Arthur Miller's characters often find themselves at the crossroads of ethical compromise, driven by a complex interplay of personal ambition, societal expectations, and internal conflict. Characters in Miller’s plays frequently face moral dilemmas, such as those in Death of a Salesman, where Willy Loman's pursuit of the American Dream leads him to distort reality, compromising his integrity in an attempt to secure success and validation.

The themes of personal and societal failure are intricately woven into the fabric of Miller’s narratives. Plays like The Crucible and A View from the Bridge explore the tragic consequences of characters who grapple with societal pressures and their own shortcomings. In these works, failures are not merely personal but also reflect broader societal dysfunctions, contributing to the characters' downfalls.

In Miller’s oeuvre, relationships between parents and children, as well as between husbands and wives, serve as crucial backdrops for exploring emotional and ethical complexities. The strained relationship between Willy Loman and his son Biff in Death of a Salesman underscores themes of expectation and disappointment, while the turbulent marriage of John and Elizabeth Proctor in The Crucible highlights issues of trust and redemption.

Miller's exploration of guilt is a recurring motif, with characters often haunted by their past actions and the consequent moral ramifications. In All My Sons, Joe Keller’s guilt over the sale of faulty airplane parts during the war serves as a catalyst for the play’s dramatic tension, questioning the extent to which characters are accountable for their choices.

Reality and fantasy blur seamlessly in Miller’s plays, where characters frequently struggle to distinguish between their desires and the harsh truths of their lives. Willy Loman's descent into delusion exemplifies this conflict, as the allure of a more satisfying life leads him further from reality.

Historical events often serve as potent backdrops in Miller’s works, providing context and weight to the unfolding drama. The Salem witch trials in The Crucible and the post-World War II era in All My Sons root his stories in specific socio-political landscapes, enriching the narrative with authenticity and depth.

Social pressures exert a profound influence on many of Miller’s characters, shaping their decisions and destinies. Willy Loman, John Proctor, and Eddie Carbone from A View from the Bridge each contend with societal expectations that drive them to act in ways that ultimately lead to their undoing. These pressures underscore the tension between individual desires and collective norms, a central theme in Miller's exploration of the human condition.