A sense of finality in the Requiem Essay Example

A sense of finality in the Requiem Essay Example A sense of finality in the Requiem Paper A sense of finality in the Requiem Paper The word Requiem, meaning a mass for the repose of the souls of the dead, has very formal and funereal connotations. This title immediately gives the passage a sombre atmosphere, and an air of finality as death is the end of Willys life and the play. Willys presence is still the predominating force behind the passage even though he is dead, echoing the title Requiem. The passage is a requiem in two different ways. Charley, Biff and Linda praise the physical and practical side of Willys character whereas Happy mourns his determination to fulfil his dream. The passage begins with a very emotionless and practical sentence by Charley, when he says Its getting dark, Linda. The darkness also gives the play a sense of finality, as the play is about to conclude night is about to fall. The black of the dark is symbolic of Willys tragedy. Happy appears to be angry with his father for having committed suicide, saying There was no necessity for it, the over complication of using the word necessity in this sentence shows Happys insecurity within himself that he has failed his father. Happy later goes on to say that even if Biff will not, he will continue to fight for his fathers dream. He says, Im gonna win it for him. Happys urge to fulfil his fathers dream is probably linked to his guilt of having let him down; Happys pledge gives the play a cyclical feeling rather than an air of finality. At the beginning of the Requiem Linda struggles to show emotion for her husbands death, although she would like to. Forgive me, dear. I cant cry, she says to Willys grave. It is as though she is still trapped in Willys dream and is looking for some kind of release. This is emphasised when she says I made the last payment on the house today. Today dear. The repetition of today stresses the irony in this sentence, and her longing for release. Shortly after this statement she finally begins to cry as A sob rises in her throat and she finally begins to cry as A sob rises in her throat and she immediately feels a sense of release, saying Were free. Miller makes it deliberately ambiguous about whether it is Linda who is free from Willy or whether the freedom actually refers to Willy and Linda being free from the payments on their house. This sense of release and the words were free repeated at the very end of the play are a final conclusion to the tragedy, and give the passage a sense of finality. Happy is excluded from the conclusion to emphasise the fact that he is adopting his fathers dream and continuing the tragic cycle. There is therefore no sense of finality for Happy and this is juxtaposed with the closure of Willy and Linda, emphasising the difference between their freedom and Happys confinement.