Edward Albee's play ?Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?? is a drama exploring the anxieties
of modern life. By personalizing aspects of the epic Albee has inverted many of its
features to create satire. This internalization pits individuals against each other and
themselves. M. H. Abrams's definition of epic, in his book ?A Glossary of Literary
Terms,? is used comparatively to demonstrate how Albee achieves satire.
Abrams's first definition of epic is the closest to which ?Who's Afraid of Virginia
Woolf?? adhere- it is about a serious subject. The seriousness of the play is developed
through its language, which is not elevated or formal as in a traditional epic, rather,
it is crude and intoxicated. When Nick and Honey arrive at George and Martha's place they
are sober and speak formally. Any hesitation they have comes from the unusual situation
they find themselves in. As they drink, Nick and Honey's involvement in the conversation
becomes more fluid and the remarks become more poignant. This, in turn, increases the
intensity of the insults between George and Martha. For them prodding is a game of
one-upmanship with words their only weapon. As the play progresses the implications of
this become increasingly serious.
In an epic, Abrams explains that the ?fate of a tribe, a nation, or the human race? lies
in the out come of the hero's battle. The battle between George and Martha only affects
their relationship and on this night spills into the lives of Nick and Honey. Drunkenness
exaggerates their actions, so that the extremes of the situation are explored. This
allows the reader to experience feelings which may be outside their own experience.
George and Martha continually try to gain the upper hand in the relationship by degrading
each other. This degradation is an fact a type of self loathing. For George it seems
particularly acute. He can not come to terms with his past both because he is not able
rid himself of it and Martha's insistence on making it public - on her own terms. George
wants to talk (or write) about his past and in so doing, let it go. This type of
vulnerability is unheard of in a traditional hero, yet in this play is the basis of each
character's actions.
Abrams writes that the epic is centered around a ?heroic or quasi-divine figure.? Albee
has created an anthesis; George and Martha are pathetic characters. There is nothing
heroic, and certainly nothing divine about them. All of their regret and unfulfilment
come to the fore on this drunken night. George is bitter about not progressing within the
college and Martha is unfulfilled with the life and status she has. Why, then, are they
important characters when they are not, as in an epic, figures ?of great national or even
cosmic importance.? (54) In their degraded state, contemporary readers are able to
sympathize with them in a more direct way then a traditional hero. Broader issues of
state and humanity are often felt to be outside of their control. Motivation such as
sacrifice for a greater good, which leads a traditional epic hero to action, would be
unthinkable to George and Martha. The issue then is how an individual makes it through
life. Because George and Martha are no more or less heroic then anyone else their
struggles are common to all.
Unlike the sweeping grandeur on the epic, the setting of ?Who's Afraid of Virginia
Woolf?? is modest. It is ironic that in a quiet, conservative ?New England college town?
the uncontainable and relentless attacks between George and Martha occur. This
juxtaposition removes outside influences which might be considered as a reason for their
actions. Albee further reduces the scope of the play by creating a very late evening
within a single room which progresses in real time. This, again, reinforces the narrow
focus of the play and heightens its tension.
By the end of the play the satire has given way to tragedy. While each of the four
characters has some despicable characteristic, scorn turns to sympathy as George and
Martha realize that all they have in the the world, despite the misgivings, are each
other. Morning over the loss of an imaginary child cuts through the ranting and raving to
reveal unity and caring between Martha and George. Unlike the traditional epic this
interior drama is able to communicate a more contemporary set of feelings which relate to
modern life.
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