Who is Afraid of Virginia Woolf? By Edward Albee | Characters, Summary, Analysis
Who is afraid of Virginia Woolf? Is a Three Act dark comedy play by Edward Albee that was first performed in October 1962 during the heights of the Cold War. The play is one of the most successful plays belonging to the Theatre of the Absurd and it suggests the imprints of the Cold War and the Berlin Wall built between East Germany and West Germany during that time. However, it is not a political play, rather it tells the story of a dysfunctional and self-destructive marriage between a history professor and his wife during a course of a night at their home on the campus of a small college in New England. At one instance, while arguing against his wife, the history professor shouts "I will not give up Berlin!"
The play investigates the themes of Reality and the importance of illusions in life. The two married couples discussed in the play rely upon their illusions for the success of their married life and as soon as they dare to face reality, they find their marriage is going into shambles. In addition, the play also criticizes the American dream of perfect life.
Despite its title, the play has nothing to do with the late celebrated English novelist Virginia Woolf. Rather it is a pun on Walt Disney’s song ‘Who is Afraid of Big Bad Woolf.’ The title actually means ‘Who is Afraid to Live without Illusions?’ Another theme of the play is the contradiction of love and hate. The married couple love each other but they do feel intense hate against each other too.
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