Judging Willy

This exit-slip worksheet is designed for Grades 9-12 and invites students to reflect on their personal response to Willy Loman while grounding that response in the text. Students decide whether they sympathize with Willy and explain their reasoning in 4-6 complete sentences, using at least one piece of textual evidence from the play. The task blends personal interpretation with literary analysis, encouraging students to weigh Willy’s motivations, flaws, and struggles while considering the emotional impact of his story.

Learning Goals

• Text-Based Reflection (Secondary ELA) – Express a personal judgment supported by evidence
• Character Interpretation – Evaluate Willy Loman’s actions, motivations, and emotional complexity
• Evidence-Based Reasoning – Integrate specific examples or moments from the play
• Clear Written Expression – Write coherent, well-developed responses in complete sentences

Instructional Benefits

• Teacher-Created Resource – Aligned with high school ELA standards for analysis and reflection
• Concise Assessment Tool – Ideal for quickly gauging understanding and interpretation
• Balances Opinion & Analysis – Reinforces that personal views must be supported by the text
• Encourages Empathy & Critical Thinking – Prompts students to wrestle with moral and emotional complexity
• Flexible Use – Perfect as an exit slip, bell ringer follow-up, or discussion wrap-up
• Low Prep – Print-and-use with clear expectations and focused writing space

This “Judging Willy” worksheet helps students synthesize their understanding of Death of a Salesman by combining emotional response with analytical thinking. By defending their sympathy-or lack of it-with textual evidence, learners practice a key literary skill: forming thoughtful, supported judgments about complex characters.

This worksheet is part of our Death of a Salesman Worksheets collection.