ClassicNote on Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

On June 26, 1963, John F. Kennedy traveled to West Berlin and uttered the now-faous
stateent, !"#h $in ein Berliner.! %early two years earlier, on the ni&ht of 'u&ust 13, 1961, the
(ounist )ast *eran &overnent had ere#ted the Berlin Wall. %ot only did this wall
+hysi#ally #lose the $order $etween )ast and West *erany, se+aratin& failies and +rohi$itin&
travel $etween the two nations, $ut it soon $e#ause a +otent sy$ol in the (old War.
"n his faous s+ee#h, Kennedy de#lared that Berlin was a sy$ol of deo#ra#y and freedo.
!Freedo has any diffi#ulties and deo#ra#y is not +erfe#t, $ut we have never had to +ut a wall
u+ to ,ee+ our +eo+le in, to +revent the fro leavin& us.! "ndeed, Berlin $e#ae a +otent and
e$attled sy$ol durin& the (old War 196-.s in $oth +oliti#s and literature.
*eor&e, the $attle-weary ale +rota&onist of )dward 'l$ee.s 1962 +lay Who.s 'fraid of /ir&inia
Woolf0 referen#es this (old War understandin& of Berlin. "n a#t one, *eor&e +ro#lais, !" will
not &ive u+ Berlin1! *eor&e.s referen#e to Berlin, in the heat of $attle with his $rayin& wife
2artha, not only reveals the influen#e of the (old War on 'l$ee.s +lay $ut su&&ests dee+er and
dar,er eanin&s for the sy$ol of Berlin than those tou#hed u+on in Kennedy.s faous s+ee#h.
3his referen#e to (old War +oliti#s was intentional. 'l$ee later e4+lained in strai&htforward
ters the influen#e of the era on his +lay5 !6ere was a tie when 7ussia was tryin& to ta,e
Berlin, the Berlin $lo#,ade.!
Berlin.s sy$oli# +ower and the (old War +er#e+tion of it as an e$attled site #an $e tra#ed $a#,
to &eo&ra+hi#al and histori#al realities. Berlin, of #ourse, is the #a+ital #ity of *erany. When
*erany was +artitioned into two halves, to $e adinistered $y the 8oviet 9nion and the 'llied
western +owers after World War "", Berlin was s+lit in half. 6owever, Berlin.s lo#ation within the
#ountry of *erany +resented s+e#ifi# &eo&ra+hi#al #on#erns. Berlin is not at the #enter of
*erany $ut rather in the eastern half of the #ountry. West *erany, Kennedy.s $astion of
freedo, was therefore &eo&ra+hi#ally surrounded $y what $e#ae (ounist-#ontrolled )ast
*erany.
"n 19:;, after the initial +artition, 8oviet +owers had $lo#,aded Berlin in a len&thy stand-off. "n
1961, White 6ouse forei&n +oli#y e4+erts worried that su#h a situation #ould easily o##ur a&ain.
't that tie, the ille&al flow of )ast *erans into West Berlin was in#reasin&, and *erany was
+er#eived as a +ressure #oo,er a$out to $low. %onetheless, Washin&ton did not e4+e#t the 8oviet-
#ontrolled )ast *eran &overnent to res+ond $y $uildin& a wall. 3herefore, Kennedy was
#au&ht off &uard $y his neesis, 8oviet +reier %i,ita Khrush#hev.
'l$ee +ur+osefully naed the #hara#ter %i#,, the youn& Biolo&y +rofessor in 'l$ee.s Who.s
'fraid of /ir&inia Woolf0, after %i,ita Khrush#hev. <e#ades later, s+ea,in& to a &rou+ of
6oward 9niversity 8tudents, 'l$ee e4+lained, !" was havin& soe fun writin& this. "t was written
in 1962, and " naed %i#, after %i,ita Khrush#hev. 3hat was a +rivate #hoi#e.! *eor&e, whose
first nae e#hoes that of *eor&e Washin&ton, re+resents the old 'eri#an drea. But unli,e
Kennedy, who found o+tiis in the deo#ra#y of West Berlin, 'l$ee was led $y the (old War
to #on#eive of a u#h dar,er and ore #yni#al vision of 'eri#an #ulture.
Berlin, a site in whi#h (ounis and <eo#ra#y e4isted side $y side, their #oe4isten#e held in
#he#, only $y violen#e and the threat of violen#e, understanda$ly $e#ae a i#ro#os for the
(old War world divided alon& )astern and Western, (ounist and <eo#rati#, lines.
8iilarly, the sin&le set of Who.s 'fraid of /ir&inia Woolf0, the livin& roo of *eor&e and
2artha.s house, fun#tions as a i#ro#os in whi#h )dward 'l$ee e4+lores the destru#tion of the
'eri#an drea.
Who.s 'fraid of /ir&inia Woolf0 o+ened on Broadway on O#to$er 13, 1962. 3hat sae onth,
the world seeed +oised on nu#lear war when the 9nited 8tates fa#ed off a&ainst the 8oviet
9nion over the +resen#e of nu#lear wea+ons on (u$a durin& the (u$an 2issile (risis. <urin&
those tense thirteen days, Kennedy and an e4e#utive #oun#il of advisors et and dis#ussed the
fate of the world. On O#to$er 1;, only five days after the o+enin& of 'l$ee.s +lay, when fa#ed
with the =uestion of whether to warn Khrush#hev $efore stri,in& Berlin, >resident Kennedy
used, !'nd then if he says5 ?"f you are &oin& to do that, we.re &oin& to &ra$ Berlin.. . . . 6e.ll
&ra$ Berlin, of #ourse. 3hen either way it would $e, we lost Berlin, $e#ause of these issiles.
'l$ee.s +lay was #learly a +rodu#t of its tie. "ndeed, the +rofanity and hateful words $etween
*eor&e and 2artha that so sho#,ed audien#es in the 196-.s now see #oon+la#e to an
'eri#an +u$li# a##ustoed to Jerry 8+rin&er and other television shows of that il,. 8u#h was
not the #ase, however, in 1962 'eri#an, still lin&erin& in the hal#yon days of 19@-.s o+tiis.
3his was a tie $efore /ietna, $efore Water&ate, $efore the (aelot era ended with Kennedy.s
assassination.
6oney and %i#,, the youn& arried #ou+le who stu$le into *eor&e and 2artha.s arital
$attlefield, are +rodu#ts of that era. %ota$ly, 'l$ee does not +raise the or set the u+ as
standards of +erfe#tion. 7ather, he deonstrates that at their #ores, they are hollow and flawed.
6oney and %i#, fun#tion as surro&ates for the audien#e indu#ted into *eor&e and 2artha.s
#haoti# world. "n re#o&niAin& their #oonality with this youn& #ou+le, the audien#e is for#ed to
#o+rehend 'l$ee.s #riti#is of the 'eri#an drea.
't the tie that Who.s 'fraid of /ir&inia Woolf0 was +rodu#ed, 'l$ee was already a su##essful
and noteworthy new +laywri&ht, ost well ,nown for his one-a#t, 3he Boo 8tory. Both +lays
show#ase his talent for #o$inin& realis and a$surdis.
3he audien#e the very audien#e whose dreas and assu+tions 'l$ee sou&ht to #riti=ue was
iediately +olariAed $y Who.s 'fraid of /ir&inia Woolf0. 3he +lay was an enorous
#oer#ial su##ess. 2any audien#e e$ers and #riti#s lauded it as revolutionary and as
ar,in& a new era in 'eri#an draa. Within the de#ade, 'l$ee $e#ae the se#ond ost
+rodu#ed +laywri&ht, after 8ha,es+eare, on #olle&e #a+uses. C'l$ee.s $i&&est #o+etition for
that s+ot was with )u&ene "ones#o, another a$surdist +laywri&ht.D
But any of the +eo+le who saw Who.s 'fraid of /ir&inia Woolf0 durin& its 1962 run found its
lan&ua&e and se4ual #ontent sho#,in& and la$eled it !+erverse! and !dirty inded.! While this
de$ate ra&ed far and wide, even aon& those who had not seen the +lay, it had s+e#ifi#
raifi#ations in the world of theater #riti#s.
3he #oittee sele#ted to #hose the +lay that would $e awarded the >ulitAer >riAe for <raa in
1962 voted to a,e Who.s 'fraid of /ir&inia Woolf0 the winner. 6owever, the >ulitAer >riAe is
overseen $y (olu$ia 9niversity, and the trustees of the university de#ided that Who.s 'fraid of
/ir&inia Woolf0.s e4+li#it lan&ua&e, interest in !ta$oo! su$Ee#ts, and #ontroversial +u$li#
re#e+tion ade it the wron& #hoi#e. 3hou&h it had won the vote, Who.s 'fraid of /ir&inia Woolf0
did not re#eive the award, whi#h was not &iven to any +lay that year as a result.
%onetheless, Who.s 'fraid of /ir&inia Woolf0 won the %ew For, <raa (riti#s (ir#le 'ward
and the 3ony 'ward for Best >lay that year. 'l$ee has won three >ulitAers in years sin#e. 3he
+rodu#tion, whi#h ran at the Billy 7ose 3heatre, featured 9ta 6a&en as 2artha, 'rthur 6ill as
*eor&e, *eor&e *riAAard as %i#,, and 2elinda <illon as 6oney, and was dire#ted $y 'lan
8#hneider.
"n 1966, 2i,e %i#hols dire#ted a fil ada+tation of the #ontroversial +lay, starrin& faous and
#ontroversial then-#ou+le )liAa$eth 3aylor and 7i#hard Burton as 2artha and *eor&e. 8andy
<ennis +layed 6oney, and *eor&e 8e&al +layed %i#,. 8tudio hon#ho Ja#, Warner insisted on
aintainin& the inte&rity of the +lay, and 3he s#reen+lay, ada+ted $y )rnest Gehan, +reserved
virtually all of 'l$ee.s dialo&ue, thou&h it did o+en u+ the lo#ations of the one-set +lay $eyond
*eor&e and 2artha.s livin& roo. 3he fil was shot on-lo#ation as 8ith (olle&e in
%ortha+ton, 2assa#husetts.
<rawn $y the +ower of its #ontroversial stars and the fae of the +lay itself, the fil Who.s
'fraid of /ir&inia Woolf0 was a resoundin& #oer#ial su##ess. "t was the ost e4+ensive $la#,
and white fil ever ade. 8tars Burton and 3aylor drew HI@-,--- and H1.1 illion, res+e#tively.
3hou&h 'l$ee ruoredly wanted to #ast Bette <avis and 6enry Fonda in the roles, studio heads
+revailed. Burton +ushed 3aylor to si&n on. 8he then $rou&ht first-tie dire#tor 2i,e %i#hols on
$oard, and %i#hols in turn #ast Burton as *eor&e.
Friend failiar with the +lay warned 3aylor and Burton that +ortrayin& this hate-filled #ou+le
would $e detriental to their arria&e. "ndeed, it is $elieved that the fil for whi#h 3aylor
&ained 2- +ounds led to their $rea,u+. 3aylor also #hi++ed a tooth durin& filin&. %ot only was
it %i#hols dire#torial de$ut, it was also a#tress 8andy <ennis.s first fil. >re&nant when
+rodu#tion $e&an, she suffered a is#arria&e durin& the filin& of the ovie.
<es+ite Ja#, Warner.s warnin&s, %i#hols shot the fil with the s#ri+t.s +rofanity in ta#t. For the
ost +art, the #ensors let it $y. 3his not only added to the iedia#y and $elieva$ility of the fil
at the tie $ut hel+s it to reain effe#tive even today. %onetheless the dialo&ue that was #ut fro
the +lay u+set 'l$ee, who felt that the +oliti#al essa&e of his +lay were e4#ised fro the fil.
3he fil o+ened on June 22, 1966, at the >anta&es 3heatre in 6ollywood. 'll of the fil.s a#tors
were noinated for '#adey 'wards. 't the tie, that was the first tie this had every
ha++ened. "t has only ha++ened on#e sin#e Cin 19I2D, with 8leuth. 9ltiately, )liAa$eth 3aylor
won the Os#ar for Best '#tress and 8andy <ennis won for Best 8u++ortin& '#tress. 3he fil also
won for Best (ineato&ra+hy, Best 'rt <ire#tion, and Best (ostue <esi&n. "t was noinated
for Best '#tor, Best <ire#tor, Best Fil )ditin&, Best Ori&inal 8#ore, Best >i#ture, Best 8ound,
Best 8u++ortin& '#tor, and Best 'da+ted 8#reen+lay.
3here have $een two aEor theatri#al revivals of Who.s 'fraid of /ir&inia Woolf sin#e its ori&inal
Broadway +rodu#tion. Both were dire#ted $y )dward 'l$ee hiself. 3he +lay was first revived in
19I6 on Broadway. "ts stars, (olleen <ewhurst and Ben *aAAara, were $oth noinated for 3ony
'wards for their +erforan#es. Only fourteen years after the initial +rodu#tion, 'eri#an was a
far different +la#e. Water&ate, /ietna, and the assassinations of John F. Kennedy, 7o$ert
Kennedy, and 2artin Guther Kin&, had all ade 'eri#a a u#h ore #yni#al +la#e +oliti#ally.
(ulture had #han&ed too. %o lon&er was *eor&e and 2artha.s aniosity so sho#,in& or
#ontroversial.
3he se#ond revival was in Gos 'n&eles in 19;9 and starred *lenda Ja#,son and John Gith&ow. "n
%ove$er of that year, #haos $e&an to rei&n in )ast and West Berlin. 3he )ast *eran
&overnent was #olla+sin&. )ast *eran oney was worthless. (rowds $e&an to &ather at the
Berlin wall. On %ove$er 9, the Berlin Wall, the sy$oli# and +hysi#al $arrier se+aratin& )ast
and West Berlin, fell. Just as *eor&e and 2artha ove fro #haos to tentative re#on#iliation in
Who.s 'fraid of /ir&inia Woolf0 the two +arts of *erany $e&an the +ro#ess of re#on#ilin&
theselves into one nation. 3hou&h it reains faous in#reasin&ly in#luded in literature #ourses
and still +erfored $y theatri#al #o+anies and on #olle&e #a+uses 'l$ee.s +lay was without a
dou$t the +rodu#t of an era. With the fall of the Berlin Wall and the end of the (old War, that era
&ae to an end, $ut the +ower of Who.s 'fraid of /ir&inia Woolf0 lives on.
