Contents
Arthur Miller
Writing Death of a Salesman and The Crucible, dramas about private failure and public pressure.
All My Sons · Death of a Salesman
- Born
- 17 October 1915
- Birthplace
- New York City, USA
- Died
- 10 February 2005
More people
Arthur Miller
Arthur Miller brought the consequences of money, reputation and moral compromise into family life on stage. His plays ask what individuals owe one another when institutions or communities demand conformity.
Early life
A family hit by the Depression
He grew up in New York, where the loss of his father’s business changed the family’s circumstances.
Working towards university
Jobs helped him save for the University of Michigan, where student playwriting prizes encouraged his dramatic ambitions.
Career
- 1930s–1947
Finding a dramatic voice
Student plays and early professional work led to the Broadway success of All My Sons.
- 1949–1953
Defining plays
Death of a Salesman won the Pulitzer Prize, followed by The Crucible.
- 1956–1958
Political scrutiny
He refused to identify others before the House Un-American Activities Committee; his contempt conviction was later overturned.
- 1960s–2000s
An international theatre life
Further plays, essays and productions abroad sustained his engagement with public and private responsibility.
Selected work
All My Sons
A family’s prosperity is shadowed by a wartime manufacturing decision.
Death of a Salesman
Willy Loman’s ideas of success collide with work, age and relationships.
The Crucible
The Salem witch trials become a drama of accusation and collective fear.
Beyond work
Public and private marriages
His marriages included one to Marilyn Monroe and a later partnership with photographer Inge Morath.
Writers’ freedom
As president of International PEN in the 1960s, he advocated for writers facing repression.
Sources & photo credit
Life and career ↗Institutional or specialist reference ↗Photo: Eric Koch for Anefo. CC0 · Original image. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.
