Discussion Questions

1. Explain the significance of the title, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?.

2. What is the significance of sexuality in the play?

3. Why do Martha and George decide to tear each other apart in front of Honey and Nick?

4. How does religion, pagan and Christian, function in the play?

5. Why do you think George tells the story about his childhood friend who accidentally killed both of his parents? What implications could it have thematically?

6. What is the significance of everyone drinking so much?

7. Why is it important that George is a history professor, whereas Nick is a biologist? How do these two disciplines relate to their characters?

8. Why would Edward Albee set this play at a cocktail party (rather than at a family dinner or on a vacation or at an amusement park, etc.)?

9. A great deal of what goes into a play is visual rather than simply literary. How would you set up the stage if you were directing this play?

10. What costumes would you use for the characters? What actors would you cast in the parts?

11. What significance does Honey's weakness and vomiting have? Why would Albee create her to be so often sick?

1. Explain the significance of the title, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?.

Virgina Woolf is a writer that focuses on exposing the truth with in each individual of her novels. Her style is unique in the way it utilizes conversation to expose the inner workings of the characters, and the main themes of her novel. The characters in Albee's world hide their innermost emotions, thus v. Woolf would be very scary to them.

2. What is the significance of sexuality in the play?

Sexuality is power. Martha uses her sexuality to seduce Nick, to get at her husband. Nick uses his sexuality in hope of advancing his position with in the University.

3. Why do Martha and George decide to tear each other apart in front of Honey and Nick?

Martha and George can't seem to help themselves. I believe this is the only way they know how to interact with each other.

4. How does religion, pagan and Christian, function in the play?

Sparknotes talks a bit about the role of religion in the play and in the titles of each act, but I didn't think that the role was extremely significant.

5. Why do you think George tells the story about his childhood friend who accidentally killed both of his parents? What implications could it have thematically?

It makes Nick and George open up to each other a bit more, which allows for the events later in the play, but it also makes us wonder a bit more about George's character and how honest he may be.

6. What is the significance of everyone drinking so much?

The alcohol both opens people up, freeing them of their inhibitions, but also masks some of the truth that comes with sober interactions.

7. Why is it important that George is a history professor, whereas Nick is a biologist? How do these two disciplines relate to their characters?

Nick, a scientist, focuses on the detail and management of the future. George, the historian, focuses on the unchangeable past. Both characters take on these focuses in their personalities.

8. Why would Edward Albee set this play at a cocktail party (rather than at a family dinner or on a vacation or at an amusement park, etc.)?

9. A great deal of what goes into a play is visual rather than simply literary. How would you set up the stage if you were directing this play?

10. What costumes would you use for the characters? What actors would you cast in the parts?

11. What significance does Honey's weakness and vomiting have? Why would Albee create her to be so often sick?