Death of A SalesmanSCRIPT.docx

Death of A SalesmanSCRIPT.docx

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DeathofASalesmanSCRIPT

DEATHOFASALESMAN

（1949）

ArthurMiller（1915-）

ArthurMillerwasbornintheHarlemdistrictofNewYork.HisfatherwasaJewishclothingmanufacturerwhowastoloseallhisbusinessin1929duringtheDepression.InthesameyearthefamilymovedtoasmallhouseinBrooklyn.Afterleavinghighschool,Millerstartedaseriesofjobs—asatruckdriver,acrewmanonatanker,asawaiterandinanauto-partswarehouseatawageof15dollarsaweek,fromwhichhesavedmoneyforcollege.In1938hegraduatedfromtheUniversityofMichiganasajournalismmajor.HewonseveralprizesfordramawhenhewasastudentintheUniversity.SixyearslaterhehadhisfirstBroadwayproductionTheManWhoHadAlltheLuck,butclosedafterfourdays.

Bythetimehisfirstcommercialsuccess,AllMySons（1947）wasproduced,hehadalreadywritteneightornineplays.In1949hewonaPulitzerprizewithDeathofaSalesmanandachievedaninternationalreputation.AmonghisfurtherworksareanadaptationofIbsen’sEnemyofthePeopleandTheCrucible,bothcontainingpoliticalimplications,thelatterofwhichisactuallyathinlyveiledindictmentofthefanaticMcCarthyismintheUSintheearly1950’s,AftertheFall,IncidentatVichy,andThePrice.Hehasalsopublishedanumberofbooksofnon-fictionaccompaniedbyhiswifeIngeMorath’sphotographs:

InRussia,IntheCountry,ChineseEncountersandSalesmaninBeijing,thelastofwhichwasbasedonhisexperienceinrehearsingDeathofaSalesmanwithBeijingPeople’sArtTheaterin1983.

OftheAmericandramatistsemergentsincetheendoftheWorldWarII,onlyTennesseeWilliamsandArthurMillerhavebeenawardedrespectfulattentionthroughouttheworld.CriticsearlylinkedMillerwiththeIbsenite“problemplay,”justliketheydidWilliamswiththeChekhovian“moodplay,”buteachofthetwoplaywrightshassubsequentlyachievedaversatilitywhichcallssuchgeneralizationintoquestion.Steepedinthemasterworksofworlddramaandworkinginatheaterthataccommodatesbothrealismandexpressionism,eachknowshemustfindforhimselftheorganicfusionofformandcontenteffectiveforgettingacrosshisownresponsestoAmericanlife.

ArthurMiller’slatestworksinclude:

 TheLastYankee（1991）, TheRideDownMt.Morgan（1991） TheAmericanClock（1993）and BrokenGlass（1994）.

CHARACTERS

WillyLoman

Linda

Biff　　　　　　

Happy　　　　　

Bernard　　　　　

TheWoman

Letta

Charley

UncleBen

HowardWagner

Jenny

Stanley

MissForsythe

Waiter

Scene

TheactiontakesplaceinWillyLoman’shouseandyardandinvariousplaceshevisitsintheNewYorkandBostonoftoday.

ACTONE

Amelodyisheardplayeduponaflute.Itissmallandfine,tellingofgrassandtreesandthehorizon.Thecurtainrises.

BeforeusistheSALESMAN’Shouse.Weareawareoftowering,angularshapesbehindit,surroundingitonallsides.Onlythebluelightoftheskyfallsuponthehouseandforestage;thesurroundingareashowsanangryglowoforange.Asmorelightappears,weseeasolidvaultofapartmenthousesaroundthesmall,fragile-seeminghome.Anairofthedreamclingstotheplace,adreamrisingoutofreality.Thekitchenatcentreseemsactualenough,forthereisakitchentablewiththreechairsandarefrigerator.Butnootherfixturesareseen.Atthebackofthekitchenthereisadrapedentrance,whichleadstotheliving-room.Totherightofthekitchen,onalevelraisedtwofeet,isabedroomfurnishedonlywithabrassbedsteadandastraightchair.Onashelfoverthebedasilverathletictrophystands.Awindowopensontotheapartmenthouseattheside.

Behindthekitchen,onalevelraisedsixandahalffeet,istheboys’bedroom,atpresentbarelyvisible.Twobedsaredimlyseen,andatthebackoftheroomadormerwindow.（Thisbedroomisabovetheunseenliving-room.）Attheleftastairwaycurvesuptoitfromthekitchen.

Theentiresettingiswhollyor,insomeplaces,partiallytransparent.Theroof-lineofthehouseisone-dimensional;underandoveritweseetheapartmentbuildings.Beforethehouseliesanapron,curvingbeyondtheforestageintotheorchestra.ThisforwardareaservesasthebackyardaswellasthelocaleofallWilly’simaginingsandofhiscityscenes.Whenevertheactionisinthepresenttheactorsobservetheimaginarywall-lines,enteringthehouseonlythroughitsdoorattheleft.Butinthescenesofthepasttheseboundariesarebroken,andcharactersenterorleavearoombystepping‘through’awallontotheforestage.

[Fromtheright,WILLYLOMAN,theSalesman,enters,carryingtwolargesamplecases.Thefluteplayson.Hehearsbutisnotawareofit.Heispastsixtyyearsofage,dressedquietly.Evenashecrossesthestagetothedoorwayofthehouse,hisexhaustionisapparent.Heunlocksthedoor,comesintothekitchen,andthankfullyletshisburdendown,feelingthesorenessofhispalms.Aword-sighescapeshislips—itmightbe‘Oh,boy,oh,boy.’Heclosesthedoor,thencarrieshiscasesoutintotheliving-room,throughthedrapedkitchendoorway.LINDA,hiswife,hasstirredinherbedattheright.Shegetsoutandputsonarobe,listening.Mostoftenjovial,shehasdevelopedanironrepressionofherexceptionstoWILLY’Sbehaviour—shemorethanloveshim,sheadmireshim,asthoughhismercurialnature,histemper,hismassivedreamsandlittlecruelties,servedheronlyassharpremindersoftheturbulentlongingswithinhim,longingswhichshesharesbutlacksthetemperamenttoutterandfollowtotheirend.]