Character List:
Martha: 3he fifty-two-year-old wife of a #olle&e history +rofessor. 2artha defines herself
throu&h her !<addy,! the +resident of the #olle&e in the %ew )n&land town of %ew (artha&e. "n
her +ast, after her other died when 2artha was a #hild, she attended a #onvent s#hool and
youn& ladies. Eunior #olle&e, where she fell in love with a $lue #ollar &ardener and arried hi
on a whi. 6er sho#,ed, u+standin& father =ui#,ly annulled the arria&e thou&h it was
#onsuated and $rou&ht her hoe, where she reveled in the +ower of +layin& hostess for her
widowed father. 8he #hose *eor&e, $elievin& he had +otential to $e#oe the head of the history
de+artent and eventually to re+la#e her father as +resident of the university. *eor&e.s failure to
rise to this +osition is her $i&&est disa++ointent, and she refuses to let her hus$and see Eust how
u#h of a disa++ointent he is to her. %ow @2, 2artha is a $rayin&, heavy-drin,in&
e$arrassent, who sedu#es new fa#ulty e$er %i#, Eust to an&er *eor&e and has no =uals
a$out airin& her dirty laundry in front of &uests. 2artha.s de#ision to share the story of their
ia&inary son with the &uests $rea,s the uns+o,en rules of the eotionally #ruel &aes she +lays
with *eor&e and leads to #haos.
George: Forty-si4 years old and an a#,nowled&ed failure. *eor&e is in the history de+artent,
thou&h u#h to 2artha.s #ha&rin, he is not the head of the history de+artent. 's a teena&e $oy
he ay have a##identally shot his other and a##identally ,illed his father in a #ar #rash. Or this
ay $e Eust a fi#tion he has #reated. *eor&e.s +rofessional hi&h-+oint #ae durin& the war when
he was left in #har&e of the de+artent while the other fa#ulty e$ers were servin& in the
ilitary. 8in#e then, he has written an auto$io&ra+hi#al novel, the +u$li#ation of whi#h was
for$idden $y 2artha.s father. 'lways in the shadow of his father-in-law, who he #alls a &reat
white ouse with red eyes, *eor&e +lays alon& with 2artha.s &aes. When alone with her, he
i&nores her as u#h as +ossi$le. But when she laun#hes into a &ae of 6uiliate the 6ost,
e4+osin& his ost +ainful se#rets to %i#, and 6oney, *eor&e de#ides to stri,e $a#,. 9na$le to
#ontrol his wife, *eor&e usually retreats into his history $oo,s. 6e a,es the $i&&est +ower +lay
of his life here, !,illin&! the ia&inary son he shares with 2artha, thus +unishin& her for
$rin&in& their illusion into the harsh li&ht of reality.
Nick: %i#, is thirty years old and $lond, a youn& &enius who re#eived his 2aster.s de&ree at
twenty. 6e &rew u+ in the 2idwest with his wife 6oney, who he ,new sin#e #hildhood. 3hou&h
he initially a++ears to love his wife, it $e#oes evident that he arried her for her oney and
$e#ause she was +re&nant with what turned out to $e a hysteri#al +re&nan#y. 'n a$itious new
e$er of the #olle&e.s $iolo&y de+artent, %i#, is the &olden-haired $oy who Eust i&ht
su##eed where *eor&e failed ta,in& every o++ortunity offered to hi to &et ahead, in#ludin& se4
with fa#ulty wives. 't first, he a#ts horrified $y *eor&e and 2artha.s anti#s $ut soon $e#oes
drawn in. 6e atte+ts to slee+ with 2artha and is +roved i+otent.
Honey: %i#,.s twenty-si4-year-old wife. 8he.s frail and !sli-hi++ed.! 6oney is ri#h, left oney
$y her late evan&elist father. 8he drowns her sorrows in $randy, &ettin& silly and #hildli,e. 8he
suffered a hysteri#al +re&nan#y, whi#h led %i#, to arry her. While drun,, she #onfesses to
*eor&e her fear of the +ain of #hild$irth and of &ettin& +re&nant whi#h she is, un$e,nownst to
%i#,, +reventin& se#retly. <run, and throwin& u+ in the $athroo for ost of the +lay, 6oney is
the ost inno#ent of all the #hara#ters. 6er iediate rea#tions to the #haos around her fun#tion
as a sort of *ree, #horus on *eor&e and 2artha.s arria&e.
Main Themes:
Reality vs. Illusion: )dward 'l$ee has said that the son&, !Who.s 'fraid of /ir&inia Woolf0!
eans !Who is afraid to live without illusion0! 't the end of the +lay, 2artha says that she is.
"ndeed, the illusion of their son sustains *eor&e and 2artha.s te+estuous arria&e. 9ltiately,
*eor&e ta,es it u+on hiself to !,ill! that illusion when 2artha $rin&s it too far into reality.
3hrou&hout the +lay, illusion sees indistin&uisha$le fro reality. "t is diffi#ult to tell whi#h of
*eor&e and 2artha.s stories a$out their son, a$out *eor&e.s +ast are true or fi#tional. 8iilarly,
%i#, and 6oney.s lives are $ased on illusion. %i#, arried for oney, not love. 3hou&h he loo,s
stron& and for#eful, he is i+otent. 6oney has $een de#eivin& hi $y usin& $irth #ontrol to
+revent +re&nan#y. 's an '$surdist, 'l$ee $elieved that a life of illusion was wron& $e#ause it
#reated a false #ontent for life, Eust as *eor&e and 2artha.s e+ty arria&e revolves around an
ia&inary son. "n 'l$ee.s view, reality la#,s any dee+er eanin&, and *eor&e and 2artha ust
#oe to fa#e that $y a$andonin& their illusions.
Games and War: 3he title of the first a#t is !Fun and *aes.! 3hat in itself is de#e+tive, for the
&aes that *eor&e and 2artha +lay with their &uests are not the e4+e#ted +arty &aes. 7ather,
their &aes of 6uiliate the 6ost, *et the *uests, and 6u+ the 6ostess whi#h involves the
#hara#ters. dee+est eotions. *eor&e.s #hara#teriAation of these eotionally destru#tive a#tivities
as &aes and assu+tion of the role of rin& aster reveals that all the events of the evenin& are
+art of a +ower stru&&le $etween hi and 2artha, in whi#h one of the intends to eer&e as
vi#tor. 2artha and *eor&e.s ver$al $anter and one u+sanshi+ is also #hara#teristi# of their
on&oin& &ae-+layin&. Fears of arria&e have turned insults into a finely honed routine. By
#hara#teriAin& these a#tivities of &aes, 'l$ee does not su&&est that they are frivolous or
eanin&less. 7ather, he li,ens &ae-+layin& to war and deonstrates the de&ree to whi#h *eor&e
and 2artha are #oitted to destroyin& ea#h other. *eor&e and 2artha in fa#t de#lare !all out
war! on ea#h other. What $e&ins as a &ae and a diversion es#alates over the #ourse of the +lay
until the #hara#ters try to destroy ea#h other and theselves.
History vs. Biology: *eor&e and %i#,.s a#adei# de+artents at %ew (artha&e (olle&e set u+ a
diale#ti# in whi#h 'l$ee +resents a warnin& a$out the future of life. *eor&e is an asso#iate
+rofessor in the 6istory <e+artent, while %i#, is a new e$er of the Biolo&y <e+artent.
Old, tired, and ineffe#tual, *eor&e e4e+lifies the su$Ee#t that he tea#hes. What.s ore, he notes
that no one +ays attention to the lessons of history Eust as %i#, i&nores *eor&e.s sin#ere advi#e,
res+ondin& #onte+tuously, !9+ your1! %i#,, as a re+resentative of s#ien#e, is youn& and vital.
"n the words of *eor&e, he is the !wave of the future.! 3hrou&h %i#, and *eor&e.s ar&uent
a$out Biolo&y and 6istory, 'l$ee deonstrates two #lashin& worldviews. *eor&e.s la#, of
su##ess in the 6istory <e+artent and ina$ility to rise to +ower as su##essor to the +resident of
the #olle&e #ontrasts with %i#,.s +lans and seein& a$ility to ove ahead first ta,in& over the
Biolo&y <e+artent, then the #olle&e. 'l$ee #learly intends for us to +er#eive %i#,.s Chalf-
Eo,in&D +lan as a threat. *eor&e.s #riti#is of Biolo&y.s a$ility to #reate a ra#e of identi#al test
tu$e $a$ies all li,e %i#, and %i#,.s ruthless willin&ness to ta,e any eans ne#essary Cin#ludin&
slee+in& with fa#tory wivesD to &et ahead reveals the a$sen#e of orality and fri&htenin&
unifority in a future deterined $y s#ien#e. What.s ore, in e4+osin& seein&ly virile %i#,.s
i+oten#e, 'l$ee deonstrates the underlyin& +owerlessness of s#ien#e and in *eor&e.s
+erseveran#e, the une4+e#ted stayin& +ower of history.
The American ream: 3he title of one of his earlier +lays, the 'eri#an <rea was a
si&nifi#ant #on#ern of 'l$ee.s. "n Who.s 'fraid of /ir&inia Woolf0, he e4+lores the illusion of an
'eri#an drea that as,s a #ore of destru#tion and failure. Writin& durin& the (old War, 'l$ee
was res+ondin& to a +u$li# that was Eust $e&innin& to =uestion the +atrioti# assu+tions of the
19@-.s. 6is *eor&e and 2artha referen#e +atrioti# naesa,es *eor&e and 2artha Washin&ton.
'l$ee uses this sy$oli# first #ou+le.s unha++y arria&e as a i#ro#os for the i+erfe#t state
of 'eri#a. When *eor&e and 2artha.s arria&e is revealed to $e a sha $ased on the illusion of
an ia&inary son, the viewer is led to =uestion the illusions that siilarly +ro+ u+ the 'eri#an
drea. %i#, and 6oney, a #onventional 'eri#an drea #ou+le, are also revealed to $e
+resentin& a falsely ha++y faJade. 3hey too se#retly ta,e advanta&e of and lie to ea#h other.
What.s ore, %i#,.s nae is a dire#t referen#e to 8oviet +reier %i,ita Khrush#hev, and his
threat to *eor&e and 2artha.s arria&e referen#es the (old War turoil of 'eri#a.
The !hristian allegory: 8u$tle referen#es to (hristianity, +arti#ularly to (atholi# rites and
rituals, a$ound in Who.s 'fraid of /ir&inia Woolf0. For instan#e, 2artha refers to her Cia&inaryD
son as a !+oor la$,! a,in& hi a (hrist sy$ol for Jesus is also ,nown as the Ga$ of *od.
*eor&e #hants the Kyrie )leison, <ies "rae, and 7e=uie fro (atholi# litur&y. 3he door$ells
#hies whi#h sound at the end of the se#ond a#t e#ho the #hies that sound durin& a (atholi#
ass. 'l$ee even naes the third a#t of the +lay !3he )4or#is.! 3hat nae, of #ourse, refers to
*eor&e.s atte+t to ,ill the !son! and thus e4or#ise illusion fro his arria&e. 3he ,illin& of the
!la$! #an also $e seen as a sa#rifi#e ne#essary to save *eor&e and 2artha.s arria&e. *eor&e
#alls the +ro#eedin&s !an )aster +a&eant,! referen#in& the day the Ga$ of *od was sa#rifi#ed to
save the world, and the s#ene even ta,es +la#e early on a 8unday ornin&.
"ove and Hate: "n his +ortrayal of *eor&e and 2artha.s arria&e, 'l$ee sees to a,e the not-
un#oon literary assertion that love and hate are two +arts of a sin&le whole. Fro their
vitrioli# $anter, it #learly a++ears that *eor&e and 2artha hate ea#h other. "n fa#t, they say as
u#h and even +led&e to destroy ea#h other. %onetheless, there are oents of tenderness that
#ontradi#t this hatred. *eor&e even tells %i#, not to ne#essarily $elieve what he sees. 8oe of
*eor&e and 2artha.s ar&uents are for show, others are for the #hallen&e of ar&uin&, while still
others are indeed eant to hurt ea#h other. 6owever, 2artha.s de#laration that *eor&e is really
the only one who #an satisfy her su&&ests that there are or have $een +ositive as+e#ts to their
arria&e. (learly, as u#h as they fi&ht, they also need ea#h other, even if Eust to aintain the
illusions that ,ee+ the &oin&.
Short Summary:
'#t One, !Fun and *aes,! o+ens at two o.#lo#, on a 8unday ornin& as iddle-a&ed #ou+le
*eor&e and 2artha return hoe fro a fa#ulty +arty at a sall #olle&e in the %ew )n&land town
of %ew (artha&e. Over the #ourse of the s#ene, as 2artha $i#,ers with *eor&e, we learn that
*eor&e is a &oin&-nowhere history +rofessor, while 2artha is the dau&hter of the #olle&e
+resident. 8he soon infors hi that she has invited a new e$er of the 2ath <e+artent over
for drin,s. 2artha also loudly sin&s, !Who.s 'fraid of /ir&inia Woolf0! a Eo,e of a son& they
heard at the fa#ulty +arty and is an&ry that *eor&e doesn.t lau&h. Before their &uests arrive,
*eor&e warns her not to do !the $it a$out the ,id.!
3heir &uests are %i#,, a $lond 3--year-old +rofessor in the Biolo&y <e+artent, and his wife
6oney. %i#, and 6oney are soewhat sho#,ed at $ein& thrown into the war Aone that is 2artha
and *eor&e.s arria&e. While 6oney #o+es $y drin,in& $randy after Brandy, %i#, atte+ts to
insinuate hiself into his hosts. &ood &ra#es. <run,en 2artha is shaelessly flirtin& with hi
iediately. 2artha &oes off to show 6oney to the $athroo. While the woen are &one,
*eor&e $itterly su&&ests that %i#, will ta,e over the Biolo&y <e+artent and the #olle&e. When
6oney returns, she entions that she didn.t ,now *eor&e and 2artha had a son. *eor&e is furious
at 2artha, who has told 6oney that their son, whose 21st $irthday is toorrow, will $e returnin&
hoe the ne4t day.
2artha, who has #han&ed into a sedu#tive outfit, #ontinues shaelessly flirtin& with %i#, and
insultin& *eor&e, tellin& a story a$out how she +un#hed *eor&e when he refused to Eoin in a
$o4in& at#h with her father. *eor&e &rows fed u+ and leaves the roo. 6e #oes $a#, with a
rifle and sho#,s everyone $y firin& it at 2artha. ' +arasol, not a $ullet, eru+ts fro the $arrel.
3he tension dissi+ates a $it and *eor&e, u#h to 2artha.s #ha&rin, insists on tal,in& a$out their
son. 3he two ar&ue whi#h has $een the worse influen#e on the $oy, and 2artha +ro#eeds with her
ta#t of huiliation $y tellin& %i#, and 6oney how *eor&e is flo+ who failed to ta,e over the
6istory <e+artent, as she.d anti#i+ated when they &ot arried. 3heir shoutin& at#h ends when
*eor&e &ra$s 6oney and dan#es around with her while sin&in& !Who.s 'fraid of /ir&inia
Woolf0! 6oney rushes off to the $athroo to $e si#,.
