All My Sons Questions on Act 3

Questions on Act 3 How does Miller use Larry’s letter to add dramatic tension to the final act of the play? Consider its use on pages 75, 78 and 79. Consider Keller’s speech on page 79 in relation to the play as a whole. a) Why has Miller given the play the title “All My Sons”? b) Why does Miller include the play’s title in Keller’s speech on this page? In what ways have the following characters changed from the way they were represented at the start of the play? You may find it helpful to refer to the start of the play in your answer. a) Chris b) Kate (“Mother”) c) Joe (“Keller”) Support all answers with close reference to the text.

Classical Tragedy According to Aristotle, tragedy is “the imitation of an action that is serious and also, as having magnitude, complete in itself.” Tragedy typically includes: “incidents arousing pity and fear, wherewith to accomplish the catharsis of such emotions.” The elements of a classical tragedy include: The tragic hero who, though not perfect, is certainly in some way identifiable as “better then we”, i.e. superior in status to the majority of the audience. The tragic hero exhibits “hamartia,” a tragic flaw (literally, it translates as “error of judgement”). This tragic flaw is often “hubris”, loosely translated as arrogance, that causes the hero to believe he can outwit fate or violate a moral law. Some kind of “catastrophe”, or change of fortune, occurs during the course of the events of the play. The events of the play typically result in “peripeteia”, a complete reversal of intention, whereby a character, in attempting a course of action in order to achieve a specific effect, achieves the opposite effect. This typically results in the complete reversal of the hero’s fortunes from happiness to disaster. This “peripeteia” can lead to “anagnorisis”, a recognition and awareness, where the audience, and sometimes the tragic hero, becomes aware of the nature of the hero’s predicament.