Angels in America, Part One: Millennium Approaches Themes
Visions of America: The Reagan Era
Angels in America is pretty much the play on Reagan-era America. Sure, there are others, but few are as wide in scope. The AIDS epidemic was a major issue during this era, and much paranoia and mis...
Politics
There's no shortage of political talk going on in Angels in America. Conservative and liberal characters alike get their moment to spout their political beliefs. Kushner himself is a well-known soc...
Justice and Judgment
Many of the characters in Angels in America wrestle with ideas of justice. Some seem to view it as a set of fixed laws, which they will pay for if they violate. Some base their sense of justice on...
Sexuality and Sexual Identity
It's pretty safe to say that Angels in America is one of the most famous plays to explore the topic of homosexuality. All of the major male characters in the play are gay. They run the gamut from t...
Isolation
Over the course of Millennium Approaches the characters become more and more isolated. Prior, sick with AIDS, is abandoned by his lover Louis. Harper's worst fears come true when her husband, Joe,...
Spirituality
As you might guess from the title, Angels in America deals quite a bit with the theme of spirituality. Joe wrestles with the precepts of his Mormon faith, and the play is filled with references to...
Betrayal
There are many betrayals throughout Angels in America. Louis betrays his lover, Prior, by deserting him at a time of need. Roy feels betrayed when Joe refuses to take a job he's arranged for him in...
Versions of Reality
Angels in America definitely takes some flights of fancy. While many of the scenes are generally realistic, there are other times when that reality gets skewed. A lot of these moments come in the f...