'#t 3wo, !Wal+ur&isna#ht,! o+ens as 2artha is a,in& #offee in the ,it#hen. *eor&e learns fro
%i#, that he arried 6oney $e#ause she was +re&nant with what ended u+ $ein& a hysteri#al
+re&nan#y. 3he added $onus is that she is ri#h, left oney $y her evan&elist father. 6e half-
Eo,in&ly #onfides his +lan to rise to +ower at the #olle&e $y slee+in& with wives of i+ortant
fa#ulty e$ers. *eor&e shares an ane#dote of a $oy, who he says he ,new in +re+ s#hool,
who ordered !$er&in! at a &in Eoint with his friends. 3his $oy had a##identally ,illed his other
with a shot&un, and a year later, with his learners +erit in his +o#,et, he #rashed into a tree and
,illed his father.
2artha and 6oney return. 2artha is even ore $latant in her flirtation with %i#,. When 6oney
de#lares that she wants to do "nter+retive <an#e, 2artha ta,es the o++ortunity to dan#e with %i#,
in a $latant las#ivious anner. *eor&e &ets fed u+ when 2artha #ontinues to insult hi,
su&&estin& that the $oy who ordered !$er&in! and ,illed his +arents was *eor&e and o#,in& his
failed atte+t at +u$lishin& a novel. 6e tries to stran&le her, $ut %i#, +ulls hi off.
*eor&e announ#es it.s tie for a new &ae. 3hey.ve Eust finished +layin& 6uiliate the 6ost, and
there will $e tie for 6u+ the 6ostess later. %ow, it.s tie for *et the *uests. *eor&e toys with
a #onfused 6oney $y tellin& her a story of a &irl naed 2ousie who +uffed u+ and whose +uff
went !+oof.! 6oney a&ain runs off to $e si#, a&ain.
While 6oney is lyin& on the #ool tile of the $athroo floor, *eor&e turns his $a#, to 2artha and
%i#,, who $e&in to ,iss and &ro+e on the #ou#h. 2artha is annoyed that *eor&e is not +ayin&
attention and &ettin& an&ry. 8he and %i#, eventually ove off to the ,it#hen, $u+in& into the
door$ell #hies on the way. 6oney stu$les out to the livin& roo, still half in her drea, tellin&
*eor&e that she heard $ells. 6oney.s half-#oherent u$lin&s reveal that she.s terrified of havin&
#hildren and has a#tually $een se#retly +reventin& &ettin& +re&nant. 6oney.s #ontinued tal, of
$ells &ives *eor&e an idea of how to &et even with 2artha he.ll tell her he re#eived a tele&ra
that said that their son is dead.
'#t 3hree, !3he )4or#is,! o+ens as 2artha wanders onsta&e alone. <run, and e4hausted, she
laun#hes into a #onfused onolo&ue whi#h reveals her des+eration and loneliness. 8he says that
she and *eor&e #ry all the tie, then freeAe their tears into i#e #u$es for their drin,s. %i#, #oes
$a#, onsta&e, wonderin& what has ha++ened. *eor&e is &one, and 6oney is $a#, in the $athroo.
2artha #alls hi a flo+ and reveals his i+oten#e, sur+risin& hi when she tells hi that *eor&e
is the only one who #an satisfy her. 8he tells %i#, not to $elieve a++earan#es and +raises
*eor&e.s a$ility to learn the &aes as =ui#,ly as she #an #han&e the rules.
%i#, is furious and &rows ore so when 2artha #ontinually refers to hi as a house$oy and a
&i&olo. When the door$ell starts rin&in&, she tells the house$oy to &et it. "t.s *eor&e, hidin&
$ehind a $ou=uet of flowers, =uotin& a line fro 3ennessee Willias. ' 8treet#ar %aed <esire5
!Flores +ara los uertos.! *eor&e +retends to $e a Western 9nion an and a#ts as if he.s
ista,en %i#, for his and 2artha.s son. %i#, &ets fed u+ and #alls the vi#ious, and *eor&e and
2artha Eoin to&ether in deridin& the.
8oon, *eor&e and 2artha laun#h into another series of ar&uents over seein&ly eanin&less
to+i#s whether or not there is a oon that ni&ht, whether or not *eor&e has ta,en a tri+ to
2aEor#a that #ontinually referen#e truth and illusion. *eor&e starts throwin& his $ou=uet of
sna+dra&ons at 2artha, tellin& her their arria&e has &one sna+.
*eor&e dra&s 6oney $a#, into the roo and announ#es one last &ae, Brin&in& 9+ Ba$y, to $e
+layed to the death. 6oney, very drun, and holdin& a $ottle, wants to +lay >eel the Ga$el instead.
*eor&e assures her they have. *eor&e $e&ins to tell a rehearsed story a$out their son, s#ared away
$y 2artha.s over$earin& +resen#e. 2artha #ounters with a story of her own des#ri$in& an
idealiAed #hildhood. <urin& her story, *eor&e $e&ins to #hant the 7e=uie. "n the idst of this,
6oney suddenly #ries out that she wants a #hild. 2artha $e&ins to $lae *eor&e for dra&&in& the
$oy down with hi, and their ar&uent intensifies. 6oney +leads for the to sto+.
8lowly and deli$erately, *eor&e tells 2artha that their son is dead. 6e was drivin& on a #ountry
road, swerved to avoid a +or#u+ine, and #rashed into a tree, the e4a#t details of the !$er&in! $oy.s
story. 2artha is furious and yells that *eor&e has no ri&ht to do this. *eor&e insists that those
were always the rules of the &ae, and that on#e she $ro,e the rules $y entionin& their son, he
had no other #hoi#e. %i#, finally realiAes that the son is ia&inary, and *eor&e #onfirs his
sus+i#ions. 3hey #ouldn.t have any #hildren. 6e su&&ests %i#, and 6oney &o hoe.
3he last few inutes of the +lay are =uiet and tender. *eor&e assures 2artha that thin&s will $e
$etter and says a =uiet no to her su&&estion that they #reate another #hild. 6e $e&ins to sin& her
!Who.s 'fraid of /ir&inia Woolf0! as a sort of lulla$y, and 2artha answers, !" a.!
Act One Summary:
!un and "ames
O+en on the hoe of *eor&e and 2artha, a iddle-a&ed #ou+le in the )ast #oast #olle&e town of
%ew (artha&e. We hear a #rash in the dar,ness. 3he door o+ens, the li&hts #oe on, and 2artha
enters followed $y *eor&e. 2artha =uotes the line !What a du+1! fro a Bette <avis ovie,
then +ro#eeds to na& *eor&e, deandin& he fi&ure out what ovie it.s fro. *eor&e at first
huors his wife $ut #learly doesn.t ,now or #are. 6e a##uses her of $rayin&, $ut when she $rays,
!" don.t $ray1! he =ui#,ly re#ants.
2artha deands *eor&e a,e her a drin, and then infors hi they.ve &ot &uests #oin&.
2artha invited a #ou+le they et at a fa#ulty +arty that evenin& a thirtyish, $lond an fro the
ath de+artent and his ousy, sli-hi++ed wife $e#ause her <addy, the +resident of the
#olle&e, said they should $e ni#e to the. *eor&e is not ha++y. "t.s two o.#lo#, in the ornin&.
2artha a##uses hi sul,in&, then +atroniAin&ly a#ts sy+atheti#. When she doesn.t &et a
rea#tion, she $e&ins to sin&, !Who.s afraid of /ir&inia Woolf0! to the tune of !Who.s afraid of the
Bi& Bad Wolf0! insistin& that *eor&e who #ontinues to i&nore her thou&ht it was hilarious at the
+arty.
Fed u+, 2artha $e&ins to rant a$out *eor&e $ein& a !si+.! 8he &ets off tra#, sayin& he !doesn.t
even have the the what0! and *eor&e #ally finishes the senten#e for her !the &uts.! 3hey share
a oent of lau&hter, and the tension diffuses oentarily. 3he tal, turns to the i#e in 2artha.s
drin, whi#h she always eats and *eor&e reinds her that she.ll always $e si4 years older than
hi. 8he deands a ,iss, $ut he refuses, with the e4#use that he.ll &et too e4#ited, have to ta,e
her in the floor, and then their &uests will #oe in. 2artha, a heavy drin,er, wants another drin,,
and *eor&e tells her she $etter stay on her feet and ,ee+ her #lothes on when the &uests arrive.
3he door$ell rin&s. 2artha deands *eor&e &et it $ut when he refuses, she Eust yells, !(oe in1!
6e oves toward the door, $e&&in& her not to do !the $it a$out the ,id.! 3hey ar&ue a$out it, and
Eust as 2artha yells, !s#rew you! at *eor&e, %i#, and 6oney ste+ inside. 2artha #overs with an
e4+ression of over-+oliteness, invitin& the in. %i#, wonders if ay$e it.s too late and they
should &o, $ut 2artha +ushes the to sit down. %i#, atte+ts to #oent on a +aintin& $ut
*eor&e o#,s hi $y finishin& his senten#es with eanin&less insi&hts.
2artha offers to &et the drin,s C$randy for 6oney, $our$on for %i#,D, and *eor&e rear,s on
2artha.s #han&in& taste drin,s sin#e they were #ourtin&. 2artha laun#hes into another rendition
of !Who.s afraid of /ir&inia Woolf0! and %i#, when +ressed says it was funny. When *eor&e
rear,s on 2artha.s deand that +eo+le who find soethin& funny !$ust a &ut,! 6oney +i+es u+
that she had fun at the +arty and #o+lients 2artha.s father, the #olle&e +resident. *eor&e
dead+ans that he.s a &od and rear,s on how any fa#ulty +arties he.s $een to. %i#, ,ills the
atte+ted ra++ort $y des#ri$in& the +oor re#e+tion he re#eived when tea#hin& in Kansas. 6oney
says she had to introdu#e herself to the other wives at the su+erar,et.
2artha.s insisten#e that !<addy ,nows how to run thin&s! +ro+ts *eor&e to #onfide that there
are easier thin&s than to $e arried to the dau&hter of the +resident of a university to whi#h
2artha de#lares that for soe en, it would $e an o++ortunity. 6oney tries to es#a+e $y as,in&
the way to the restroo, and 2artha offers to show her the whole house $ut not $efore s#offin&
at *eor&e.s reinder not to shoot her outh off a$out !you-,now-what.!
Geft alone, *eor&e refills %i#,.s drin, and atte+t to a,e sall tal, $y as,in& if %i#,.s in the
ath de+artent. 6e.s not. When he starts +layin& with %i#,, turnin& his answers around, %i#,
&ets testy. *eor&e says he.s $een here ever sin#e he arried 2artha !forever! and deands %i#,
#oent on his de#lension5 !*ood. Better. Bested.! %i#, #alls *eor&e on his little &ae, and
*eor&e sin#erely tries to #al hi down, wren#hin& the &lass out of his hand to freshen it. %i#,
wants to leave, assuin& that *eor&e and 2artha are havin& a fi&ht and not wantin& to &et into
other +eo+le.s affairs, $ut *eor&e says it.s Eust e4er#ise. Besides, !usi#al $eds is the fa#ulty
s+ort around here.!
*eor&e a#ts %i#,.s a&e C2;D and says he.s fortysoethin&, thou&h he loo,s older. 6e as,s his
wei&ht and says they should +lay hand$all soetie. 6oney, %i#, says, is 26. *eor&e turns $a#,
to the to+i# of %i#, $ein& in the ath de+artent, $ut %i#, says that in fa#t he is in the $iolo&y
de+artent. *eor&e is !very istrustful! of the $iolo&ists who are &oin& to a,e everyone
e4a#tly the sae $y rearran&in& all the !#hrooAones.! *eor&e, however, is in the 6istory
<e+artent thou&h 2artha would +refer that he $e the 6istory <e+artent, that is $e the head of
the 6istory <e+artent. 6e did run it for four years durin& the war $ut then every$ody didn.t &et
,illed and #ae $a#, to the university.
8uddenly, *eor&e #oents that %i#,.s wife is !sli-hi++ed,! wonders what the woen are
doin& u+stairs, and as,s if %i#, and 6oney have ,ids. %ot yet, %i#, says, $ut hed&es that they are
&oin& to have soe when *eor&e as,s. When as,ed if he.s &oin& to $e ha++y in %ew (artha&e,
%i#, says he thin,s they.ll stay, thou&h not forever. *eor&e tells hi that 2artha.s father li,es
devotion fro his staff. One an a#tually died !in the line of servi#e! in the #afeteria line at
lun#h. But the old an is never &oin& to die and a##ordin& to *eor&e is two hundred years old.
8uddenly *eor&e yells for 2artha, who howls $a#,. 6oney reenters, and *eor&e and 2artha
,ee+ shoutin& at ea#h other. 6oney says that 2artha is #han&in& to $e #oforta$le and rear,s
she hadn.t ,nown till a inute a&o that *eor&e and 2artha had a son. 3oorrow.s his $irthday.
6e.ll $e twenty-one. *eor&e is stran&ely flustered and insults the a$sent 2artha. 6oney su&&ests
to %i#, that they $e &ettin& hoe, and a +reo##u+ied *eor&e as,s if they.re ,ee+in& the $a$ysitter
u+. %i#, sounds li,e he.s warnin& *eor&e when he reinds hi that they don.t have #hildren and
tells 6oney they.ll &o in a little while.
*eor&e tells %i#, that 2artha ust $e #han&in& for hi, as she hasn.t #han&ed for *eor&e in
years. 2artha enters loo,in& ore #oforta$le and ost volu+tuous, showin& her $ody off and
a#tin& flirtatious. 3here.s a seein&ly friendly e4#han&e a$out the en wantin& to ,now what the
woen were tal,in& a$out. 6oney has told 2artha that %i#, &ot his asters when he was only
19. 2artha doesn.t thin, *eor&e is i+ressed enou&h, and *eor&e says he wouldn.t $e sur+rised
if %i#, too, over the 6istory <e+artent. 2artha noti#es his ista,e and +ro#lais that *eor&e
is +reo##u+ied with the 6istory <e+artent and *eor&e finishes for her, $e#ause he is not the
6istory <e+artent and #ontinues that he.s $o&&ed down in it, lau&hin&ly #allin& hi swa+y.
*eor&e restrains his an&er with soe trou$le and offers to &et 2artha soethin& sayin& that he
holds her hand when it.s dar, and ta,es her &in $ottles out after idni&ht so no one sees $ut will
not li&ht her #i&arette when she as,s. %i#, li&hts 2artha.s #i&arette, and she #oos over his
foot$all and $o4in& e4+erien#e, as well as his $ody. *eor&e is aaAed that 6oney a#ts aused.
