Arthur Miller was an American playwright who rose to international prominence with his 1949 play Death of a Salesman. Blending elements of surrealism and naturalism, his works established him as one of the most important voices of contemporary theatre. He is widely regarded as the leading representative of psychological realism in American drama.

Arthur Miller was born in 1915 in New York City as the son of an Austrian immigrant factory owner. Following his father’s financial collapse, Miller experienced economic insecurity at a young age, an experience that profoundly shaped his worldview and later works. After completing high school, he worked in a warehouse and used his savings to attend the University of Michigan.

While studying at university, he began writing seriously and later worked briefly in journalism. After completing his education, he settled in New York, where he continued to develop his literary voice.

His first major work to attract attention was the novel Focus, published in 1945. His first significant play, written under the influence of Henrik Ibsen, was All My Sons (1947), which won the New York Drama Critics’ Circle Award. With Death of a Salesman, Miller achieved his greatest success, earning the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and securing his place in theatrical history.

In 1953, Miller wrote The Crucible, a play set during the Salem witch trials that offered a powerful critique of McCarthyism. As a result, he was accused of cooperating with communists by the House Un-American Activities Committee and convicted of contempt of Congress. He later appealed the verdict and was acquitted.

In 1956, Miller married the celebrated film actress Marilyn Monroe. During their four-year marriage, he wrote the screenplay for the 1961 film The Misfits, created specifically for her. The marriage ended in divorce, but it remains one of the most widely discussed intersections of American theatre and Hollywood culture.

Miller’s plays consistently reflected his commitment to social criticism and moral inquiry. Through realistic tragedy, he explored human contradictions and the psychological and social dimensions of ordinary individuals, giving voice to the struggles of the common person.

After battling heart disease, pneumonia, and cancer, Arthur Miller died on February 10, 2005.

Major Plays:
After the Fall (1964)
A View from the Bridge (1955)
Incident at Vichy (1964)
The Price (1968)
Fame (1970)
The Creation of the World and Other Business (1973)
American Clock (1980)
I Can’t Remember Anything (1967)

Source: Biyografiler.com