Death of a Salesman
Study Guide Questions
Act One
1. What is the setting of the play? What do you see as the play begins? What is the atmosphere like?
2. What do you learn about Linda’s relationship with her husband from the stage directions? What are your impressions of her based on what she says and does?
3. Where was Willy headed? Why did he come back? How is he feeling?
4. Why does Linda tell Willy that he is “too accommodating”? What does she want him to do? Does Willy think this is good advice?
5. According to Willy, how is Howard different from his father?
6. What does Linda mean when she says that “life is a casting off”? Do you agree? Does Willy?
7. How does Willy get along with his son, Biff? What has Biff been doing with his life? First, Willy says he is a “lazy bum” and then that “he’s not lazy. How do you explain this?
8. What is Happy like? What does he value? What does he have in common with Biff and Willy? How is each different from the others?
9. What is Willy remembering when his sons overhear him talking to himself? How do they feel about their father’s behavior? Why does Biff call his father “selfish” and “stupid”?
10. According to the Bernard in Willy’s flashback, what sort of trouble is Biff headed for? What qualities does Willy think you need to succeed in the business world?
11. How can you tell that money was tight even when Willy was younger? Why do you suppose the money situation was difficult? In the flashback, Willy tells Linda that the Chevrolet is the “greatest car ever built”—but later complains that “they ought to prohibit the manufacture of that car.” What does this show you about him?
12. How did Linda react when Willy exaggerated his earnings? Do you think she was truthful about her feelings? Does her attitude toward him seem to change as they grow older together?
13.Willy said he was “very well-liked in Hartford”—but then that “they seem to laugh at me”. How do you explain this? Is Linda really helping? What about Willy’s self-insight?
14. Who is “the woman”? Why do you suppose the playwright has her laughter continue through Linda’s lines? What do you think of Willy at this point? Does Linda have a clue about this woman?
15. Why does Willy angrily grab Linda’s stocking?
16. How does Biff misbehave? Why? How do his parents react? Should they react this way?
17. Who is Ben? Do you think Willy would have been better off if he had gone to Alaska with Ben? How does Happy try to comfort his father? What does Willy mean “The woods are burning”?
18. Why does Charley come over? How do Charley and Willy feel about each other?
19. Why do you think Charley offers Willy a job? What is Willy’s response? Why?
20. Why does Charley say, ‘When a deposit bottle is broken you don’t get your nickel back”? Is Charley’s idea a good one? Explain.
21. How can you tell that Willy is handy around the house? At what sort of job might he have been more successful? Why do you suppose he chose sales instead?
22. Does Charley know that Willy “sees” his brother Ben as Charley and Willy play cards? Why do you think Ben is on Willy’s mind right now?
23. What sort of childhood did Willy have? What do you learn about his father and their relationship? Does this explain anything?
24. How do Linda and Willy send different messages to Biff regarding his fighting and stealing? Whose side does Ben seem to be on?
25. Why does Linda think that Willy is suicidal? Why does Biff say sharply, “What woman?” when Linda starts to tell about the woman who witnessed the car accident? Why does she think that both his sons and his employers have let him down? Is she wrong to takes her husband’s side in the conflict between Will and Biff?
26. What does Biff mean by, “A carpenter is allowed to whistle”? Which son is more like Willy?
27. Why does Biff decide to go see Bill Oliver? Why does Willy accuse him of “counting his chickens”? How is this ironic?
28. What happens every time Linda tries to get a word in edgewise? Do you think Biff was right when he said that Willy has shown little respect for Linda throughout their marriage? Why does she “Take it”?
29. How does Will react when Biff tells him to stop yelling at Linda? Are you surprised that he seems easily “beaten down”?
30. Why does Happy choose this moment to tell his mother that he is going to get married? What did he often say when he was younger? Do his parents favor Biff?
31. Why does Willy enjoy remembering the Ebbets Field game? O you think it happened as he remembers it?
32. Why does Biff reach behind the heater? Why doesn’t he put it back like his mother does?
Define: dramatic irony-
Explain how is it exhibited at the end of Act One… “A star like that, magnificent, never really fades away.”
What is ironic about the lighting of the set at this point.
Act Two
1. Why is Willy in such a good mood when he gets up in the beginning of Act Two? Do you think Linda holds the same high hopes for Biff?