*eor&e stal,s off down the hall.
2artha laun#hes into a story a$out a $o4in& at#h she and *eor&e had a$out twenty years a&o, a
#ou+le of years after they were arried. "t was wartie, and her <addy was on a +hysi#al fitness
,i#,. 6e wanted to $o4 with *eor&e in the $a#,yard one 8unday, and *eor&e didn.t want to. 8o
2artha +ut on a +air of &loves and snu#, u+ $ehind *eor&e, yelled his nae, and +un#hed hi
u#h harder than she e4+e#ted in the Eaw, ,no#,in& hi down. *eor&e advan#es fro down the
hall and +ulls a shot&un on 2artha. 6oney sees it first, then %i#,, and Eust as 2artha loo,s u+, he
+ulls the tri&&er. ' lar&e +arasol $lossos fro the $arrel of the &un. 6oney, who had Eust
s#reaed, lau&hs, as do 2artha and *eor&e.
's %i#, e4aines the &un, 2artha deands a ,iss fro *eor&e, who relu#tantly &ives it to her,
then +ulls away when he +la#es his hand on her $reast a##usin& her of havin& $lue &aes for the
&uests. 8he.s an&ry and hurt. 6e &ets drin,s for all and shows %i#, the &un and +arasol. 6oney,
loo,in& for attention, ,ee+s insistin& that she.s never $een so fri&htened in her life. 2artha lau&hs
when *eor&e as,s is she thou&ht he was &oin& to ,ill her $ut he says he i&ht, soe day. %i#,
sets off for the $athroo. When he sets his &lass down, *eor&e says that it.s o,ay, sin#e 2artha
leaves the all over the house, even in the freeAer on#e. 'used in s+ite of herself, 2artha
insists that she didn.t.
6oney, who.s still drin,in& $randy, says she never &ets a han&over $e#ause she doesn.t i4 and
doesn.t drin, u#h. When *eor&e $rin&s u+ %i#,.s tal, a$out the #hroosoes, 2artha insists
that %i#, is in the 2ath <e+artent until 6oney =uietly #ontradi#ts her. 2artha says that
$iolo&y.s even $etter $e#ause it.s ri&ht at the eat of thin& whi#h she tells %i#, when he returns,
laun#hin& into her rant a$out !swa+y! *eor&e not ta,in& over the 6istory <e+artent. 8he
#o+lients %i#, on his #hroosoe wor,, sayin& she loves #hroosoes.
*eor&e #o+lains that they are twea,in& #hroosoes to a,e a ra#e of test tu$e $read en
who are su+er$ and e4a#tly the sae. 3hey.ll all loo, Eust li,e %i#,. 3he dar, side is that
hundreds of !s+er tu$es! of the stu+id, u&ly, i+erfe#t, and infir will have to $e #ut, in order
to have this ra#e of &lorious en a ra#e of $lond s#ientists at the iddle wei&ht liit. 3here will
$e a loss of li$erty and diversity of #ourse. %i#,.s not ha++y. *eor&e &oes on that his field,
history, will lose its un+redi#ta$ility, and there will $e order and #onstan#y. 6e refuses, however,
to !&ive u+ Berlin! $e#ause there is a saloon in West Berlin where the $arstools are five feet
hi&h. 6e will fi&ht %i#,, with one hand on his s#rotu, to the death. 2artha o#, lau&hs. 6oney,
drun,, doesn.t why %i#, never told her this. %i#, is furious.
When 2artha sala#iously as,s if everyone is &oin& to loo, li,e %i#, in this new world, he says
he.s &oin& to $e a +ersonal s#rewin& a#hine. 6oney doesn.t want to hear this and +outs for a
se#ond, then &i&&les insanely, as,in& *eor&e where his son is. /ery forally, *eor&e as,s 2artha
when their son is #oin& hoe. 2artha tries to $rush off this to+i# of #onversation, $ut *eor&e
insists, reindin& her that toorrow is the !little $u&&er.s! $irthday. 2artha announ#es that
*eor&e tal,s dis+ara&in&ly a$out the !little $u&&er! $e#ause he.s not #o+letely sure it.s his own
,id. <run,, 6oney is $lown away $y all this. *eor&e insists that at the #ore of his $ein&, he.s
#ertain of his !#hroosoolo&i#al +artnershi+! in the #reation of this !$lond-eyed, $lue-haired!
son.
2artha.s i+ressed and says she ,nows $etter. 8he.s $een to #olle&e li,e everyone else. *eor&e
says she.s also $een a #onvent when she was youn&er. 2artha says she was an atheist then and
still is $ut *eor&e #orre#ts $y #allin& her a +a&an. 3here.s soe relatively &ood-natured Eo,in&,
and 2artha #alls *eor&e a flooAie until 6oney #orre#ts that 2artha.s a flooAie and as,s for ore
$randy. 2artha says that their son has &reen eyes, and they ar&ue a$out that. 6er own eyes are
&reen $ut ore li,e haAel *eor&e.s are il,y $lue, and <addy.s are &reen. *eor&e insists that
her father has tiny red eyes and white hair and is in fa#t a $i& white ouse. 2artha says that
*eor&e hates <addy for his own inade=ua#ies, *eor&e finishes. *eor&e leaves.
2artha tells %i#, that *eor&e hates her father. %i#, tries to a,e li&ht of it, $ut she insists she.s
not ,iddin& and has no sense of huor 6oney.s e4#ited when 2artha says she.s &oin& to say why
!the 8OB! hates her father her other died early, she &rew u+ with <addy and worshi++ed hi.
<addy $uilt the #olle&e and is the #olle&e. 'fter 2artha &ot $a#, fro #olle&e, 2iss 2uff.s
'#adey for Gadies, where she had $een arried for a wee,, her so+hoore year, in a !,ind of
Eunior Gady (hatterly arran&eent,! to a na,ed lands#a+er, until 2iss 2uff and <addy &ot it
annulled, she sat around for a while and a#ted as hostess for <addy. 3hen, she &ot the idea she.d
arry into the #olle&e, soeone to $e &rooed to ta,e <addy.s +la#e. 3his was her idea, not
<addy.s. 3hen *eor&e #ae alon&.
*eor&e enters and hears this. 6oney, who has $een +retty out of it, is &lad to see hi $a#,.
2artha #ontinues that *eor&e was youn& and intelli&ent and si4 years youn&er than her, *eor&e
says in the 6istory <e+artent, and she fell for hi. *eor&e +lays alon&, #allin& her a roanti#
at heart, until 2artha $rin&s u+ the idea of su##ession. 6e too-+atiently tries to &et her to sto+,
es+e#ially now that she.s already s+run& a lea, a$out their son, and warns her if she #ontinues,
he.s &oin& to &et an&ry. 2artha #ontinues as *eor&e fues at the $ar.
<addy thou&ht this &rooin& thin& was a &ood idea until he wat#hed *eor&e for a #ou+le of
years and realiAed *eor&e didn.t have the stuff that *eor&e was a &reat $i& FGO>. *eor&e $rea,s
a $ottle a&ainst the $ar and stands there, alost #ryin&, tellin& 2artha to sto+. 6e dro+s it on the
floor, as 2artha #ally warns the he $etter not have wasted &ood al#ohol, sin#e he #an.t afford
that on an 'sso#iate >rofessor.s salary. 8he #ontinues that he was no &ood at trustees. dinners,
fundraisin&, and now she.s stu#, with this flo+ who.s arried to the +resident.s dau&hter and
e4+e#ted to $e soe$ody. 9nder her entire s+ee#h, *eor&e sin&s !Who.s afraid of /ir&inia
Woolf0! But instead she.s stu#, with a #onte+lative $oo,wor that doesn.t have the &uts to
a,e any$ody +roud. 6oney Eoins in sin&in& with *eor&e, then suddenly says she.s &oin& to $e
si#, and runs down the hall. %i#, &oes after her. 2artha &oes after the, leavin& *eor&e onsta&e
alone at #urtain.
Act One Analysis:
3he a#tion of this a#t ta,es +la#e in the hoe of *eor&e and 2artha in %ew (artha&e,
(onne#ti#ut. "n his use of settin&, )dward 'l$ee #riti=ues the very su$Ee#t atter he had first
atta#,ed in his earlier one-a#t +lay 'eri#an <rea. 'l$ee wrote this +lay in the early 196-.s, at
a tie when 'eri#ans were $e&innin& to =uestion the 'eri#an drea of the +ostwar 19@-.s.
*eor&e.s #riti#al referen#es to World War 3wo throu&hout this a#t reveal the way the author and
#hara#ters. lives have $een sha+ed $y twentieth-#entury 'eri#an history.
*eor&e, who says he was at the #olle&e helin& the 6istory <e+artent durin& the war, was
#learly e4e+t fro servi#e. 3hou&h we are &iven no e4+li#it reason why he didn.t serve as so
any of the +rofessors did, his la#, of +arti#i+ation in the ilitary is one of any reason that he
and ore so, 2artha dou$t his anhood. 'nother e4a+le in whi#h anhood is even ore
e4+li#itly lin,ed to fi&htin& is the ane#dote a$out 2artha.s father, who wanted to $o4 with
*eor&e. *eor&e.s re#o&nition that his father-in-law, thou&h old, is stron&er than hi, and his
refusal to fi&ht deonstrate Eust how dee+ly *eor&e has internaliAed his $elief in the old an.s
+ower over hi.
*eor&e.s insisten#e that no one fro %ew (artha&e (olle&e died durin& the war e4+oses the yth
of the 'eri#an drea as false and e+ty. 3he asso#iation $etween anhood and ilitary
servi#e is falseK a##ordin& to *eor&e, non of the other %ew (artha&e +rofessors ris,ed their lives
in the war. "roni#ally, *eor&e.s te+orary su##ess his te+orary +osition as head of the history
de+artent durin& the war #oes only as a result of his +er#eived wea,ness. Only $e#ause he
was not +er#eived as +ossessin& the re=uisite stren&th to +rove his anhood in war did he have a
#han#e to Cte+orarilyD a#hieve the +osition he #ould not a#hieve throu&h dire#t a#tion.
*eor&e.s a##o+lishent of a#tion throu&h +assivity what i&ht +sy#holo&i#ally $e la$eled
+assive a&&ression is evident fro his very first intera#tion with 2artha. 't first, as she rants
a$out Bette <avis and hounds *eor&e to re#all what ovie she.s des#ri$in&, it sees that *eor&e
is si+ly i&norin& her, out of tiredness or a+athy. 's her an&er ounts, however, it $e#oes
a++arent that his va&ue res+onses and refusals to en&a&e in a shoutin& at#h with her and as
u#h a +ower stru&&le and +art of a &ae as her louder atte+ts are.
3he title of this a#t is !Fun and *aes.! "n +art, this title is ironi#. 3he &aes 2artha and *eor&e
+lay are not fun for the or for their &uests. Fet, the intera#tions in this a#t are very u#h &aes.
8oethin& as little as 2artha deandin& *eor&e answer the door, li&ht her #i&arette, or ,iss her
$e#ae i$ued with additional eanin& as they.re inte&rated into an on&oin& +ower stru&&le.
Only &radually does it $e#oe #lear to the viewer, as well as to 6oney and %i#,, that these are
&aes. 's real as the eotions that *eor&e and 2artha feel and e4+ress, the #ou+le also derives a
+erverse +leasure fro their on&oin& eotional and +sy#holo&i#al &aes.
'l$ee e+loys a &reat deal of #ontrast in allowin& his viewerLreader to understand the &ae-
+layin& that #hara#teriAes *eor&e and 2artha.s intera#tion. On a #hara#ter level, there is
iediate #ontrast $etween 2artha.s !$rayin&! a&&ression and *eor&e.s +assive dis+lay of
a+athy. <es+ite the initial a++earan#e, this is not a si+ly +ortrayal of stren&th vs. wea,ness, as
we see when the +ower stru&&le shifts later in the s#ene. On a lar&er level, there are iediate
and sudden #ontrasts $etween hostility and an&er and ore aused &ae-+layin&. 3he first
e4a+le of this o##urs when, in the idst of their initial ar&uent, *eor&e finishes 2artha.s
senten#e insultin& hi. For a oent after that, the tension sees to defuse, and *eor&e and
2artha share a oent of lau&hter. Fro that oent, it is also #lear that these ar&uents are a
#oon +art of *eor&e and 2artha.s intera#tion.
3his is not to say that 'l$ee lessens the eotional i+ortant of *eor&e and 2artha.s #onfli#t $y
e4+lorin& it throu&h the eta+hor of the &ae. 3his is #learly a $rutal, deadly-serious &ae. 3he
Eu4ta+osition of the real war with 2artha.s father.s atte+ts to train the reainin& fa#ulty to $o4
to +un#h the *erans should they invade, 2artha Eo,es deonstrates that what are #onsidered
!only! &aes #an have Eust as serious #onse=uen#es as #onventional warfare.
3he warfare eta+hor is #ontinued in *eor&e.s refusal to surrender Berlin deonstrates the
#hara#ter and authors. understandin& of the very real eanin& of sy$ols in the world. 3hou&h
the #ity of West Berlin itself was very sall in #o+arison to the rest of )uro+e, it was at the
tie a sy$oli# lo#ation durin& the (old War. 3he 'eri#an &overnent $elieved that were they
to surrender Berlin to the (ounists, other nations $elief in 'eri#an +ower would unravel and
#haos would ensue. 3hus, while Berlin was in any ways a sy$ol of Western resistan#e to
(ounist +ower, the destru#tion of su#h a sy$ol was $elieved to have had destru#tive real-
life #onse=uen#es. Fro his referen#e, it is #lear that *eor&e understands the +ower of a sy$ol.
3his realiAation foreshadows a si&nifi#ant a#t *eor&e will a,e in the third and final a#t of the
+lay.
One sy$oli# a#t *eor&e underta,es in this +art of the +lay is the !,illin&! of 2artha with the
Ja+anese &un. "t is si&nifi#ant that he !shoots! her with a Ja+anese &un. *iven his ina$ility to
+rote#t her and the #ountry durin& World War 3wo, he now sy$oli#ally destroys her with an
instruent of the war. 6owever, it is an interestin& #ontrast and Eu4ta+osition to the violent
su$te4t that a +arasol an instruent of +rote#tion rather than destru#tion shoots out. 3hus, it ay
$e inferred that des+ite his aniosity towards her and atte+ts to destroy his wife, *eor&e has a
siultaneous and oft-thwarted ur&e to +rote#t her.
