It wouldn't be completely accurate to describe Death Of A Salesman as a comedy. Although there are some isolated comedic moments , it would stretch the meaning of the word to describe the play as a full-blown comedy. Nevertheless, the few elements of humor that exist in the play do provide some light relief from the general air of gloom and despair. For instance, when Willy goes to Howard to ask him if he can work in New York instead of going out on the road, Howard is engrossed by his brand new toy: a wire recorder that he uses to play Willy recordings of his wife and daughter cheerfully yakking away. Additionally, Willy, though sadly deluded and doomed to failure, has a rather humorous way of speaking which does force the occasional smile.

At the same time, it is not entirely accurate to describe the play as a tragedy, either. For one thing, Willy Loman is certainly no conventional tragic hero. There is nothing remotely privileged about him; he doesn't enjoy high repute; and he definitely hasn't fallen from glory, as he never attained it in the first place. He has suffered in one way or another throughout his whole life. Also, he has not been undone by the wiles of fate; he is largely responsible for how badly things have turned out in his life. Specifically, he lies not just to himself, but to everyone around him.