Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf

by

Edward Albee

Teachers and parents! Our Teacher Edition on Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf makes teaching easy.
Alcohol Symbol Icon
Alcohol is consumed throughout the play, and the narrative is often punctuated by character’s glasses being refilled. The characters’ lips are loosened as they drink more and more, until Honey is on the bathroom floor and George and Martha grow increasingly harsh towards one another and say ever crueler and more revealing things. Alcohol serves to strip away the false fronts that the characters might otherwise use to mask their dysfunctions.

Alcohol Quotes in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf

The Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf quotes below all refer to the symbol of Alcohol. 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:
Imperfect Marriage Theme Icon
).
Act 1 Quotes

Ha, ha, ha, HA! Make the kids a drink, George. What do you want, kids? What do you want to drink, hunh?

Related Characters: Martha (speaker), George, Nick, Honey
Related Symbols: Babies, Alcohol
Page Number: 23
Explanation and Analysis:
Act 3 Quotes

I cry all the time too, Daddy. I cry allllll the time; but deep inside, so no one can see me. I cry all the time. And George cries all the time, too.

Related Characters: Martha (speaker), George
Related Symbols: Babies, Alcohol
Page Number: 185
Explanation and Analysis:
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Alcohol Symbol Timeline in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf

The timeline below shows where the symbol Alcohol appears in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Act 1
Imperfect Marriage Theme Icon
Academia Theme Icon
Children and Childishness Theme Icon
Martha orders George to make her a drink and informs him that they have guests coming over, but can’t remember their guests’ names.... (full context)
Imperfect Marriage Theme Icon
Appearance, Secrecy, and Truth-Telling Theme Icon
Ambition, Success, and Failure Theme Icon
George prepares drinks for the crew—brandy for Honey, bourbon for Nick, and (jokingly) rubbing alcohol for Martha. George... (full context)
Imperfect Marriage Theme Icon
Ambition, Success, and Failure Theme Icon
Children and Childishness Theme Icon
...in other ways as well, like a white mouse. He leaves to get some more alcohol. Martha begins to explain to Honey and Nick why her husband so hates her father,... (full context)