Fro their initial shared lau&hter to 2artha.s #ontinued deands for ,isses, the diale#ti# of
loveLhate $e#oes #lear in this +lay. 'l$ee deonstrates that love and hate are diale#ti#al two
sides of the sae #oin. 6atin& ea#h other does not +re#lude *eor&e and 2artha fro
siultaneously lovin& and needin& ea#h other. 2artha.s story of fallin& for youn& *eor&e #an $e
ta,en seriously, and there are #o+li#ated otives $ehind her deand for a ,iss.
'l$ee wrote in the s#hool of the 3heatre of the '$surd, whose earlier writers in#luded Be#,ett
and *enet. One of the #hara#teristi#s of a$surdist draa is the #hara#ters. re#o&nition of the
a$surdity of e4isten#e. 3hey did not as, to live and they will die without wishin& it. 3hus
alienated fro their surroundin&s, they see, #ofort in illusion. (hara#ters. re#o&nition of this
illusion and stru&&le to survive the a$surdity of e4isten#e #hara#teriAes 3heatre of the '$surd.
(learly, 2artha and *eor&e and to a lesser e4tent, %i#, and 6oney are #hara#ters who thrive on
illusions. 3o de+rive the of these illusions is tantaount to a violent a#t.
*eor&e and 2artha.s entire e4isten#e is $ased on illusion. 2artha arried *eor&e not $e#ause of
who he was $ut $e#ause of who she ia&ined he and $y e4tension, she #ould $e#oe. 8he
arried the illusion of *eor&e-who-would-$e-university-+resident. *eor&e too $ou&ht into that
illusion, and the realiAation that it is untrue, that *eor&e is in fa#t a flo+, has wrou&ht si&nifi#ant
daa&e on their lives.
One of the $i&&est illusions in this +lay is hinted at fro early on in this a#t, when *eor&e $e&s
2artha not to do the $it a$out the ,id. 3hou&h this is not #onfired with #ertainty until the third
a#t, their veiled ar&uents a$out the ,id here foreshadow the revelation that !the ,id! is not real.
6e does not e4ist $ut rather is a shared and +rivate illusion. *eor&e and 2artha.s $attle a$out
who #an tal, a$out the ,id and their later tal, of his +arenta&e a,es #lear that this is a shared
#reation and illusion. *eor&e.s underlyin& fear sees to $e that $y sharin& their illusion with
outsiders would threaten to e4+ose it as illusion and destroy the #ofort it $rin&s.
3o a lesser $ut no less true de&ree, %i#, and 6oney are also #reatures of illusion. (ertainly, their
little so#ial ni#eties +retendin& not to noti#e *eor&e and 2artha.s ar&uents, lau&hin& at thin&s
they don.t find funny, #han&in& the su$Ee#t of #onversation are eant to +reserve an illusion of
#ivility and +resent the ia&e of a ha++y #ou+le. While for %i#,, the tete-a-tete with *eor&e
destroys the illusion to a &reat de&ree, 6oney.s in#reasin& drun,enness and her offsta&e tal, with
2artha only in#rease her sus#e+ti$ility to illusion. 8eein& only to e4ist in the oent, she ta,es
at fa#e value what she hears, ea&er, for e4a+le, to hear 2artha.s story of how she #ae to arry
*eor&e.
's well as a++earin& as a +arody of the stereoty+i#al youn& so#iety wife, 6oney fun#tions as a
*ree, #horus in this +lay. 6er in#reasin&ly into4i#ation fun#tions to a,e her rea#tions ore
honest and iediate. 8he is also a #hildli,e fi&ure, the ost &uileless #hara#ter in the +lay, and
therefore sus#e+ti$le to the illusions woven $y the other #hara#ters.
(lassi#al ytholo&y also &ets referen#ed in the settin& of the +lay %ew (artha&e. (lassi#al
(artha&e was the hoe of the ythi#al tra&i# lovers <ido and 'eneas, who +rovide an
une4+e#ted #ounter+oint to *eor&e and 2artha. Gater, (artha&e was destroyed. 6ere, %ew
(artha&e is the site of the destru#tion of the 'eri#an drea.
3he %ew )n&land settin& of the +lay is also si&nifi#ant in 'l$ee.s #oentary on the 'eri#an
drea. 8i+ly the word !%ew! in %ew (artha&e is a su&&estion of ho+e and a se#ond #han#e.
We learn in this a#t that *eor&e is 2artha.s se#ond hus$and, her se#ond #han#e at a ha++y
arria&e. 's a youn&er #ounter+oint to *eor&e and 2artha, %i#, and 6oney are also a ore
ho+eful atte+t at fi4in& the ista,es of the +ast.
3he sy$olis inherent in *eor&e and %i#,.s #hosen de+artents is o$vious. *eor&e already
o$solete, eanin&less and +owerless is !$o&&ed! in the history de+artent. 6e is already a reli#
of the +ast. %i#,, in #ontrast, e$odies the future in his youth and his +osition in the $iolo&y
de+artent. *eor&e.s des#ri+tion of a &eneti#ally-altered ra#e of su+eren that loo, Eust li,e
%i#, e+hasiAes %i#,.s very e$odient of the s#ientist-as-wave-of-the-future. 8oe #riti#s
have even su&&ested that %i#,.s nae re#alls that of %i,ita Khrus#h#hev, who had re#ently risen
to $e#oe >reier of the 8oviet 9nion at the tie of the +lay.s writin&. 3hus, !%i#,! su##eeds in
destroyin& illusions li,e Berlin and the 'eri#an drea.
*eor&e.s des#ri+tion of the !dar, side! of #hroosoal resear#h is si&nifi#ant. 6e says that the
u&ly, the i+erfe#t, and the stu+id would $e, in effe#t, steriliAed, and he threatens to fi&ht a&ainst
%i#, and this future while holdin& onto his s#rotu. 3hus, it is #lear that *eor&e +er#eives %i#,.s
+osition in the $iolo&y de+artent not only as a threat to the world at lar&e $ut ore so as a
threat to unan hi.
"nterestin&ly, *eor&e and 2artha.s ia&inary son e$odies the !+erfe#t! a++earan#e of this
e=ually ia&ined ra#e of future en. 3he $oy.s +hysi#al +erfe#tion $lond hair, $lue eyes
foreshadows the fa#t that he is an illusion. %i#, fun#tions as a +arallel to the ia&inary son not
only in a++earan#e $ut in *eor&e.s referen#e to hi. 't one tie, he a##identally refers to %i#,,
who is 2;, as $ein& 21 years old the sae a&e as 2artha has said their son will turn toorrow.
"ndeed, throu&hout this +lay, *eor&e and 2artha at ties fun#tion as al$eit dysfun#tional +arental
fi&ures to %i#, and 6oney, sha+in& and oldin& the, thou&h not ne#essarily in +ositive ways.
*eor&e and 2artha theselves e$ody the failure of the 'eri#an <rea. 3heir first naes, of
#ourse, evo,e the #ountry.s first +resident and first-lady. 3his *eor&e has failed to $e +resident
li,e his naesa,e. 9nli,e Washin&ton, who #ould not tell a lie, *eor&e thrives on illusion. 'nd
this 2artha, far fro $ein& the res+e#ta$le ia&e +resented $y 2artha Washin&ton, is a flooAie
who flirts with other woen.s hus$ands in front of the.
3he title of this +lay, Who.s 'fraid of /ir&inia Woolf0, #oes fro a Eo,in&, intelle#tual ta,e on
the nursery rhye, evidently told as a Eo,e at the fa#ulty +arty attended $y the foursoe. 't first,
it sees li,e only nonsense $ut &radually $e#oes an eotional anthe, as when *eor&e #hants
it, fearful of 2artha.s revelations a$out his failure. %ot only does the rhye re#all !Who.s afraid
of the Bi& Bad Wolf0! fro the nursery rhye and thus rear, on the interior fear of all the
#hara#ters $ut it referen#es /ir&inia Woolf, a writer who wrote a$out odern +eo+le.s alienation
fro ea#h other and ultiately ,illed herself. )dward 'l$ee has said he saw the senten#e
s#ri$$led on the wall of *reenwi#h /illa&e $ar.
Act T#o Summary:
Wal$urgisnacht:
't o+en, *eor&e is onsta&e $y hiself. %i#, enters, a+olo&iAin& for 6oney, who &ets si#, easily.
2artha eanwhile is the ,it#hen a,in& #offee. %i#, says he tries not to &et involved in other
+eo+le.s affairs $e#ause it &ets e$arrassin&. *eor&e o#,s %i#,.s reserved dis&ust and fa,ed
sy+athy, and %i#, disdainfully tells hi that he and 2artha shouldn.t su$Ee#t other +eo+le to
the &oin& at it li,e a +air of anials. When *eor&e tells hi that he.s su& and self-ri&hteous,
%i#, threatens hi $y sayin& he.s never hit an older an.
*eor&e #han&es the su$Ee#t $y as,in& if 6oney throws u+ a lot. %i#, says that on#e she starts,
she.ll &o on for hours. *eor&e &ets hi another drin,, and %i#, e4+lains that he arried her
$e#ause she was +re&nant. Only it turned out to $e a hysteri#al +re&nan#y !she $lew u+, and then
she went down.! *eor&e shares a story of his own. When he was si4teen, in +re+ s#hool, a $un#h
of his friends and hi &ot to %ew For, on the first day of va#ation. 3his was durin& >rohi$ition,
and they went to a &in ill owned $y one ,id.s &an&ster father. One $oy, who was fifteen, had
#o+letely a##identally ,illed his other years $efore with a shot&un. When it #ae his tie to
order, he as,ed for !$er&in and water.! 8oon, every$ody in the Eoint was lau&hin& and orderin&
$er&in and every tie the lau&hter su$sided, soeone would order $er&in, and the lau&hter would
start a&ain. 3hey dran, free that ni&ht, $ou&ht #ha+a&ne $y the &an&ster father, and thou&h they
all had han&overs the ne4t day, *eor&e says that this was the &randest day of his youth.
%i#, as,s what ha++ened to the $oy who shot his other. *eor&e says that the ne4t suer, on a
#ountry road, with his learner.s +erit, he swerved to avoid a +or#u+ine and #rashed into a tree,
,illin& his father, who was in the +assen&er.s seat. When they told the $oy this at the hos+ital, he
$e&an to lau&h and didn.t sto+ until they Eaed an needle into his ar. When he re#overed fro
his inEuries, thirty years a&o, they +ut hi into an asylu and has not uttered one sound sin#e.
'fter a lon& silen#e, *eor&e yells for 2artha, with no res+onse. *eor&e turns the tal, $a#, to
6oney, sayin& that 2artha doesn.t have hysteri#al +re&nan#ies 2artha doesn.t have +re&nan#ies
at all. %i#, as,s if they have any other ,ids, other than they.re son, and *eor&e a,es an odd
#oent a$out the $oy $ein& a !#ofort, a $ean $a&,! whi#h %i#, doesn.t understand. 6e &oes
on a$out the $oy $ehind the a++le of their eyes and tells %i#, he.s $ein& testy. 3hey ar&ue a$out
that for a oent, and *eor&e says he.s &oin& to set %i#, strai&ht a$out what 2artha said Eust as
2artha yells !hey! fro the ,it#hen. 8he sti#,s her head in to say they.re havin& #offee and to
e4#han&e a =ui#, series of insults in Fren#h with *eor&e. 8he tells *eor&e to #lean u+ the ess
he ade, and after she leaves, *eor&e says that for years, he has $een tryin& to #lean u+ the ess
he ade.
When *eor&e tells %i#, that thin&s are easier for hi, arryin& a woan $e#ause she was all
$lown u+, %i#, says that there were other reasons. *eor&e #orre#tly &uesses that she has oney
too. 3hey siultaneously $e&in to reinis#e a$out how they et their wives, and *eor&e lets
%i#, &o first. 3hey &rew u+ to&ether et when they were ei&ht and si4 and used to +lay do#tor.
3heir eventual arria&e was ta,en for &ranted $y their failies. 3here wasn.t any +arti#ular
+assion $etween the, even at the $e&innin& of their arria&e. *eor&e refills their drin,s, and
tal, turns to how u#h +eo+le drin, in the 98. *eor&e as,s a$out 6oney.s oney, e4+lainin&
he.s fas#inated $y the +ra&atis of the !wave-of-the-future $oys! li,e %i#,. %i#, e4+lains that
his father-in-law was #alled $y *od when he was si4 and started +rea#hin& and $e#ae +retty
faous and ri#h $y the tie he died. 6e s+ent !*od.s oney! on hos+itals and #hur#hes, $ut he
saved his own.
*eor&e shares that 2artha has oney $e#ause her father.s se#ond wife Cnot her otherD was !an
old lady with warts who was very ri#h! a wit#h who arried a white ouse with tiny red eyes
and went u+ iediately in a +uff of so,e, leavin& the oney to the #olle&e, the town, 2artha.s
father, and 2artha. %i#, lau&hs, sayin& his father-in-law was a ouse too, a #hur#house. When
he says that 2artha never entioned a ste+other, *eor&e says that ay$e it isn.t true. 6e tells
%i#, that he.s $een drawin& these stories out of hi $e#ause he re+resents a threat to his
livelihood. %i#, lau&hs, not really $elievin& hi, as *eor&e says they.ve de#ided he.ll ta,e over
the history de+artent first, $efore he ta,es over the whole &ae. >layin& alon&, %i#, says that
what he does is find wea, s+ots and shore the u+ until he $e#oes an inevita$ility. 3hat +lan
in#ludes !+lowMin&N a few +ertinent wives.!
*eor&e #o+ares 2artha and the fa#ulty wives to the +untas of 8outh 'eri#an who hiss at
+assin& en li,e a &a&&le of &eese. %i#, &uesses that 2artha.s the $i&&est &oose in the &a&&le
and he Eust $etter &et her off in the #orner and ount her li,e do&. *eor&e #ontinues to +lay alon&
and %i#, sus+e#ts he ay $e serious. *eor&e offers hi soe fatherly advi#e. 6e says he
dis&usts hi $ut has tried to a,e #onta#t. %i#, o#,s hi, $ut *eor&e #ontinues e4+lainin& that
you $uild a #iviliAation and a,e art and usi# and rea#h the saddest of +oints, when all the
usi# sounds the <ies "rae. 3he Eusti#e, after all the years, is a $i& !u+ yours.!
