Glimpse into Act Two Scene Nine

Throughout the play Angels In America, most of the scenes have been divided into specific conversations that exist between Harper and Joe and between Louis and Prior. The second to the final scene, however, provides the reader with all four characters talking as rapidly as possible in two separate locations. It is an interesting stylistic choice for the writer of this play to combine two climactic scenes of two completely different relationships. In my own opinion, it creates a sense of chaos, as if we as an audience are witnessing the most critical "fights" that have existed between Harper and Joe and Prior and Louis thus far. For Harper and Joe, Joe is deciding he needs to leave his wife. For Prior and Louis, it is Louis deciding to leave Prior. In this way, I believe the combination of these two scenes are incredibly effective at drawing the attention toward how drastically different, yet similar all four characters can be. In addition, it shines a light on the desire of freedom amongst one of the partners, while the other has a feeling of being trapped. Prior, literally confined within a hospital room, desperately wishes Louis would leave him to die. As an audience we see how much this pains him, sincerely hoping that Louis does not leave. To mimic this situation, Harper also wishes to get away as she asks Mr. Lies to take her far away from this confrontation of Joe admitting that he needs to leave, and never has loved her because he is gay. It is one of my favorite scenes in this play so far, as it is packed with underlying emotions such as Louis, who holds in a deep burning passion for love yet puts on a facade because he is frightened by the idea of death.