Kushners' "Angels in America" Anaylsis

Authors Avatar

A. Author

        Tony Kushner was born July 16, 1956 in Manhattan, NY to a Jewish family. Tony’s parents William and Sylvia Kushner were musicians, who later relocated the family to Lake Charles, Louisiana. With the Kushner family being Jewish, his parents had trouble accepting their son’s identity as a gay man. In 1974, Tony begun his college education at Columbia University in New York, were he completed a B.A in English literature; he went on to New York University’s graduate school to study directing and graduated in 1984 while in graduate school he worked as a switch board operator at the United Nations Plaza Hotel in NY. Along with Eric Roth, Kushner co-wrote the screenplay of the 2005 film Munich directed by Stephen Spielberg. Kushner’s work with the film Munich earned him and Roth an Academy Award nomination for best adapted screenplay. Kushner was rewarded the Pulitzer Prize for his American playwright Angels in America. Angels in America focuses on a gay and straight relationship; it focuses on community, sexuality, religion, identity, race, aids, politics, and the coming of the new millennium. “Angels” contained characteristics of a nonrealistic theatrical performance; the play was divided into two parts: Millennium Approaches and Perestroika. Kushner’s topics in Angels in America correlate strongly with his personal life. Kushner, whom is a Jewish homosexual, married his long time partner, Mark Harris, in April of 2003. Some of Kushner’s other works include; A Bright Room Called Day, The Umbrella Oracle, Homebody/ Kabul, Stella, The Illusion, Last Gasp at the Cataract,  just to name a few.

B. Character Analysis

        Prior Walter- Louis’s boyfriend, Belize’s ex-boyfriend. I view prior as the play’s protagonist mainly because he is the prime victim. He suffers more in the play mentally and physically. Having found out that he was infected with Aids and exposing his secret to his partner, Louis, he is the abandoned by Louis and health fails rapidly due the thought of dying and his partner leaving him, Prior is left alone at a time where he needs a friend the most. In the beginning this character doesn’t seem driven in any sort of way, he seems depressed about his illness and the way his life is falling apart however, towards the end of Part 2 (Millennium Approaching), strange things occur to Prior and he gradually begins to grasp reality and take charge of his life. When the ceiling in his apartment opens up before the angel appears and he hears the wings flapping, he says “my blood is clean, my brain is fine, I can handle pressure, I am a gay man and I am used to pressure, to trouble, I am tough and strong and…”. This part of the play makes Prior seem like he will be ok and that he really have the power to press on. I like what he says because through out the entire script of Part I Prior has nothing positive to say, and he continues to belittle himself. What he says at that point somewhat assured me that he had it in him to push himself and bring himself up. Earlier in the script he stated “I don’t think there’s any uninfected part of me. My heart is pumping polluted blood. I feel dirty.” That scene occurred while was talking to the voice (the angel) in his dream involving his encounter with Harper. This statement is a very negative one; it shows how he really feels about himself inside. He is very low at this point; inside and outside he views himself as nothing but a human virus. What seems to drive Prior to change, towards the end of part I are the ghosts of his ancestors (Prior I from the 13th century and Prior II from the 17th century). These ghosts appear and refer to Prior as a prophet and then the angel appears to Prior and says “Greeting, Prophet; The great Work Begins: The Messenger has arrived.” With Prior not having anyone around to really talk to, these beings keep appearing, speaking revelation and change unto him so he will not continue to take what’s happening to him lying down. The end of part I mark the beginning of prior road to change and success. A costume that I believe would be appropriate for this character would be a city- street look, maybe slightly loose fitting jeans, some type of loafers, a collared shirt, and a leather jacket. He has a look a sorrow on his face mixed with anger; a personality of a very disturbed person who has a lot of issues going on inside, someone who looks and acts depressed, scared, and mad at the world.  

Join now!

C. The Plot

        Millennium Approaching starts by introducing two couples, a married straight couple and a gay couple. The gay couple is Louis Ironson a word processor who is Jewish and his partner Prior Walter. After the funeral of Louis’s grandmother, Prior reveals to him that he has contracted AIDS which sends Louis into a panic and Louis feels as if he can’t go on with a relationship with Prior. Louis’s fear forces him to leave Prior in his time of need. The straight couple includes Joe Pitt a Mormon Lawyer and his wife Harper who is Valium addict ...

This is a preview of the whole essay