2artha leads a wea,ly silin& 6oney in and deands that *eor&e a+olo&iAe for a,in& the lady
throw u+. *eor&e denies this and tells 2artha that she a,es hi si#,. 6oney sto+s the,
#laiin& that she &ets si#, o##asionally all $y herself for no reason. 8he #lais that $efore she
&ot arried she develo+ed what the do#tors thou&ht was a++endi#itis, $ut it turned out to $e a
false alar. 2artha #lais that *eor&e used to a,e their son si#, every tie he #ae into the
roo. *eor&e says the real reason the $oy &ot si#, is that he #ouldn.t stand 2artha fiddlin& with
hi all the tie. 2artha says he ran away twi#e in one onth, si4 ties in one year, whi#h
*eor&e e4+lains ha++ened $e#ause 2artha used to #orner hi. *eor&e says that it their son used
to tell hi !2aa.s always #oin& at e,! and it was very e$arrassin&. %i#, sto+s hi short
$y as,in& why he.s tal,in& a$out it if it was so e$arrassin&.
6oney as,s for a little $randy, des+ite %i#,.s o$Ee#tions, insistin& that she li,es it. When 2artha
notes that *eor&e used to drin, !$er&in,! *eor&e tells her to shut u+, $ut %i#, has already
noti#ed. 2artha wants to ,now if *eor&e started in on his story of how he would have aounted
for soethin& if it hadn.t $een for <addy if he told %i#, a$out how he tried to +u$lish a $oo,
and <addy wouldn.t let hi. %i#, e&&s her on $y as,in& a$out the $oo,. *eor&e $e&s her to sto+
and says he.s &ot to find a new way to fi&ht her. 6oney interru+ts all this $y sayin& she would
love soe dan#in&, sayin& she dan#es li,e the wind over and over. 2artha and *eor&e $i#,er
a$out who.s &oin& to dan#e with who, and 6oney starts dan#in& $y herself, sin&in& alon& to
Beethoven.s Ith 8y+hony. *eor&e turns the usi# off when 2artha #alls hi a son of a $it#h.
6oney.s ad at %i#, and wants to $e left alone. *eor&e as,s her if she wants to dan#e with hi,
and she says that if she #an.t do her inter+retive dan#e, she won.t dan#e.
2artha and %i#, dan#e to&ether, on either side of where *eor&e and 6oney sit, undulatin& li,e
their $odies are +ressed to&ether. <es+ite *eor&e.s o$Ee#tions, as she dan#es toward and away
fro %i#,, 2artha tells hi how *eor&e turned soethin& funny in his +ast into a novel, $ut
<addy read it and was sho#,ed $y what he read. "t was all a$out a $oy who ,illed his other and
father. <addy told hi if he +u$lished this #ra+, he.d $e out on his ass. *eor&e #ontinues to
s#rea at her to sto+. 6oney.s Eust aused $y the idea of violen#e. 2artha #ontinues iitatin&
<addy.s rant, at whi#h %i#, lau&hs, until *eor&e de#lares, !3he &ae is over1! 2artha won.t
sto+, sayin& the $oy +retends this is all an a##ident, and the #lin#her is that this isn.t a novel at all.
8he #ontinues, des+ite *eor&e.s o$Ee#tions, and he &ra$s her $y the throat to sto+ her. While
6oney a++lauds the violen#e, %i#, tears *eor&e off of 2artha. *eor&e, huiliated, dra&s hiself
away. 2artha softly #alls hi a urderer, and %i#, sto+s her.
*eor&e re&ains his #o+osure and nervously announ#es that the &ae of !6uiliate the 6ost! is
over. What will the do ne4t0 !6u+ the 6ostess0! 6oney, #o+letely drun, and o$livious, #alls
for that. <e#idin& that 2artha wants to save that for later, he #alls instead for a &ae of !*et the
*uests.! %i#, tries to &et away $ut *eor&e #alls for silen#e. 6is se#ond novel, a$out whi#h
2artha ,nows nothin&, is an alle&ory a$out a ni#e youn& #ou+le fro the iddle west. 6e.s
$lond and thirty and she.s a ousy ty+e who li,es $randy. %i#, o$Ee#ts, $ut 6oney says she li,es
to hear stories. *eor&e #ontinues a$out 2ousie.s father, the holy an, who died and all sorts of
oney fell out when they +ried hi a+art. 6oney, &enuinely +uAAled, thin,s this story is failiar.
3hey settled in a town li,e %ew (artha&e, and Blondie was in dis&uise, with a $a&&a&e ti#,et that
had 6.". written on it for histori#al inevita$ility. >art of his $a&&a&e was the little ouse. 6oney
$e&ins to re#o&niAe the story and &rows s#ared. 2artha $e&ins to tell *eor&e to sto+. *eor&e
flashes $a#, to how the #ou+le &ot arried when 2ousie &ot all +uffed u+, and they &ot arried,
and then the +uff went away. 6oney is horrified that %i#, told the, and %i#, tries to a+olo&iAe.
8he runs out of the roo to $e si#, a&ain.
%i#, tells *eor&e he.s &oin& to re&ret this and says he.ll $e Eust what *eor&e says he is. 6e
leaves, to loo, after 6oney. 2artha #o+lients *eor&e on the ost life he.s shown in a lon&
tie. 6e says she $rin&s out the $est in hi. 8he #alls hi $astard and says this is +i&y huntin&
and he a,es her si#,. 6e o#,in&ly says he did it all for her and her taste for #arna&e. "t.s
+erfe#tly o,ay for her to sit there and tear hi a+art all ni&ht, and he #an.t stand it. 8he says he
#an stand it, and he arried her for it. 8he.s &ettin& tired of whi++in& hi after twenty-three
years, and it.s not what she.s wanted. 6e #alls her si#,. 8he &ets an&ry, s#reain& she.ll show hi
who.s si#, and ore #ally, says that $efore she.s throu&h with hi, he.ll wish he.d died in that
autoo$ile a##ident. 6e says she.ll wish she never entioned their son.
6e.s nu$ed enou&h now to $e a$le to ta,e her when they.re alone, $rin&in& everythin& down to
a refle4 so that he doesn.t really hear her. But she.s $e&un not only ovin& her dirty underthin&s
into +u$li# $ut also ovin& all the way into her own fantasy world. 6e says he.s worried a$out
her ind and thin,s he.ll have her #oitted. 2artha tells hi their whole arran&eent has
sna++ed. Fou thin, you #an &o on forever, a,in& e4#uses to yourself, li,e sayin& that toorrow
you i&ht $e dead, $ut suddenly it $rea,s. 8he says she.s not a onster. 3here was a se#ond $a#,
there when she #ould have &otten throu&h to hi, $ut now she.s not even &oin& to try. *eor&e
says that on#e a onth, they &et &ood, isunderstood 2artha, and he $elieves in it $e#ause he.s a
su#,er. But now he doesn.t want to $elieve in her, and there is no oent anyore when they
#ould #oe to&ether. 2artha says it went sna+ toni&ht when she wat#hed hi at <addy.s +arty
and realiAed he wasn.t there. 8he says she doesn.t &ive a dan anyore and is &oin& to a,e the
$i&&est e4+losion he ever heard. 6e threatens that he.ll $eat her at her own &ae. 3hey a&ree
total war.
%i#, returns and tells *eor&e and 2artha that 6oney is restin& on the $athroo floor. 8he li,es
the floor $e#ause the tiles are #ool. *eor&e &oes to &et soe i#e, leavin& 2artha and %i#, alone.
's he wal,s away, *eor&e says that he wouldn.t $e sur+rised $y anythin& 2artha does. 6e a,es
soe rear, a$out 6oney.s $ein& sli-hi++ed as the reason she and %i#, don.t have any ,ids.
%i#, reains +reo##u+ied with that as 2artha $lows ,isses at hi. 's he li&hts her #i&arette, she
sli+s his hand $etween his thi&hs, ovin& her hand u+ and down his le&, and as,in& for a ,iss.
%i#,.s a little hesitant and nervous, $ut 2artha says that <addy had a +arty for the to &et to
,now ea#h other and to #onsider it an e4+erient. 3hey ,iss, and what $e&ins as a Eo,e &rows
serious. *eor&e enters and sees the intertwined sees %i#, +ut his hand on 2artha.s $reast under
her dress. 2artha $e&ins to slow hi down, and *eor&e $a#,s u+, sin&in& !Who.s 'fraid of
/ir&inia Woolf0! $efore he returns. 3hey se+arate, and he reenters with the i#e $u#,et,
#o+lientin& 2artha.s radian#e with false enthusias and a,in& another round of drin,s
*eor&e says that he +assed the $athroo on his way $a#,, and 6oney is !rolled u+ li,e a fetus,!
su#,in& her thu$. 6e oves his #hair away fro the and says he.s &oin& to read a $oo,. 3his
infuriates 2artha, who e4#lais that they have #o+any and he #an.t read at four o.#lo#, in the
ornin&. With *eor&e.s $a#, to the, 2artha oves #loser to %i#,, su&&estin& they ause
theselves. *eor&e, without loo,in&, tells her to entertain her &uests. 2artha and %i#, ,iss, and
she announ#es she was ne#,in& with one of her &uests. 8he lur#hes into *eor&e.s line of vision,
$u+in& into the door$ell #hies, and is an&ry and sus+i#ious when he si+ly says !*ood for
you! and tellin& her to &o $a#, to her ne#,in&. *eor&e says he doesn.t ,now what the youn&er
&eneration is #oin& to and a&rees when %i#, su&&ests he #ouldn.t #are. When he says that
%i#,.s &oin& to throw 2artha over his shoulder, %i#, #alls hi dis&ustin&. *eor&e o$serves that
%i#, is &oin& to hu+ his wife and he.s dis&ustin&0 2artha ,isses %i#, and sends hi, still
&larin& at *eor&e, into the ,it#hen.
2artha deands *eor&e who #ontinues readin& to listen to her, near tears, or she.ll ta,e %i#,
u+stairs. When *eor&e finally turns and says !so what,! she tells hi he as,ed for it and she.ll
a,e hi re&ret the day he #ae to this #olle&e and arried her. 8he leaves. *eor&e sits still and
$e&ins to read fro the $oo, a$out the de#line of the west, then hurls it furiously at the #hies.
6oney enters, still si#, and half-aslee+, sayin& the $ells wo,e her u+ and fri&htened her. *eor&e
#ontinues to tal, to hiself, sayin& he.s &oin& to &et 2artha. 6oney #ontinues tal,in& a$out her
drea, in whi#h she was lyin& soewhere, and the #old wind sli++ed the $lan,et off, and she
didn.t want soeone there, and was na,ed. 8he $e&ins #ryin&, !" don.t want any #hildren.!
*eor&e #o+assionately says he should have ,nown and as,s if %i#, ,nows. 6e as,s how she
a,es her !se#ret little urders! so %i#, doesn.t find out +ills0 6oney says she feels si#, and
deands her hus$and and a drin,. Offsta&e, 2artha lau&hs and dishes #rash. *eor&e tells 6oney
that they.re in the ,it#hen, a,in& a sort of dry run for the future. 6oney.s isera$le and insists
she doesn.t understand.
*eor&e announ#es that when +eo+le realiAe they #an.t a$ide the +resent, they either live in the
+ast, as he has done, or they set a$out to alter the future. 6oney i&nores his deands to ,now if
she doesn.t want any #hildren to as, who ran& the door$ell. *eor&e has a revelation. 6e de#ides
that it was soeone with a essa&e a$out their son, and the essa&e is their son is dead. 6oney
is si#,, and says no. *eor&e #ontinues, fully realiAin& his idea. 6is son is dead, and he hasn.t told
2artha. 6e re+eats it, +ushin& 6oney to tears. 6e says he.ll tell 2artha in &ood tie. 6oney,
a&ain, says she.s &oin& to $e si#,, then after they hear 2artha lau&h, that she.s &oin& to die.
*eor&e tells her to &o ri&ht ahead. /ery aused with hiself now, he +ra#ti#es, tellin& 2artha
that their son is dead.
Act T#o Analysis:
One of 'l$ee.s aEor thees the $lurrin& of illusion and reality ta,es #enter sta&e in this a#t.
8u#h a #on#ern is #hara#teristi# of the 3heatre of the '$surd. "n his +lays, 'l$ee reEe#ted the
forlessness of 196-.s s+ontaneous artisti# !ha++enin&s! and siultaneously es#hewed the
#onstri#tions of earlier naturalisti# +laywri&hts, li,e )u&ene O.%eill. One of 'l$ee.s ost
iediate +rede#essors is 3ennessee Willias, who in +lays li,e ' 8treet#ar %aed <esire
#o$ined naturalisti# dialo&ue with a$surdist or lyri#al situations.
'l$ee e4+lores the relationshi+ $etween illusion and reality in the #ontrast $etween his +lay.s
for and #ontent. *eor&e and 2artha.s dialo&ue, at first &lan#e, sees to $e a naturalisti#
re+resentation of a odern-day #ou+le.s ar&uents. 2eanin&less to+i#s and re+etition iitate the
sound of real #onversation. But there is ore to 'l$ee.s re+etitious dialo&ue than surfa#e realis.
"n addition, this re+etition e+hasiAes the #ir#ularity of *eor&e and 2artha.s +li&ht. <es+ite the
aount of ar&uin& and re+eatin& they do, *eor&e and 2artha rarely if ever see to rea#h an
understandin&. 3hat is, there ar&uent is ore a$out the +ro#ess of ar&uin& rather than any
#on#lusion or a&reeent a#hieved $y ar&uent.
For that reason, it is +ossi$le to view 'l$ee.s +ortrayal of odern arria&e as de#idedly
e4istential. 3he s+e#ifi#s of *eor&e and 2artha.s history or relationshi+. What we do ,now a$out
the #hara#ters. histories for e4a+le, whether or not *eor&e is the $oy in the story who
a##identally ,illed $oth his +arents is never +resented de#isively as truth or illusion. 3he su$Ee#t
of their ar&uents doesn.t atter. "t.s not i+ortant if *eor&e and 2artha ar&ue a$out i#e #u$es
or Bette <avis ovies. What atters is how they #ondu#t their ar&uent, how they intera#t with
ea#h other how they #hoose to e4ist in this situation in whi#h they.ve found theselves tra++ed.
3he e4tended eta+hor of eotional #onfrontation as a !&ae! #ontinues into this a#t. Within
this eta+hor, *eor&e is the sy$oli# rin&aster, announ#in& that 6uiliate the 6ost is over,
and that it.s tie for *et the *uests or 6u+ the 6ostess. While this seein&ly $lasO attitude
towards their +ersonal lives sho#,s %i#,, *eor&e and 2artha.s understandin& of !the &ae!
ultiately does not under#ut the eotional si&nifi#an#e of their $attles. "f anythin&, #allin& these
eotional #lashes a &ae serves to a,e the +ossi$ility of eotional destru#tion ore rando
and un#ertain. *eor&e says that 2artha #ontinually #han&es the rules on hi, and as soon as he
learns the, he +lays alon&.
