Angels in America Chapter Summary & Analysis - Part 1: Act 3, Scene 2 Summary

Part 1: Act 3, Scene 2 Summary

Prior is having another nightmare. The first Prior is joined by a second, dressed in rich, eighteenth century costume. Both Prior ancestors died of the plague, and have come to announce the arrival of the angel. Prior 2 assumes that Prior's plague "is the lamentable consequence of venery," by which he means it was sexually transmitted. Prior 2 refers to Prior as a prophet or visionary. They simultaneously recite different verses about the arrival of the angel, and vanish.

Part 1: Act 3, Scene 2 Analysis

The ancestors emphasize the difference between their deaths and Prior's modern plague.

They elaborate on Prior's role as a visionary. It seems that the angel will perform some miraculous service, and that Prior has been selected as the human representative. The angel's mission seems to be connected to the AIDS crisis.