2. What is Willy’s dream for retirement? Is that Linda’s dream?
3. Why does Linda tell Willy to ask for an advance?
4. What sort of celebration does Biff arrange?
5. Why is Linda “trembling with sorrow and joy” when she talks with Biff on the phone? What is he saying?
6. What sort of person is Howard? How does he treat Willy? How does he treat his wife? What would you do if Willy were your employee? Does he “deserve” what he is asking for?
7. What kind of parent was Willy’s father?
8. Why did Willy decide to become a salesman?
Prediction: How will Biff’s interview with Bill Oliver turn out?
9. Why does Willy get angry with Charley the day of Biff’s big game? Does Charley really know who Red Grange is?
10. What sort of man does Bernard grow up to be? Do you think Willy is jealous? Shocked?
11. What does Bernard tell Willy about why he is going to Washington? Why doesn’t he mention the Supreme Court?
12. Why is Willy at Charley’s office?
13. Why doesn’t Willy accept Charley’s job offer? What is your opinion of Charley at this point?
14. How does Willy lie when Bernard asks how Biff is?
15. Whom does Willy blame for ruining Biff’s life?
16. What happened after Biff returned from Boston? Do you think Willy ever realized before talking to Bernard how upset Biff was?
17. Why does Charley ask Willy, “Who liked J.P. Morgan”?
Prediction: Charley says, “Willy, nobody’s worth nothing dead…Did you hear what I said?” Does Charley have an idea That Willy is thinking of suicide? Will he do anything to stop Willy?
18. How does Stanley the waiter treat Happy? Why?
19. How does Happy lie about what Biff has been doing with his life?
20. How did Biff’s interview with Oliver go? What did he steal? Why?
21. What does Happy think Biff should tell Willy about Oliver?
22. Why does Willy tell his sons”…the woods are burning, boys”?
23. What does Willy start imagining as Biff tries to tell him about the interview with Oliver? Why is Willy thinking about Biff flunking math? Would Biff’s life have been different if he had passed math?
24. How does Biff try to smoothe over Willy’s anger and disappointment?
25. Who are Miss Forsythe and Letta? Who is more interested in them—Biiff or Happy?
26. Why does Willy ask Biff if he is “Spiting” his father?
27. Biff accuses Happy of not caring about their father. Is he right? Do you think it’s true that Happy could help Willy, but Biff can’t?
28. Why did Biff go to see his father in Boston? What happened in Boston that day?
29. How did Willy react when Biff discovered the other woman? Would it have been better if Willy had admitted the truth and asked Biff’s forgiveness?
30. Where does Willy go after he leaves the restaurant? Why?
31. What do the boys bring their mother? What does she do with the gift? Why?
32. How does Linda know the boys deserted Willy in the restaurant? Is she right to kick Biff out of the house? Does she ever get angry with Willy?
33. Why do you think Biff insists on talking to his father—over his mother’s objections?
34. What is Willy doing in the yard? Why?
35. What ‘conversation’ is Willy having with Ben? How does he plan to get $20,000? How does he want to gain Biff’s approval?
36. What good memories does Willy have? Is there any way he could have kept up those good times?
37. Why does Biff plan to leave without writing? Are you surprised that this seems to be okay with Linda? Do you think a “clean break” is best?
38. Why won’t Willy shake Biff’s hand? Is he right in saying that Biff has “cut down his life for spite”?
39. Why do you think Biff puts the hose in front of Willy?
40. Is Biff right when he says, “ We never told the truth for ten minutes in this house”? What sorts of lies have been told? Why did so much lying go on?
41. What does Biff reveal about his life since high school? Does he blame his father for his own actions? What insight does he reach regarding what he wants from life?
42. How does Willy feel when Biff sobs and holds onto him?
43. Why does Happy talk about getting married an running the store after Biff goes upstairs after Biff goes up to his room?
44. How is an ominous mood created as Willy rushes around the house before going out the door? What does he do next? Could anyone have stopped?
45. What sort of funeral does Willy have? Would Willy have approved?
46. How does Linda feel about the way Willy died? Is she relieved?...angry?...confused?...at peace? How do the others feel about suicide?
47. Why does Biff say that “there’s more of him in that front stoop than in all the sales he ever made…He had all the wrong dreams”?
48. Why isn’t Happy going with Biff? How is Happy following in his father’s footsteps? Is he being hopeful and strong and strong—or unrealistic?
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