Whereas *eor&e fun#tions as rin&aster in announ#in& the end of 6uiliate the 6ost, he does
not norally o##u+y the +osition of +ower in the &ae. 2artha, it is oft i+lied, defines the
&ae and its rules as she &oes alon&. 8he is the one in the arria&e with the +ower. 3he eta+hor
of the &ae, therefore, fun#tions to illuinate the on&oin& +ower stru&&le $etween *eor&e and
2artha. 3he in#idents in whi#h *eor&e ta,es #ontrol of the &ae announ#in& that 6uiliate the
6ost is over, for e4a+le are si&nifi#ant as his atte+ts to su$vert 2artha.s +ower over hi.
)ven in those #ases, however, it is #lear that *eor&e ust stru&&le to &ain +ower in a syste
whose dis#ourse has $een defined $y 2artha. 8he has already defined the &aes. *eor&e #an
only resist $y #hoosin& one of her &aes over another. 3hat is why he #hooses a !&ae! #alled
6u+ the 6ostess only +artially resistin& 2artha.s he&eony, #han&in& the way in whi#h he is
huiliated while not eradi#atin& the a#t of huiliation itself.
3he e4tended eta+hor of the !&ae! &radually transfors itself in this a#t into a new eta+hor
!war.! Whereas a &ae su&&ests #asual disre&ard for another.s feelin&s, a war su&&ests #o+lete
and intentional destru#tion. 3he individual &aes, li,e 6u+ the 6ostess, in the three-rin& #ir#us
$e#oe $attles in the war. Be#ause war is de#lared $y two o++osin& +arties on ea#h other, it is
+ossi$le to read all of *eor&e and 2artha.s a#tions whether or not they o##ur in the other.s
+resen#e as intended to infli#t destru#tive +ower over the other. 2artha.s flirtation with and
sedu#tion of %i#,, therefore, is not a$out a se4ual desire for %i#,, +er se. 's her frustration with
*eor&e.s willful i&noran#e of this a#t Cwhen he +la#es his #hair so that his $a#, is to %i#, and
2artha on the #ou#hD and her insisten#e that he ,now e4a#tly what she +lans to do deonstrate,
2artha.s se4ual en#ounter with %i#, is deli$erate strate&y in her war a&ainst *eor&e.
3he Eu4ta+osition of *eor&e.s $oo,s with 2artha.s a#tions e+hasiAes this war eta+hor. 6e
reads aloud fro 3he <e#line of the West $y 8+en&ler, deli$erately i&norin& the #haos around
hi. 3hat #haos, of #ourse, is #hara#teristi# of 'l$ee.s stateent a$out the 'eri#an <rea.
*eor&e and 2artha.s #oAy little #olle&e town of %ew (artha&e is a i#ro#os for the West,
threatened and destroyed $y #onfority Cas re+resented $y %i#, as $iolo&istD and totalitarianis
Cas re+resented $y %i#, as %i,ita Khrush#hevD.
*eor&e.s Eo,e, when tellin& his story to %i#,, a$out attendin& +re+ s#hool !durin& the >uni#
Wars,! the wars durin& whi#h the real (artha&e was sa#,ed, further e+hasiAes this eta+hor in
whi#h the #haos in *eor&e and 2artha.s arria&e re+resents the de#line of the West. 3his
+resentation of +onderous and sin#erely eant stateents in the #onte4t of Eo,es o##urs
throu&hout this +lay. 3he 3heatre of the '$surd is resolutely not frivolous #oedy. 7ather,
'l$ee.s +lay finds dee+ and true eanin& in the sall and a$surd details of life. "n those ways, it
e#hoes and alludes to Jun&.s 3he 9ndis#overed 8elf.
%i#,.s nae has a +olyseous fun#tion in this +lay. %ot only does it e#ho %i,ita Khrus#h#hev in
'l$ee.s so#ial #oentary, it also has reli&ious i+li#ations. 3hat is, %i#,.s nae re#alls !Old
%i#,,! a oni,er for the devil. "t is interestin& to #onsider the i+li#ations of %i#,.s nae in the
li&ht of the title of the se#ond a#t. !Wal+ur&isna#ht! is a reli&ious allusion to the 8atani# $la#,
8a$$ath, in whi#h wit#hes ena#t an or&y.
9ltiately, however, the eta+hor of %i#, as 8atan is not as sustaina$le as another readin&
2artha as 8atan. *eor&e +ointedly refers to her as the devil or 8atan twi#e in this a#t alone. 8he
is the #entral fo#us of the worshi++ers C*eor&e and %i#,D in this a#t. *eor&e as the !6ost!
referrin& $oth to his role as aster of #ereonies and to the anifestation of the Body of (hrist
in the (atholi# tradition +erfors an e4or#is $e&innin& in this a#t. Further reli&ious ia&ery
#oes in the referen#es to *eor&e and 2artha.s ia&ined son as a !la$,! a,in& hi a (hrist
fi&ure.
8ound ia&ery is very i+ortant in this +lay. 3he #entral sound &ranted ulti+le eanin&s in this
a#t is the $ells door$ell #hies into whi#h 2artha twi#e #rashes. 3he #hies also e#ho the
(atholi# 2ass, in whi#h #hies si&nal the transforation of the host and wine into $ody and
$lood and ar, the +ro&ress of the servi#e. 3he #hies here si&nal an i+ortant oent of
+ro&ress or oveent in this Bla#, 2ass. 3he #hies fun#tion as a #atalyst for *eor&e.s
realiAation of what he ust do !,ill! the !son! +erfor an e4or#is of his and 2artha.s shared
illusions and thus ove forward rather than around in #ir#les.
"ndeed, for the ost +art, *eor&e and 2artha Cand 6oney and %i#,D ove in #ir#les. *eor&e and
2artha, in this a#t, referen#e oents when they i&ht have #onne#ted, when they i&ht have
understood ea#h other, $ut those oents are always already +ast and wasted. '&ain, usin&
huor to unders#ore his dee+er +oint, 'l$ee e+loys #ultural #li#hOs a$out a la#, of
#ouni#ation to e4+ress a $elief a$out the i+ossi$ility of huan #onne#tion. 'l$ee readily
adits he has $e#oe a #ari#aturist. *eor&e and 2artha are una$le to #onne#t $e#ause they are
una$le to listen to ea#h other or theselves.
"n this +lay, es+e#ially in this a#t, that #onne#tion is +ortrayed throu&h the ediu of lan&ua&e.
's is #lear fro their ver$al shorthand !the $it a$out the ,id! left une4+lained to the audien#e or
%i#, and 6oney, *eor&e and 2artha are a$le to #onne#t the ost on the le4i&ra+hi#al level.
3heir &aes are for the ost +art ver$al. Words have +ower 2artha is #learly hurt to $e #alled a
onster, for e4a+le $ut lan&ua&e reains a #losed syste in whi#h 2artha and *eor&e
#ouni#ate.
3he +ower of 2artha and *eor&e.s ver$al #onne#tion to $ind ea#h other to&ether is no ore
a++arent than in 6oney and %i#,.s $affleent in rea#tion to it. 3o a &reat de&ree, 6oney and %i#,
fun#tion as surro&ates for the audien#e. *eor&e and 2artha.s all-out, una$ashed war on ea#h
other is as sho#,in& to this youn& #ou+le as it is to the audien#e. 3hey too ust &radually learn to
rules of the &ae and the eanin& of the ver$al shorthand. %i#,.s +rofessed e$arrassent at
hearin& *eor&e offer u+ 2artha in 6u+ the 6ostess is the audien#e.s dis#ofort too. 'l$ee.s
siultaneous +ortrayal of 6oney and %i#, as e+ty, #onforist #hara#ters is also a stateent on
his audien#e as e$ers of #onte+orary 'eri#an so#iety. "n res+onse to those who #riti#iAed
the 3heatre of '$surd as la#,in& the no$le intentions of earlier 'eri#an draa, 'l$ee re+lied
that the !+u$li# will &et what it deserves and no ore.!
What the 196-.s +u$li# evidently deserved was a $lurrin& and redefinin& of the lines $etween
illusion and reality. *eor&e and 2artha are sustained $y an illusion their ia&inary son that
ta,es on the +ower of reality. 2u#h of the !fa#ts! of this a#t are never +roved or dis+roved. While
we ,now fro soethin& 2artha says, that there is soe truth to *eor&e.s auto$io&ra+hi#al
novel reality that $e#oes illusion it is un#lear Eust how u#h. *eor&e hiself tells %i#,
strai&ht-out that none of what he says ay $e true. "n the end, the 3heatre of the '$surd Eustifies
itself throu&h its $lurrin& of reality and illusion. 8oethin& #an $e illusion, li,e 2artha and
*eor&e.s son, and still have a very real eotional i+a#t. 3heatre, whi#h $y definition is illusion,
see,s and when su##essful a#hieves that sae eotional i+a#t u+on its audien#e.
Act Three Summary:
The %&orcism
't o+en, 2artha enters. 3he sta&e is e+ty and she tal,s to herself, wonderin& where everyone is.
3o ause herself, she #reates a #onversation $etween herself and *eor&e, in whi#h he says he.d
do anythin& for her. 8he says 6u+ the 6ostess and lau&hs at that, sayin& !fat #han#e.! 2artha
&oes on to #reate a #onversation $etween herself and her father, in whi#h she says that he has red
eyes $e#ause he #ries all the tie. 8he says she and *eor&e #ry all the tie too, then freeAe their
tears to a,e i#e to +ut in their drin,s. 3hrou&hout the entire s+ee#h, she +eriodi#ally yells to as,
where every$ody is. 8he #on#ludes $y iitatin& the i#e #u$es, !(G"%K1(G"%K1(G"%K1
(G"%K1!
%i#, enters. 6e thin,s everyone.s &one #raAy and re+eats that assertion several ties. 6oney is
lyin& on the floor of the $athroo, +eelin& the la$el off a li=uor $ottle. "n res+onse to hi #allin&
her #raAy, 2artha tells hi he.s a !flo+.! "n fa#t, they.re all flo+s, while 2artha #alls herself the
)arth 2other. 8he says that she dis&usts herself with her would-$e infidelities, waitin& for a
$un#h of i+otent lun,-heads with her dress u+ over her head. *eor&e is the only an in her life
who has ever ade her ha++y. %i#, #an.t $elieve it and thin,s she.s ,iddin&. But 2artha says that
*eor&e ,ee+s learnin& the &ae as =ui#,ly as she #an #han&e the rules and a,es her ha++y. 8he
#on#ludes !*eor&e and 2artha5 sad, sad, sad,! re+eatin& that line over and over a&ain.
%i#, reains #onfused. 2artha says that %i#, doesn.t see anythin&. When he &ets sna++ish, she
#alls hi a &eldin& and iitates a &attlin& &un. Just then, the door$ell #hies. 2artha yells at
%i#, to answer it tellin& hi he #an $e the house$oy now. %i#, &ives in and o+ens the door.
*eor&e stands there, his fa#e #overed $y an enorous $ou=uet of sna+dra&ons, and says, !Flores
+ara los uertos.! 6e +retends to ista,e %i#, for his !sonny-Ji,! $ut 2artha tells hi that.s
the house$oy. %i#, tries to &et away, $ut 2artha and *eor&e Eoin to&ether in o#,in& hi as
house$oy. When *eor&e says he +i#,ed the flowers $y oonli&ht, it s+urs an ar&uent with
2artha, who says that there is no oon she saw it &o down fro the $edroo. *eor&e says that
the oon #ae $a#, u+ Eust li,e it did one tie when he was sailin& +ast 2aEor#a. 2artha says
that.s lie. %i#, says he doesn.t ,now when they.re lyin& or not. 2artha and *eor&e ar&ue a$out
whether he.s $een to 2aEor#a, where he says his +arents too, hi as a #olle&e &raduation +resent.
When %i#, as,s if this was after he ,illed the, 2artha and *eor&e +ause, then say ay$e,
ay$e not.
*eor&e $e&ins torentin& %i#,, #allin& hi house$oy, and %i#, +leads with 2artha to tell
*eor&e he.s not a house$oy. When 2artha tells *eor&e he doesn.t ,now the differen#e $etween
truth and illusion, he says that they ust #arry on as if they did. %i#, is &rateful to 2artha when
she does. *eor&e, in #ontrast, starts dan#in& around, throu&h the sna+ dra&ons at 2artha and
sayin& !sna+! ea#h tie, as,in& %i#, if he is a house$oy and sayin& he dis&usts hi.
When 2artha as,s *eor&e if truth and illusion doesn.t atter to hi at all, *eor&e announ#es he
has one ore &ae to +lay $rin&in& u+ $a$y. 6e orders %i#, to sit and #alls for !8OWW"))!
for 6oney until %i#, &oes to &et her hiself. %ear tears, 2artha +leads with *eor&e for no ore
&aes, tenderly ovin& to tou#h hi. 6e &ra$s her $y the hair and tells her she #an.t Eust &o on
and sto+ when she has enou&h $lood in her outh. 6e.s &oin& to a,e her +erforan#e loo, li,e
an )aster +a&eant. 6e wants an e=ual $attle and he wants her ad. 8he &ets ad, and he says
they.re &oin& to +lay this one to the death. 2artha says she.s ready, as %i#, and 6oney enter.
6oney is +retendin& to $e a $unny. 's *eor&e starts the &ae, sayin& she doesn.t ree$er
anythin& and sayin& !6ello, <ear,! to %i#, until he e$arrasssedly says hello to her. When
*eor&e $e&ins to re#a+ the &aes of the evenin&, 6oney adds !+eel the la$el! to the list. *eor&e
says they all +eel la$els and when you &et down to the $one, there.s soethin& still inside, and
you.ve &ot to &et at the arrow. 3he arrow is +arti#ularly resilient in the youn& li,e their son.
2artha doesn.t want to tal, a$out hi. *eor&e starts des#ri$in& hi, sayin& he.s a ni#e ,id in
s+ite of his hoe life what with 2artha.s drin,in&, tryin& to $rea, into the $athroo to wash hi
when he.s si4teen, and all. 2artha, near tears, ta,es over the des#ri+tion. *eor&e +ro+ts and
e#hoes her as she &oes. 6er story is an idylli# re#itation. 6e was $orn on a 8e+te$er ni&ht. "t
was an easy $irth after it had $een a##e+ted. 6e was a healthy #hild with $la#, hair that later
turned $lond as the sun. 8he had wanted a #hild. 'nd they raised hi with teddy $ears and
trans+arent floatin& &oldfish. 6e was a restless #hild, who ,e+t arrows with ru$$er ti+s under his
$ed !for fear.! On 8aturdays, he ate $anana $oats. 6is eyes were dee+ &reen. 6e loved the son,
and was a $eautiful $oy.
