What was unsure earlier in the play was why Willy would commit suicide. The play’s title and Linda both predict it. Willy’s death was actually a foregone conclusion. Denouement Willy commits suicide.Īnd now for the horrible things. This suspense is heightened by the fact that Willy’s family is in bed thinking everything’s fine, which we all know in any movie, play, or work of literature means horrible things are coming soon. The suspense, of course, is that we’ve heard this suicide song-and-dance before, so we’re not sure if he’ll actually go through with it. In his mind, Willy hears Ben saying that 'the jungle is dark but full of diamonds,' but sadly ignores the 'dark' bit while he shoots for the 'diamonds' part. Now that Willy has realized that Biff loves him, he wants to do anything he possibly can to make his son successful. Suspense Willy starts chatting with the imaginary figure of his brother and considers killing himself. That would be great and we’d probably have a happy ending if it weren’t for the small fact that we haven't gotten to the suspense stage yet. This is followed by much shouting and crying, and at last Willy finds out that Biff really does love him.

The second is more of an action-based climax, and takes the form of a huge blow-out argument between Biff and his father. The first is psychological: Biff realizes he and his entire family have been living a lie. This climax earns its stripes in two different ways. Climax Biff gets honest and destroys Willy’s dream Willy finally realizes that Biff loves him. As if that were not complicated enough, Biff steals Oliver’s fountain pen. Meanwhile, Biff waits for six hours to see Oliver, only to be reminded that he is a nobody in the man’s eyes. Willy goes to his boss, Howard, to try to get a non-traveling job but ends up getting completely fired. On the same day, both Willy's and Biff’s high expectations are dashed to the ground. Complication Willy gets fired and Biff doesn’t even get close enough to a job to get fired. Biff needs to get a job and get serious-or take the blame for his father’s actions. Linda informs her sons that Willy has been trying to commit suicide and tells Biff that his father’s life is in his hands. Willy’s mental wanderings are getting worse he is preoccupied with Biff’s aimlessness and inability to find success in business. Here comes the conflict, right on schedule. Conflict Willy is deteriorating and suicidal Biff is told to get serious. But with the contrasting seeds of conflict buried here, this initial situation isn’t bound to last long.

Biff is home after working as a farm hand for many years in the West. Willy comes home early from his work trip because he is no longer able to drive and he can’t do his job. Initial Situation Willy and Biff are both home again.

The death of a salesman plot points