The Angel of America is the symbol of all that is fantastic, imaginative, and otherworldly in Angels in America—in other words, most of the play. The Angel—a hermaphrodite, but for the purpose of this summary, a “she”—appears before Prior Walter shortly after Prior is diagnosed with AIDS, suggesting that the Angel may not, in fact, be real, but only a hallucination Prior is experiencing. Nevertheless, as the play continues, the Angel shows up to frequently, and speaks with such a unique voice, that we have no choice but to regard her as a character in the play—independent, complex, and real. It is the Angel who tells Prior that Heaven is in a state of disarray, thanks to God’s preference for human beings. The Angel, jealous of humanity for distracting God from her fellow angels, wants Prior to spread the message “Stop moving” around the world. In other words, she wants to compel human beings to stop being human. While the Angel doesn’t seem to like human beings much, she also seems sympathetic to Prior’s AIDS, and—it’s suggested—saves Prior’s life by blessing him with health and life.
The Angel of America Quotes in Angels in America
The Angels in America quotes below are all either spoken by The Angel of America or refer to The Angel of America. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Note: all page numbers and citation info for the quotes below refer to the Theatre Communications Group edition of Angels in America published in 2013.
Millennium Approaches: Act 3, Scene 7
Quotes
Greetings Prophet;
The Great Work begins:
The Messenger has arrived.
Related Characters:
The Angel of America (speaker), Prior Walter
Related Symbols:
Angels
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Perestroika: Act 2, Scene 2
Quotes
Bored with His Angels, Bewitched by Humanity, In Mortifying imitation of You, his least creation, He would sail off on Voyages, no knowing where.
Related Characters:
The Angel of America (speaker), Prior Walter
Related Symbols:
Angels
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
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The Angel of America Character Timeline in Angels in America
The timeline below shows where the character The Angel of America appears in Angels in America. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Millennium Approaches: Act 3, Scene 7
...floor, too weak to stand. Suddenly, he speaks in a woman’s voice, saying that “ the angel ” is coming, bearing the “book of life.” Frightened, Prior covers his own mouth and...
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...in, covering Prior with plaster and dust. A beautiful angel flies in, smiling at Prior. The angel greets Prior, calling him a prophet. The angel says, “the great work begins.”
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Perestroika: Act 1, Scene 1
The scene fades to Prior’s apartment, where he’s still being greeted by the Angel . The Angel roars that Prior is about to become a great prophet, who will...
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Perestroika: Act 1, Scene 5
Immediately after seeing the Angel , Prior wakes up in his bed. Prior calls Belize—working late at a hospital—to tell...
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Perestroika: Act 2, Scene 1
Prior reminds Belize of his wet dream—i.e., his encounter with the angel . Prior claims that his encounter with the angel was real, and that he’s received...
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Perestroika: Act 2, Scene 2
...I: it’s a flashback to three weeks before, when Prior had his first encounter with the angel . The Angel tells Prior that she’s the Angel of America: here to make Prior...
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The Angel of America pays no attention to Prior’s complaints. She tells Prior to remove the “sacred implements” from...
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The tiles in Prior’s kitchen break. Prior complains that the Angel is releasing fluorocarbons into the air, which is “bad for the environment.” The Angel dismisses...
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The Angel orders Prior to remove a book from the suitcase. Prior finds a large, shiny book...
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Back in Prior’s apartment in the flashback, the Angel of America explains that God has abandoned the angels because of his greater love and...
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...Louis onto his “visions.” Just as Prior wants Louis to come back to him, so the Angel of America wants God to return to Heaven. Prior admits that Belize could be right,...
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In the flashback, the Angel tells Prior to spread this prophecy: “Stop moving.” Prior asks the Angel if she wants...
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...tells Prior that he’s frightened for Prior: he’s not thinking clearly. Belize also disagrees with the Angel ’s prophecy, noting “Some of us didn’t choose to migrate.” Prior admits that Belize is...
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Perestroika: Act 5, Scene 1
...night. Prior wakes up to find Hannah sitting next to him. Prior tells Hannah that the Angel of America is nearby. There are loud noises, and suddenly, the ceiling breaks open. Hannah...
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Hannah tells Prior to wrestle the Angel and say, “I will not go except thee bless me.” The Angel and Prior wrestle...
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After Prior has climbed the ladder, the Angel of America turns to Hannah. Although Hannah is visibly frightened, the Angel begins to kiss...
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Perestroika: Act 5, Scene 2
...brightly colored robes, has climbed the ladder. Heaven looks a lot like San Francisco, as the Angel has suggested previously, but it’s San Francisco immediately after the 1906 earthquake, with decayed buildings...
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Suddenly, the scenery fades—Prior is standing in a large room, facing the Angel of America, who greets him as a prophet.
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Perestroika: Act 5, Scene 5
Suddenly, Prior appears, accompanied by the Angel of America. The Angel of America announces that she’s brought “the prophet” with her. Prior...
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Prior explains that God is never coming back, either to Earth or to the angel s. God would never dare to show his face on Earth after all the suffering...
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Prior tells the angel s that he wants to be healthy again. He begs the angels to prevent mankind...
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