*eor&e $e&ins to #hant the 7e=uie ass for the dead as 2artha #ontinues s+ea,in&. 8he tal,s
a$out how he $ro,e his ar when he saw his first #ow. 6e &rew and wal,ed $etween the, a
hand out to ea#h of the, to +rote#t hiself and the. 8he #on#ludes !8o $eautiful. 8o wise.!
8uddenly, 6oney #ries out in tears that she wants a #hild. 2artha i&nores the interru+tion and
#ontinues, sayin& that this +erfe#tion #ouldn.t last lon& with *eor&e around. *eor&e tried to +ull
hi down with hi, $ut 2artha fou&ht hi. When *eor&e interEe#ts, as,in& how he tried, 2artha
suddenly insists that their son is fine and is away at #olle&e.
*eor&e tells 2artha she Eust #an.t sto+ a story li,e that. 2artha, he says, has a +ro$le with
li=uor and a father who #ouldn.t &ive a dan whether she lives or dies. 6er son didn.t want to $e
used as a wea+on a&ainst his father and fou&ht her every in#h of the way, una$le to tolerate her
$rayin&. 2artha #alls this lies and says he #ouldn.t stand his father $ein& a failure. 8he says that
he only writes her letters. *eor&e #lais he writes hi letters at his offi#e. 2artha says the son
s+ends his suers away $e#ause he #an.t stand the !shadow of the an! his father has $e#oe.
*eor&e says he stays away $e#ause there is no roo for hi with the li=uor $ottles. 's 2artha
#ontinues to insist that she has raised her son to $e &ood a&ainst all odds in her arria&e, *eor&e
a&ain $e&ins to #hant the 7e=uie and then Kyrie )leison.
6oney &rows hysteri#al and s#reas for the to sto+ it. Knowin& what is #oin&, she $e&ins
wee+in& as *eor&e tells 2artha he has soe news for her a$out !sonny-Ji.! While she and %i#,
were out of the roo, he and 6oney were sittin& there and the door$ell ran&. "t was Western
9nion with a tele&ra. 8oe tele&ras you have to deliverK soe you #an.t +hone. 6oney ,ee+s
tellin& *eor&e to sto+. Finally *eor&e tells 2artha that their son isn.t #oin& hoe for his
$irthday he #an.t. 2artha o$Ee#ts, $ut *eor&e #ontinues, slowly tellin& her that their son is dead.
6e was ,illed late in the afternoon, drivin& on a #ountry road with a learner.s +erit in his
+o#,et, when he swerved to avoid a +or#u+ine and drove strai&ht into a tree.
2artha s#reas that *eor&e #annot do that. 8he tells hi he #an.t de#ide for hiself. 8he won.t
let hi de#ide these thin&s. *eor&e #oolly #ontinues, sayin& they.ll have to &o around noon to
identify the $ody. 8he lea+s at hi, $ut he holds her $a#, as she says that she won.t let hi do
this. 8he $e&ins oanin& !no! and sin,s to the floor, insistin& he is not dead. *eor&e insists he is.
%i#, tries to #ofort her $y tellin& her it wasn.t *eor&e.s de#ision, $ut 2artha s#reas that
*eor&e #an.t ,ill hi #an.t have hi die. 8he deands to see the tele&ra, $ut *eor&e says, with
a strai&ht fa#e, that he ate it. 2artha s+its in his fa#e. 6oney a&rees that he ate it. 8he wat#hed
hi.
2artha tells *eor&e he.s not &oin& to &et away with this, $ut *eor&e tells her she ,nows the rules.
%i#, $e&ins to realiAe what.s &oin& on. 's 2artha insists he is their #hild, *eor&e insists he has
,illed hi. %i#, furiously announ#es that he thin,s he understands. 2artha, no Eust sad, re+eats
that *eor&e doesn.t have the ri&ht, $ut *eor&e tenderly tells her that he does have the ri&ht. 3hey
never s+o,e of it, $ut he #ould ,ill hi any tie he wanted. 2artha as,s why, and *eor&e tells
her that he $ro,e their rule and entioned hi to soeone else. 2artha deands who, and a
#ryin& 6oney says e. 2artha s#reas that she for&ets. 8oeties when it.s ni&ht and everyone
is tal,in&, she for&ets, $ut *eor&e didn.t have to ,ill hi. *eor&e si+ly re+eats in Gatin the last
lines of the funeral servi#e, to whi#h 6oney &ives the a++ro+riate res+onses.
'fter a lon& silen#e, *eor&e says that it will $e dawn soon, and the +arty.s over. %i#, =uietly as,s
if they #ould have any. *eor&e and 2artha a&ree that !we! #ouldn.t. %i#, ta,es 6oney.s hand,
and they &et u+ to leave. Before he &oes, %i#, says, !".d li,e to ! $ut *eor&e #uts hi off,
sayin& &ood ni&ht. %i#, and 6oney e4it.
3he final se#tion is very =uiet. *eor&e +i#,s u+ &lasses and as,s 2artha if she wants anythin&.
8he doesn.t. 6e as,s if she.s tired. 8he is. 'fter a lon& silen#e, she as,s if he had to. 6e +auses
and says yes. 8he as,s a&ain, and he says yes and adds that it was tie. 'fter a +ause, 2artha
says she.s #old. *eor&e says it.s late. 'fter a lon& silen#e, he says it will $e $etter. 8he says she
doesn.t ,now. 6e says that it will $e ay$e. 8he.s not sure and as,s !Eust us0! 6e says yes. 8he
as,s if ay$e they #ould -- and he says no. 8he says, !Fes. %o.! 6e as,s if she.s all ri&ht. 8he
says, !Fes. %o.! 6e +uts his hand on her shoulder, and she leans her head $a#,. 6e sin&s very
softly, !Who.s afraid of /ir&inia Woolf0! !" a*eor&e " a,! 2artha says. *eor&e nods
slowly. 3he +lay ends with this ta$leau in silen#e.
Act Three Analysis:
'l$ee e4+lore the thee of #ir#ularity in this final a#t. 6e e+loys the devi#e of #ontrast not to
deonstrate how u#h thin&s have #han&ed $etween the $e&innin& and end of the +lay $ut to
show, des+ite a++earan#es, how little thin&s have #han&ed.
Both the o+enin& and #losin& s#enes of the +lay feature 2artha and *eor&e alone on sta&e. Both
s#enes feature one of the sin&in& !Who.s 'fraid of /ir&inia Woolf0! But whereas the first s#ene
is fast-+a#ed and loud, full of dialo&ue and freneti# ener&y, the final s#ene is =uiet and
#onte+lative. *eor&e and 2artha s+ea, in short senten#es and onosylla$les. Whereas 2artha
#onsidered the son& a !s#rea! and #onsidered it a huorous eans with whi#h to rile *eor&e in
the first s#ene, in the final s#ene *eor&e sin&s the son& as a sort of lulla$y to #ofort her. <es+ite
the #ontrast in ener&y, however, how u#h has really #han&ed0 2artha and *eor&e.s arria&e is
still isera$le. 3hey still desire illusion and es#hew reality.
'l$ee has said that !Who.s 'fraid of /ir&inia Woolf0! eans !Who is afraid to live without
illusions0! 't the end, after *eor&e sin&s it, 2artha si+ly says, !" a.! 3hose are the final
words of the +lay. 'l$ee.s ultiate essa&e is that we ust live without illusions, however u#h
#ofort they &ive us. When 2artha $e&ins to su&&est the +ossi$ility of #reatin& another
ia&inary #hild, *eor&e says no $efore she #an even finish the senten#e.
'##ordin& to 'l$ee, the son& !Who.s 'fraid of /ir&inia Wool0! #ae fro words he saw
s#rawled on the wall of *reenwi#h /illa&e restaurant.s $athroo. But the referen#e to /ir&inia
Woolf, the faous writer, is eanin&ful in ters of the literary illusions it su&&ests. For one
thin&, Woolf went ad and #oitted sui#ide. 6er self-destru#tion #an $e seen as a #oentary
on *eor&e and 2artha.s self-destru#tion. 'lso, as a fi#tion writer, Woolf #reated $eautiful and
ela$orate, $ut ultiately illusory, stories Eust as 2artha and *eor&e have #reated a +erfe#t, $ut
ia&inary, son.
"n this a#t, as in the rest of the +lay, 'l$ee #ontinues to e4+lore the +ro$leati# relationshi+
$etween illusion and reality. When 2artha tells %i#, that *eor&e is the only an who has ever
$een a$le to a,e her ha++y, %i#, thin&s she.s ,iddin&. "n res+onse to his dis$elief, 2artha says,
!Fou always trade in a++earan#es0! %i#,, li,e ost of the audien#e, $elieves that what he sees
and is told is the truthK only in the last inutes of the +lay, does %i#, #oe to the sho#,in&
realiAation that u#h of what he has $een told is not in fa#t true.
Gater, 2artha and *eor&e $oth adit that they #annot distin&uish $etween fantasy and reality $ut
it.s i+ortant to a#t as if they do. 3his is the very dan&er 'l$ee.s +lay fun#tions as a warnin&
a&ainst. 2artha.s ina$ility to distin&uish $etween illusion and reality is res+onsi$le for *eor&e.s
de#ision to !,ill! their son. "n her tearful +leas to hi after he announ#es the $oy.s death, 2artha
e4+lains that soeties when it &ets late, it.s hard for her to ,ee+ hi a se#ret. *eor&e, ore than
2artha, sees the dan&er this $lurrin& #auses, and his +ers+e#tive allows hi to a,e the de#ision
to end the &ae.
'lon& with %i#,, the audien#e is for#ed to re#o&niAe in this a#t Eust how tenuous *eor&e.s and
2artha.s &ras+ of and 'l$ee.s +resentation of illusion and reality has $een. When *eor&e, in the
idst of another ar&uent, asserts that his +arents too, hi to 2aEor#a as a #olle&e &raduation
+resent, %i#, #oolly as,s if this o##urred after he ,illed the. 6is sho#, and $etrayal at this
assertion and at the revelation that the #hild is ia&inary reveals his assu+tions with re&ard to
a++earan#es and reality.
6oney, who has fun#tioned throu&hout the +lay as a *ree, #horus, a,es soe sur+risin&ly a+t
rear,s here. 6er drun,en insisten#e that the &rou+ +lay !+eel the la$el! leads *eor&e to a,e a
si&nifi#ant rear, a$out how it is i+ortant to &o $elow the surfa#e, $elow the $one, ri&ht to the
arrow. Killin& the son is &oin& to the arrow for *eor&e. 3hou&h not #ons#iously, 6oney is
ore dee+ly attuned to the eotional truth of the situation than a++earan#es-tradin& %i#,. When
she res+onds a++ro+riately to *eor&e.s re#itation of the 7e=uie for the dead, she su$#ons#iously
re#o&niAes that the death of this #hild, even thou&h ia&inary, is a +ainful and final e4+erien#e
for *eor&e.
'l$ee a,es nuerous literary allusions throu&hout the +lay $ut here he fo#uses in +arti#ular on
3ennessee Willias. ' 8treet#ar %aed <esire. When tal,in& to herself at the $e&innin& of the
s#ene, she referen#es !3he >o,er *ae,! the +aintin& $ased on the s#ene in whi#h fra&ile
Blan#he #oes in on her anialisti# $rother-in-law 8tanley.s +o,er &ae. 8e#ondly, when he
#oes in with the sna+dra&ons, *eor&e =uotes a line of dialo&ue fro Willias. +lay !Flores
+ara los uertos,! flowers for the dead. "n 8treet#ar, that line foreshadows Blan#he.s iinent
s+iritual and eotional Cthou&h not +hysi#al deathD. While *eor&e.s use of the line foreshadows
his announ#eent of !sonny-Ji.s! death, it also +ro#eeds the s+iritual de#iation of his and
2artha.s arria&e.
'nother literary allusion in this +lay is to 6alet. When *eor&e enters with the flowers, 2artha
e4#lais, !>ansies1 7oseary1 /iolen#e1 2y weddin& $ou=uet1! 3his line e#hoes O+helia.s ad
s+ee#h in 6alet in whi#h she offers the other #hara#ters ia&inary flowers, tellin& the their
eanin&s C!7oseary is for ree$ran#e!D. 6ere, 2artha, in another e4a+le of the lin&uisti#
#leverness of her dialo&ue with *eor&e, su$stitutes !violen#e! for !violets,! #hara#teriAin& her
arria&e. 'dditionally, this literary allusion offers ore foreshadowin& of death. O+helia &ives
her s+ee#h $efore drownin& herself.
3hou&h entioned elsewhere in the +lay, Bi$li#al allusions ta,e on a #entral eanin& in this a#t.
'l$ee entitles this a#t, !3he )4or#is,! referrin& to *eor&e.s e4or#is of the destru#tive +ower
of their illusory son on their arria&e. Fro the #hies in the +revious a#t to ore e4+li#it
referen#es here, *eor&e and 2artha.s son $e#oes a (hrist fi&ure sa#rifi#ed for the &ood of their
arria&e in a (hristian alle&ory. *eor&e #hants Kyrie )leison CGord have er#yD and the
7e=uie C(atholi# funeral servi#eD durin& 2artha.s onolo&ue a$out their son. 2artha herself
#alls the $oy a !+oor la$,! and Jesus is also ,nown as the !Ga$ of *od! for his sa#rifi#ial
death.
9ltiately, the son is a +rofoundly a$ivalent sy$ol in Who.s 'fraid of /ir&inia Woolf0
3hou&h he is the sour#e of any ar&uents $etween *eor&e and 2artha, who ar&ue over
everythin& fro his eye #olor to the letters he writes hoe fro #olle&e to whi#h of the has
ruined his life ore, he is also a for#e that $rin&s the to&ether. 2artha.s final onolo&ue a$out
his life +resents a +erfe#t, idealiAed #hild. 8he des#ri$es the $oy who !wal,ed evenly $etween us
a hand out to ea#h of us.! Fro this onolo&ue, we finally see what a++earan#es have no
+reviously shown. We see the i+ortan#e of this son, even thou&h ia&inary, to *eor&e and
2artha. (learly, he has $een #reated of a eans of $indin& *eor&e and 2artha to&ether. 3heir
dialo&ue and 2artha.s e+hasis on !we! when %i#, as,s if they.ve never $een a$le to have
#hildren shows us how u#h their individual son $onded *eor&e and 2artha to&ether. *eor&e.s
de#ision to ,ill hi, therefore, is an in#redi$ly eanin&ful and si&nifi#ant one. 3hou&h he was
ia&inary, his i+a#t on their eotions and the future of their relationshi+ is #lear fro their
rea#tions to the $oy.s !death.!