Angels in America: Symbolism and Role of Angels in Kushner's Play
This paper analyzes the symbolic role of angels in Tony Kushner's two-part play Angels in America. It examines how the angels serve as metaphors for death, bureaucracy, prophecy, and social struggle, particularly within the context of the AIDS/HIV crisis and broader American society. The paper traces the angel's relationship with the protagonist Prior Walter, arguing that he functions as a prophet figure himself. It also considers how Kushner uses theatrical illusion and magical realism to deliver a moral critique of American society while ultimately offering a message of hope and forward progress.
- Introduction: Scope and focus of the analysis
- Angels as Metaphors for American Society: Angels symbolize social struggles and American identity
- The Angel as Prophet and Messenger: Angel announces Prior's prophetic role
- Personal Demons and the Universal Struggle: Angels represent universal human inner conflict
- Prior Walter as Prophetic Figure: Prior contrasted with Cohn as agent of change
- Magic, Illusion, and Theatrical Purpose: Kushner's use of theatrical magic and illusion
- Conclusion: Play's moral critique and message of hope
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What makes this paper effective
- The paper integrates direct quotations from the play throughout, grounding each analytical claim in textual evidence rather than unsupported assertion.
- It moves from specific, concrete symbols (the skin lesions as the "kiss of death") to broader social metaphors, building its argument organically from close reading to cultural critique.
- The contrast drawn between Prior and Roy Cohn effectively illustrates the paper's central thesis about transformation and prophecy without requiring lengthy explanation.
Key academic technique demonstrated
The paper demonstrates sustained symbolic analysis: it identifies a central image (the angel) and methodically traces its shifting meanings across the text — from death omen, to bureaucratic stand-in, to prophetic messenger, to an emblem of hope. This layered unpacking of a single recurring motif is a core skill in literary analysis.
Structure breakdown
The paper opens with a focused introduction establishing its analytical scope, then proceeds thematically through the play's angel symbolism. Each body paragraph addresses a distinct dimension of the angels' meaning. The paper closes by situating Kushner's intentions within the theatrical framework and offering a brief evaluative conclusion. The structure is linear and thematic, suited to a close-reading essay at the undergraduate level.
Introduction
This paper introduces and analyzes Angels in America by Tony Kushner, focusing on the play's central symbolic figures: the angels. Specifically, it examines who the angels are, how they affect the play, and what they represent within the broader context of American society and the AIDS/HIV crisis.
Angels as Metaphors for American Society
The two-part play Angels in America by Tony Kushner won Pulitzer Prizes, has been banned from some communities, and continues to be a controversial and enlightening examination of the AIDS/HIV community and how America responds to it. It also looks at America more broadly — how we live, what we fear, and what we must confront in the future. Throughout, the angels serve as metaphors for any number of human and inhuman conditions.
Early in the play, Prior finds "kisses from the angel of death" — wine-colored skin lesions that indicate he is HIV positive and will eventually die. He shows them to his lover, Louis, and this moment also marks the "kiss of death" for their relationship. Louis is not strong enough to stay with Prior and ultimately leaves him.
Later, in the second part of the play, one of the characters describes angels as "powerful bureaucrats; they have no imagination, they can do anything but they can't invent, create, they're sort of fabulous and dull all at once" (Kushner). Thus, the angels can stand for anything and everything that is happening to America. Consistently, the characters express how hard it is to live in America — referring to the difficulty of fitting into society when one is different: a Mormon, gay, Black, or sick. The angels in America are those who know how hard it is to live here, and do it day after day.
The Angel as Prophet and Messenger
When the angel arrives to tell Prior he is a prophet, the announcement is direct: "Greetings, Prophet; / The Great Work begins; / The Messenger has arrived" (Kushner). The angel also tells him that God is dead. This is another symbol of the turmoil in America. One character declares that "faggots are just a bad dream America is having." There are many such bad dreams in the play: the depletion of the ozone layer, Reaganomics, government overreach, hunger, racism, and nearly every other failing in American life.
Prior gradually comes to understand that he may indeed be a prophet — a prophet for Americans, so that the country can fix what is wrong with it. As he reflects, "Maybe I'm a prophet. Not just me, all of us who are dying now. Maybe we've caught the virus of prophecy" (Kushner).
Conclusion
This powerful play can be analyzed in hundreds of different ways. By using magic, illusion, angels, and a rich array of characters, Kushner created a work that not only delivers a moral lesson but also exposes the distortions of American society while still offering hope for the future.
Works Cited
Andreach, Robert J. Creating the Self in the Contemporary American Theatre. Carbondale, IL: Southern Illinois University Press, 1998.
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