Willy Loman, a sixty-year-old traveling salesman was an old seller who slowly became mad. He likes to think of himself as being vital to the New England territory. Oneday Willy has just come back home after having left New England earlier that morning. He tells his wife Linda that he has returned unexpectedly because he cannot seem to keep his mind on driving anymore. Linda thinks that he needs a long rest. He asks about his sons, who are home for the first time in years.

He continued to slip again to the memory of the past, and can't seem to keep his mind on the present. Willy has a flashback of a time when Biff and Happy were promising high school students.  In the flashback, Willy gives his sons a punching bag.  He also condones Biff’s stealing of a football and doesn’t encourage them to study as much as they should.  He emphasizes being well liked.  After the flashback, Happy talks with Willy and asks him why he didn’t go to New England for his business trip.  Willy explains that he almost hit a kid in Yonkers.  He also tells his sons of his brother Ben who made a fortune on a trip to Africa. Willy has trouble understanding why Biff, his thirty-four year old son, cannot find a job and keep it. After all, Biff is attractive and was a star football player in high school with several scholarships; however, he could not finish his education, for he flunked math. When Biff went to Boston to find his father and explain the failure to him, he found Willy in his hotel room having an affair with a strange woman. Afterwards, Biff held a grudge against his father, never trusting him again. Biff and his brother Happy try to think of some job that Biff could get that would allow him to settle down in New York. Biff thinks of a man named Bill Oliver, for whom he was worked; Biff believes he can get a loan of ten thousand dollars from Oliver in order to begin a business of his own. Biff and Happy tell Willy about their plans. Willy explains to his sons that the important things in life are to be well liked and to be attractive. Willy assures Biff that he is attractive and that Oliver has always liked him. The next day, Willy is to meet his sons for dinner at a restaurant to hear how Oliver has reacted to Biff’s request for a loan. Willy himself goes to young Howard Wagner, the present owner of the firm for which he works, and asks for a transfer to New York City. Howard tells him there is no room for him in New York and then explains to Willy that he cannot even represent the firm in New England any more. This news turns Willy's life upside-down. Suddenly unemployed, he feels frightened and worthless. He goes to Charley, an old friend, to borrow money to pay his insurance premium. After Charley lends him the money, Willy goes to the restaurant to meet his sons.

At night, Biff and Happy arrive at the restaurant before their father.  Biff explains to happy that he didn’t get the money, and happy encourages his brother to lie.  Willy arrives.  Biff tries to tell Willy that he didn’t get the money and that he stole a fountain pen from Bill.  However, Happy is at the same time lying to Willy that Bill warmly welcomed Biff.  Willy apparently accepts Happy’s version.  Willy tells his sons that he was fired and falls into his reverie having a flashback of the time Biff caught him in his affair.  He remembers that it was that moment that Biff’s life ended.  Happy does not want to put up with his father and leaves with Biff and two girls they met earlier at the restaurant.  The two of them arrive home late and the coldly receives by Linda.  Biff confronts Willy about his suicide attempts and Willy denies everything.  He tells Biff that he did not get any money from Oliver and has no hope go get any money.  He accuses Willy of not know who he really is.  However, after this, Biff cries and leaves. Willy realizes that he loves him and decides to kill himself, In the end, Willy commits suicide. He dies in a car "accident", an attempt to leave his life insurance money to his sons, so that they could succeed in life. He hoped that he could give something to them so that they would not turn out to be "failures" like him.