Angels in America Chapter Summary & Analysis - Part 1: Act 3, Scene 7 Summary

Part 1: Act 3, Scene 7 Summary

Prior's ancestors are in his room, announcing that the angel will arrive tonight. Prior 1 is dressed in "alchemical robes." They joke about the fact that the angel seems to arouse Prior. They tell him to dance, at which point the music of an oboe sounds. They sense that he wishes someone else to be present. Louis appears, and the music changes to a romantic waltz. He is not really there - this is an illusion - but he speaks to Prior. They dance. The ancestors realize he is a homosexual. Prior 2 comments that the world has grown very old. They vanish, as does Louis. The light fades and the sound of wings beating fills the room.

Part 1: Act 3, Scene 7 Analysis

The costume of Prior 1 suggests that this scene is a spectacle of magic. Louis's appearance is a symbolic reunion, an act of fulfillment and reconciliation for Prior. Before the wings beat,...
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