston hotel room.
    • Ben’s entrance.
The past cont.

The past cont.

  • Each and every one overwhelms Willy.
  • He has less and less control over his mind and, as “sounds, faces, voices, seem to be swarming in upon him”, each memory propels him closer towards his self-destruction.

Requiem

The short final scene allows Willy’s family, and the audience, to reflect on Willy’s life.

Interpretations

Interpretations

  • The Requiem offers competing judgements, leaving the play (and Willy’s life) open to interpretation and argument:
    • Biff rejects Willy’s values.
    • Happy vows to fight on.
The mood

The mood

  • The play ends as it began, with the sound of a flute, but the mood at the play’s close is one of almost overwhelming sadness.
Jump to other topics
1

Introduction

1.1

Introductions

1.1.1Author1.1.2Historical Context1.1.3Setting1.1.4Social Issues
2

Act One

2.1

Key Events

2.1.1Staging2.1.2Key Events 1&22.1.3Key Events 3&42.1.4Key Events 5&62.1.5Key Events 7&82.1.6Key Events 9&102.1.7Key Events 11&12
2.2

Key Themes & Literary Techniques

2.2.1Foreshadowing, Flashbacks, Settings2.2.2Family, Reality, Fantasy
3

Act Two

3.1

Key Events

3.1.1Key Events 1&23.1.2Key Events 3&43.1.3Key Events 5&63.1.4Key Events 7&83.1.5Key Events 9&10
3.2

Key Themes & Links

3.2.1Pride3.2.2Metaphor3.2.3Self-Realisation
4

Extended Passage Analysis

4.1

Act One

4.1.1Staging4.1.2The Woman
4.2

Act Two

4.2.1In Howard’s Office4.2.2The Final Confrontation4.2.3The Requiem
5

Character Profiles

5.1

Willy & Linda Loman

5.1.1Willy Loman5.1.2Linda Loman
5.2

Biff & Happy Loman

5.2.1Biff Loman5.2.2Biff's Relationship with Willy5.2.3Happy Loman
5.3

Other Characters

5.3.1Uncle Ben5.3.2Charley5.3.3Bernard
6

Key Themes

6.1

Concepts

6.1.1The American Dream6.1.2Fathers & Sons6.1.3Nature & the City6.1.4Success6.1.5Men & Women
7

Writing Techniques

7.1

Structure

7.1.1Act One7.1.2Act Two
7.2

Realism

7.2.1Introduction7.2.2Staging7.2.3Language
7.3

Expressionism

7.3.1Introduction7.3.2Staging7.3.3Music
7.4

Symbolism

7.4.1The Garden / Seeds7.4.2Diamonds7.4.3Alaska & Africa
7.5

Motifs

7.5.1Introduction7.5.2Cars7.5.3Silk Stockings7.5.4Money7.5.5Mythological Figures
8

Historical Context

8.1

Historical Context

8.1.1Miller’s Family & The Great Depression8.1.2America’s Recovery
9

Literary Context

9.1

Tragedy

9.1.1Introduction
9.2

Applying Tragic Concepts

9.2.1The Tragic Hero9.2.2The Tragic Flaw9.2.3Recognition9.2.4Emotional Release9.2.5Chaos & Disorder9.2.6Revenge9.2.7Inevitability
10

Critical Debates

10.1

Introduction

10.1.1Introduction
10.2

The Marxist Reading

10.2.1Marxist Analysis10.2.2The Marxist Reading
10.3

The Feminist Reading

10.3.1Feminist Analysis10.3.2The Feminist Reading
10.4

The Eco-Critical Reading

10.4.1Eco-Critical Analysis10.4.2The Eco-Critical Reading10.4.3Post-pastoral
10.5

Other Debates

10.5.1The Play as Tragedy10.5.2The Critics
11

Recap: Main Quotes

11.1

Characters Quotes

11.1.1Willy Loman11.1.2Linda Loman11.1.3Biff Loman11.1.4Happy Loman11.1.5Uncle Ben11.1.6Charley11.1.7Bernard
11.2

Quotes by Act

11.2.1Act One: Key Events 1-3 Quotes11.2.2Act One: Key Events 4-6 Quotes11.2.3Act One: Key Events 7-9 Quotes11.2.4Act One: Key Events 10-12 Quotes11.2.5Act One: Stage Direction Quotes11.2.6Act One: The Woman Quotes11.2.7Act Two: Key Events 1-2 Quotes11.2.8Act Two: Key Events 3-4 Quotes11.2.9Act Two: Key Events 5-6 Quotes11.2.10Act Two: Key Events 7-8 Quotes11.2.11Act Two: Key Events 9-10 Quotes11.2.12Act Two: Howard's Office Quotes11.2.13Act Two: The Requiem Quotes

Practice questions on Act Two

Can you answer these? Test yourself with free interactive practice on Seneca — used by over 10 million students.

  1. 1
    Setting Changes in Act TwoPut in order
  2. 2
    Calamities that affect Willy in Act Two:Fill in the list
  3. 3
    What is the climax of Act Two?Multiple choice
  4. 4
    Willy's memories that intrude into the present in Act Two:Fill in the list
  5. 5
    What does Young Bernard announce in Willy's memory? Multiple choice
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Act One

Introduction