100% satisfaction guarantee Immediately available after payment Both online and in PDF No strings attached
logo-home
Previously searched by you
Previously searched by you
logo
Summary A* AQA ENGLISH LITERATURE B ESSAY - AS 2019 - Explore the view that in Death of a Salesman and Tess of D’Urberville’s there are only tragic victims £4.49
Add to cart
Quickly navigate to
Preview
  2.  
  3. AQA
  4.  
  5. English Literature B
  6.  
  7. Aspects of Tragedy

Summary

Summary A* AQA ENGLISH LITERATURE B ESSAY - AS 2019 - Explore the view that in Death of a Salesman and Tess of D’Urberville’s there are only tragic victims
 0 purchase
  • Institution
  • AQA

A* AQA ENGLISH LITERATURE B ESSAY - AS 2019 - Explore the view that in Death of a Salesman and Tess of D’Urberville’s there are only tragic victims

Preview 1 out of 3  pages

Document information

  • Yes
  • October 30, 2023
  • 3
  • 2023/2024
  • Summary

Subjects

  • a aqa english literature b essay as 2019 expl

Connected book

book image

Book Title:

Author(s):

  • Edition:
  • ISBN:
  • Edition:

More summaries for

All for this textbook (28)

Written for

All documents for this subject (231)

Seller

avatar-seller
ramiriam

Reviews received

Content preview

AS 2019 - Explore the view that in Death of a
Salesman and Tess of DʼUrbervilleʼs there are
only tragic victims and no tragic villains.
2019
Explore the view that in Death of a Salesman and Tess of DʼUrbervilleʼs there are only tragic
victims and no tragic villains. Remember to include in your answer relevant comment on
dramatic methods. [25 marks]
The tragic villain being Angel and Alec.
The tragic villain being capitalism.
The tragic villain of Howard.
Typical to tragedy texts both ‘Death of a Salesmanʼ and ‘Tess of DʼUrbervilleʼsʼ have many
tragic victims to present the collateral damage which occurs due to the tragedy of the tragic
hero. However, Aristotle stated that the tragedy may possess a tragic villain who is held in
juxtaposition to the tragic hero so we can identify with their character more and the catharsis
evoked is even more intense. In this essay I will therefore discuss to what extent are there ‘only
tragic victims and no tragic villainsʼ in both tragedy texts.
The critic Kristen Bradley stated that “by giving increased prominence to the villainy of both
Alec and Angel, Hardy is able to suggest that Tess is more of a passive victim of male
aggression and idealisation” than an active participant in her fate. Through this interpretation
the tragedy of Tess appears to stem from her corruption from one man and abandonment of
another who act as the tragic villains in the novel. This links to Medieval Morality plays where
the ‘viceʼ (Alec) and ‘valourʼ (Angel) were two characters who competed, attempting to control
the soul of the protagonist. However, in Tess the tragedy stems from both menʼs misreading of
her.
As Tess is dressed up by her mother presenting her as her most idealised version for Alec to
take to Trantridge it is Alecʼs misunderstanding of Tess which leads to the “coarse pattern”
being traced upon her which marks her for the rest of the novel. Alec is presented as a
moustache twirling pantomime 19th villain whose appearance seems fit for a melodrama. His
use of a cigar which acts as a phallocentric symbol causing Tess to focus on his mouth is one of
his seductive techniques which upon close inspection of the novel seem to be littered
throughout Phase I. However, his actions in the novel are the least funny part of his character.
As stated by critics “to read Alec as a villain is to grossly underestimate him… like Satan he
seeks to not only imprison the body but consume the mind”. He states to Tess that she will be
his “creature” and throws out rash threats stating “you will regret that” which she attempts to
escape the unsafety of his violent horse riding. He paints the portrait of the 19th century noble
man who although has no ancient fine name (like Tess) is rich so is able to buy a fine character.

The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:

Guaranteed quality through customer reviews

Guaranteed quality through customer reviews

Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.

Quick and easy check-out

Quick and easy check-out

You can quickly pay through credit card for the summaries. There is no membership needed.

Focus on what matters

Focus on what matters

Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!

Frequently asked questions

What do I get when I buy this document?

You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.

Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?

Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.

Who am I buying these notes from?

Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller ramiriam. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.

Will I be stuck with a subscription?

No, you only buy these notes for £4.49. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.

Can Stuvia be trusted?

4.6 stars on Google & Trustpilot (+1000 reviews)

68175 documents were sold in the last 30 days

Founded in 2010, the go-to place to buy revision notes and other study material for 15 years now

Start selling
£4.49
  • (0)
Add to cart
Added