Script
Script
Script
ACT 1
Narrator: In late 1940’s, there was a sixty year old man living in New York City named Willy Loman. He lived with his wife,
Linda in the same house for the last 25 years. The house once sat apart from other homes, then it was surrounded by
apartment buildings which makes Willy feel closed in. Willy is having trouble concentrating on driving and often makes
mistakes such as crossing the white line, driving off the road and running red lights, while stopping for green lights.
Linda: (went downstairs to see Willy and greeted him worriedly) How are you dear? Something happened?
Willy: Nothing.
Narrator: Meanwhile, Biff and Happy talked about their father, thinking that his condition is deteriorating. Biff wondered
why his father mocks him, but Happy said that he merely wants Biff to live up to his potential. Biff claims he had thirty
different jobs since he left home before the war, but he has been fired from each.
Biff: Everything I say there’s a twist of mockery on his face. I can’t get near him.
Happy: He just wants you to make good, that’s all. I wanted to talk to you about Dad for a long time, Biff. Something’s –
happening to him. He--- talks to himself.
Narrator: The laughter is loud now, and he moves into a brightening area at the left, where the woman has come from
behind the scrim and he is standing, putting on her hat, looking into a mirror and laughing.
Willy: I get so lonely—especially when business is bad and there’s nobody to talk to. I get the feeling that I’ll never sell
anything again, that I won’t make a living for you, or a business for the boys. There’s so much I want to make for.
The Woman: Me? You didn’t make me, Willy. I picked you.
The Woman: I did. I’ve been sitting at the desk watching all the salesman go day by day out. But you’ve got such a sense
of humor, and we do such a good time together. Don’t we?
Willy: Sure, Why do you have to go now?
The Woman: You do make me laugh Willy. You’re such a wonderful man.
Narrator: Biff worries that he is still merely a boy while Happy says that despite the fact that he has his own car, own
apartment and plenty of women yet he is still unfulfilled. Happy believes that he should not have to take orders at work
from men over whom he is physically superior. He also talked about how he had no respect for the women he seduces
and really wants woman with character, like their mother. Biff thinks that he may try again to work for bill Oliver, for
whom he worked years ago but quit after stealing a carton of basketballs from him. The play shifts in time to Loman house
years ago, when Biff and Happy were teenagers. Willy reminds the teenage Biff not to make promises to any girls, because
they will always believe what you tell them.
Willy: You’ll retire me for life on seventy goddam dollars a week? An your women and your car and your apartment, and
you’ll retire me for life! Christ’s sake, I couldn’t get past Yonkers today! Where are you guys, where are you? The woods
are burning! I can’t drive a car!
Narrator: Charley has appeared in the doorway .He is a large man, slow of speech, laconic, immovable.
Charley: I heard some noise. I thought something happened. Can’t we do something about the walls? You sneeze in here,
and in my house hats blow off.
Narrator: Willy so much stress, that he begins to hallucinate. He thinks he is living in an earlier time in his life. He speaks
to people who aren't there and he disturbs his friend, Charley, who comes over to play cards with Willy. During the game
Willy thinks his dead brother, Ben, is in the room with them.
Charley: Good. Keep playing; you sleep better. Did you call me Ben?
Willy: That’s funny for a second there you reminded me of my brother Ben.
Charley: You never heard from him again? Since that time?
Willy: Didn’t Linda tell you? Couple of weeks ago we got a letter from his wife in Africa. He died.
Charley: That so.
Ben: I must make a tram, William. There are several properties I’m looking at in Alaska.
Willy: Sure, sure! If I’d gone with him to Alaska that time, everything would’ve been totally different.
Charley: Heh?
Willy: There was the only man I ever met who knew the answers.
Charley: Who?
Charley: Who?
Willy: Heh?
Willy: If you don’t know how to play the game, I’m not gonna throw my money away on you.
Willy: Long ago. Since the beginning you never knew how to play cards.
Charlie: All right! Next time I’ll bring a deck with five aces.
Willy: Yeah?!
Charley: Yeah?! ( he goes out)
Willy: Ignoramus
Narrator: Charley leaves, but Willy is still talking to Ben asking him how he made his fortune.
Willy: Ben! I’ve been waiting for you so long! What’s the answer? How did you do it?
Linda: Where have you been all these years, Willy is always wondering why you ….
Ben: I have many enterprises, William and I have never kept books.
Willy: I remember I was sitting under the wagon in---- was it Nebraska?
Ben: It was South Dakota, and I gave you a bunch of wild flowers.
Willy: No! Boys! Boys! Listen to this. This is your uncle Ben, A great man! Tell my boys, Ben!
Ben: Why, boys, when I was seventeen I walked into the jungle, and when I was twenty-one I walked out. And by God I
was rich.
Willy: No. Ben! Please tell about Dad. I want my boys to hear. I want them to know the kind of stock they spring from.
Ben: Father was a very great and a very wild-hearted man. He’s a great inventor. With one gadget he made more in a
week than a man like you could make in a lifetime.
Narrator: Willy is almost gone when Biff, in his pajamas, comes down the stairs and enters the kitchen.
Linda: Shh!
Biff: Oh God! How long has he been doing this? What the hell is the matter with him?
Linda: Oh dear, you should do a lot of things but there’s nothing to do, Go to sleep now.
Biff: What?
Biff: All right pal. It’s all settled now. But now I’ll stay and I swear to you. I’ll apply myself. It’s just that I don’t fit in business.
Not that I won’t try but I’ll make good. (kissing her mother)
ACT TWO
Narrator: Willy is going to talk to his boss, Howard and try to change his job from that of travelling salesman to floor
salesman.
WILLY: I’m gonna knock Howard for a loop, kid. I’ll get an advance, and I’ll come home with a New York job. Goddammit,
now I’m gonna do it!
Narrator: In the middle of her speech, Howard Wagner, thirty-six, wheels on a small typewriter table on which is a wire-
recording machine and proceeds to plug it in. This is on the left forestage. Light slowly fades on Linda as it rises on Howard.
Howard is intent on threading the machine and only glances over his shoulder as Willy appears.
WILLY: That’s what I want to talk to you about, Howard. You got a minute?
WILLY: Well...
HOWARD: Oh, yeah. I remember. Well, I couldn’t think of anything for you, Willy.
Narrator: Biff and Happy have made plans to meet their father in a restaurant to celebrate the anticipated good news
from the day. The two boys meet some girls and leave Willy which causes him to have another hallucination about the
woman. At home Linda was furious with his sons for leaving their father at the restaurant.
Linda: Why did you leave your father alone?
Willy: I just want to get settled down, Linda. Let me sit alone for a little.
Willy: (uttering a gasp of fear, Whirling about as if to quit her) SHHH! (he turns around as if to finds his way: sounds faces,
voices, seem to be swarming in a upon him.) shhhhh!
Linda: NOOOOOOO!
Biff: POP!
(BOOOOGGSSHHH)
Linda: Forgive me dear I can’t cry, I don’t what it is but I can’t cry. I made the last payment on the house today dear and
there will be nobody home. Were free and clear.