Linda[hearingWILLYoutsidethebedroom,callswithsometrepidation]:

Willy!

Willy:

It’sallright.Icameback.

Linda:

Why?

Whathappened?

[Slightpause.]Didsomethinghappen,Willy?

Willy:

No,nothinghappened.

Linda:

Youdidn’tsmashthecar,didyou?

Willy[Withcasualirritation]:

Isaidnothinghappened.Didn’tyouhearme?

Linda:

Don’tyoufeelwell?

Willy:

I’mtiredtothedeath.[Theflutehasfadedaway.Hesitsonthebedbesideher,alittlenumb.]Icouldn’tmakeit.Ijustcouldn’tmakeit,Linda.

Linda[verycarefully.delicately]:

Wherewereyouallday?

Youlookterrible.

Willy:

IgotasfarasalittleaboveYonkers.Istoppedforacupofcoffee.Maybeitwasthecoffee.

Linda:

What?

Willy[afterapause]:

Isuddenlycouldn’tdriveanymore.Thecarkeptgoingoffontotheshoulder,y’know?

Linda[helpfully]:

Oh.Maybeitwasthesteeringagain.Idon’tthinkAngeloknowstheStudebaker.

Willy:

No,it’sme,it’sme.SuddenlyIrealizeI’mgoin’sixtymilesanhourandIdon’trememberthelastfiveminutes.I’m—Ican’tseemto—keepmymindtoit.

Linda:

Maybeit’syourglasses.Youneverwentforyournewglasses.

Willy:

No,Iseeeverything.Icamebacktenmilesanhour.IttookmenearlyfourhoursfromYonkers.

Linda[resigned]:

Well,you’lljusthavetotakearest,Willy,youcan’tcontinuethisway.

Willy:

IjustgotbackfromFlorida.

Linda:

Butyoudidn’trestyourmind.Yourmindisoveractive,andthemindiswhatcounts,dear.

Willy:

I’llstartoutinthemorning.MaybeI’llfeelbetterinthemorning.[Sheistakingoffhisshoes.]Thesegoddamarchsupportsarekillingme.

Linda:

Takeanaspirin.ShouldIgetyouanaspirin?

It’llsootheyou.

Willy[withwonder]:

Iwasdrivingalong,youunderstand?

AndIwasfine.Iwasevenobservingthescenery.Youcanimagine,melookingatscenery,ontheroadeveryweekofmylife.Butit’ssobeautifulupthere,Linda,thetreesaresothick,andthesuniswarm.Iopenedthewindshieldandjustletthewarmairbatheoverme.AndthenallofasuddenI’mgoing’offtheroad!

I’mtellin’ya,IabsolutelyforgotIwasdriving.IfI’d’vegonetheotherwayoverthewhitelineImight’vekilledsomebody.SoIwentonagain—andfiveminuteslaterI’mdreamin’again,andInearly—[Hepressestwofingersagainsthiseyes.]Ihavesuchthoughts,Ihavesuchstrangethoughts.

Linda:

Willy,dear.Talktothemagain.There’snoreasonwhyyoucan’tworkinNewYork.

Willy:

Theydon’tneedmeinNewYork.I’mtheNewEnglandman.I’mvitalinNewEngland.

Linda:

Butyou’resixtyyearsold.Theycan’texpectyoutokeeptravellingeveryweek.

Willy:

I’llhavetosendawiretoPortland.I’msupposedtoseeBrownandMorrisontomorrowmorningatteno’clocktoshowtheline.Goddammit,Icouldsellthem!

[Hestartsputtingonhisjacket.]

Linda[takingthejacketfromhim]:

Whydon’tyougodowntotheplacetomorrowandtellHowardyou’vesimplygottoworkinNewYork?

You’retooaccommodating,dear.

Willy:

IfoldmanWagnerwasaliveI’dabeeninchargeofNewYorknow!

Thatmanwasaprince,hewasamasterfulman.Butthatboyofhis,thatHoward,hedon’tappreciate.WhenIwentnorththefirsttime,theWagnerCompanydidn’tknowwhereNewEnglandwas!

Linda:

Whydon’tyoutellthosethingstoHoward,dear?

Willy[encouraged]:

Iwill,Idefinitelywill.Isthereanycheese?

Linda:

I’llmakeyouasandwich.

Willy:

No,gotosleep.I’lltakesomemilk.I’llbeuprightaway.Theboysin?

Linda:

They’resleeping.HappytookBiffonadatetonight.

Willy[interested]:

Thatso?

Linda:

Itwassonicetoseethemshavingtogether,onebehindtheother,inthebathroom.Andgoingouttogether.Younotice?

Thewholehousesmellsofshavinglotion.

Willy:

Figureitout.Workalifetimetopayoffahouse.Youfinallyownit,andthere’snobodytoliveinit.

Linda:

Well,dear,lifeisacastingoff.It’salwaysthatway.

Willy:

No,no,somepeople—somepeopleaccomplishsomething.DidBiffsayanythingafterIwentthismorning?

Linda:

Youshouldn’thavecriticizedhim,Willy,especiallyafterhejustgotoffthetrain.Youmustn’tloseyourtemperwithhim.

Willy:

Whenthehe