A Study Guide for "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" (lit-to-film)

By Gale and Cengage

A Study Guide for "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" (lit-to-film), excerpted from Gale's acclaimed Drama for Students.This concise study guide includes plot summary; character analysis; author biography; study questions; historical context; suggestions for further reading; and much more. For any literature project, trust Drama for Students for all of your research needs.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Cengage Learning - Gale
• Release date: May 15, 2018
• ISBN: 9781410394002

Book preview

18

Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

Ernest Lehman

1966

Introduction

Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? is the screen-writer Ernest Lehman's 1966 adaptation of the Tony Award–winning drama by Edward Albee that debuted in 1962. Controversy surrounded the play when it was named the winner of the 1963 Pulitzer Prize in drama but the prize was not awarded owing to the play's subject matter and coarse language. Albee's play reflects the growing tensions of the Cold War and disillusionment with the American dream as the characters cruelly exploit each other. The film launched the film-directing career of the theater veteran Mike Nichols. Nichols and Lehman left much of the original dialogue intact. Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? violated the antiquated movie censorship rules of the Hays Code. Its approval for release helped to end the Hays Code and bring about the current rating system. The film removed some of the more offensive language and takes some scenes outside of George and Martha's house, which is the only setting of the play.

The stars of the film, Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, married at the time, skillfully performed the roles of a dysfunctional middleaged couple and generated a great deal of interest. Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? became one of the highest-grossing films of 1966 and earned Academy Awards for best actress, best actress in a supporting role, best art direction, best cinematography, and best costume design.

Plot Summary

This Black-And-White Film Begins With A Shot Of The Moon And Pans Across A College Campus, Establishing The Setting. Sad But Calm Music Plays As Martha And George, A Middle-Aged Couple, Leave A Party. They Are Walking Home In And Out Of The Shadows As The Credits Role. He Hushes Her Because It Is After 2:00 A.M., But They Are Amiable On Their Walk.

The darkness dramatically shifts as the couple turns on the bright light in their disheveled house. Martha is drunk, and George looks tired. As they enter, Martha says, What a dump, a line made famous by a character Bette Davis played in the movie Beyond the Forest. Martha asks George which film the line is from as he