Famous Quotes from 'Death of a Salesman' by Arthur Miller

The Royal Shakespeare Company's production of Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre i
Corbis via Getty Images / Getty Images

Willy Loman, the titular character in "Death of a Salesman," spent his whole life pursuing what he thought was the American Dream. The play deals with themes of reality and illusion as a family struggles to define their dreams. It is one of Arthur Miller's most famous plays and brought him international acclaim. In 1949, Miller won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama for this controversial play. 

Important 'Death of a Salesman' Quotes

"I'm the New England man. I'm vital in New England." (Willy, Act 1)
"He's liked, but he's not well liked." (Biff, Act 1)
"The man who makes an appearance in the business world, the man who creates personal interest, is the man who gets ahead. Be liked and you will never want." (Willy, Act 1)
"The man knew what he wanted and went out and got it! Walked into a jungle and comes out, the age of 21, and he's rich!" (Willy, Act 1)
"I don't say he's a great man. Willy Loman never made a lot of money. His name was never in the paper. He's not the finest character that ever lived. But he's a human being, and a terrible thing is happening to him. So attention must be paid. He's not to be allowed to fall in his grave like an old dog. Attention, attention must finally be paid to such a person." (Linda, Act 1)
"A small man can be just as exhausted as a great man." (Linda, Act 1)
"Before it's all over we're gonna get a little place out in the country, and I'll raise some vegetables, a couple of chickens..." (Willy, Act 2)
"You can't eat the orange and throw the peel away—a man is not a piece of fruit!" (Willy, Act 2)
"'Cause what could be more satisfying than to be able to go, at the age of 84, into 20 or 30 different cities, and pick up a phone, and be remembered and loved and heped by so many different people?" (Willy, Act 2)
"After all the highways, and the trains, and the appointments, and the years, you end up worth more dead than alive." (Willy, Act 2)
"I realized what a ridiculous lie my whole life has been." (Biff, Act 2)
"I've got to get some seeds. I've got to get some seeds, right away. Nothing's planted. I don't have a thing in the ground." (Willy, Act 2)
"Pop! I'm a dime a dozen, and so are you!"
"I am not a dime a dozen! I am Willy Loman, and you are Biff Loman!" (Biff and Willy, Act 2)
"I'm gonna show you and everybody else that Willy Loman did not die in vain. He had a good dream. It's the only dream you can have - to come out number-one man. He fought it out here, and this is where I'm gonna win it for him." (Happy, Act 2)
Format
mla apa chicago
Your Citation
Lombardi, Esther. "Famous Quotes from 'Death of a Salesman' by Arthur Miller." ThoughtCo, Aug. 27, 2020, thoughtco.com/death-of-a-salesman-quotes-739453. Lombardi, Esther. (2020, August 27). Famous Quotes from 'Death of a Salesman' by Arthur Miller. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/death-of-a-salesman-quotes-739453 Lombardi, Esther. "Famous Quotes from 'Death of a Salesman' by Arthur Miller." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/death-of-a-salesman-quotes-739453 (accessed March 28, 2024).