AIDS = Purgatory: Prior Walter's Prophecy and Angels in America

Ghosts come from Purgatory, "the middle space of the realm of the dead." In Angels in America , the two characters who see ghosts are victims of AIDS, themselves occupying a kind of middle space. While their visions can be seen as fever-, medication-, or stress-induced, both Prior Walter a...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Modern drama 2010-12, Vol.53 (4), p.471-494
Main Author: Barnett, Claudia
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome
AIDS
Ghosts
Heaven
HIV
Human immunodeficiency virus
Metaphor
Space
Stress
Theater
Theater criticism
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Ghosts come from Purgatory, "the middle space of the realm of the dead." In Angels in America , the two characters who see ghosts are victims of AIDS, themselves occupying a kind of middle space. While their visions can be seen as fever-, medication-, or stress-induced, both Prior Walter and Roy Cohn are, in fact, sanctified by their proximity to death, and the liminal "space" of AIDS functions as a metaphor for Purgatory throughout the play. In this magical world, Prior Walter is a pilgrim. AIDS is not only death but a precondition for life, as Prior learns on his prophetic journey. He sees because he has AIDS; he survives because he sees; and in the end, he shares his vision with humanity.
ISSN:0026-7694
1712-5286
1712-5286
DOI:10.1353/mdr.2010.0029