As absurd, Albee believed that a life of illusion was wrong as it created a false content for life, it is therefore not surprising that the theme of "Truth and illusion" in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf plays a significant role. Using critical language through captions and direct speech, Albee creates the lives of two couples who change dramatically over the course of one evening. It is clear to the audience, already in the first scene, that tension will play an important role in the final confessions and climax of the play, and through the disintegration of the characters, truths and illusions will be determined. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essayAlbee introduces the evening's hosts George and Martha as an unconventional and violent married couple who seem to detest each other, which immediately creates an atmosphere of uncertainty and ambiguity in the game. Martha and George constantly argue and intentionally frustrate each other; however there is a strong contrast that Albee creates between their two personalities; George is passive towards Martha, intelligent and witty, but also very sad, on the other hand Martha is vicious, aggressive both mentally and physically, and is also an alcoholic which adds to her violent nature. The couple's relationship is difficult to understand as one minute George calls Martha a "subhuman monster" who "screams," but the other Martha defends her husband's great qualities, as he "keeps learning the games we play with the same as quickly as I do it." can change the rules;', which greatly increases the illusion surrounding the couple, as the audience never quite understands who is telling the truth. Albee suggests through the couples' interactions that they both agree that there is no objective reality; «Martha; Truth and Illusion, George; you don't know the difference. George: No, but we have to carry on as if we had. Martha: Amen." It is difficult for the audience to deduce whether Martha and George understand each other's emotions and whether at any given moment they are simply pretending to love or hate each other; which instantly adds disappointment and illusion to the scenes. Albee similarly creates a 'illusion game between the two couples; and through their interactions over the course of the show, many unwanted truths are revealed. The excessive consumption of alcohol during the "evening" both increases the tension between the characters, but also makes the disclosure of the truth much smoother; “I'm quite numb… and I don't mean from the alcohol, although maybe that was part of the process.” George's "numbness" is portrayed through his often apathetic and calm persona, it's hard to decipher whether this is truly what George is in reality, or whether the evening's illusions give the audience a false pretence. During the show George and Martha insist that Honey and Nick play several games that are very expository; "Hump the hostess", "Pick up the guests" and finally the "Final game". The title of the first act "Fun and Games" is itself an illusion since the games the guests are forced to play are certainly not "fun" on many occasions, according to most people's idea of ​​"fun". people. Albee proposes that Martha and George often play games, however it seems strange to the audience that the couple's idea of ​​"fun" is to mock both their guests and each other, even though at any given moment it seems that only one person he wants to play with their marriage; George, for example, at one point in the play wishes to "sit down over there and read a book," while Martha taunts him by suggesting that she and Nick will actually play "Hump theStewardess", or when George mentions the "Final Game". Martha asks to no longer play with a "tender" movement, which expresses her sensual but at the same time vulnerable personality. The general doubt and uncertainty of the work induces fear that the characters are withholding information, which could potentially alter the entire meaning of the play, and leaves necessary questions unanswered, which adds tension and reveals the truth about the characters' personalities, although it eludes explaining the illusions Albee creates. George and Martha's "son" illusion essentially becomes a metaphor that underpins the couple's turbulent marriage; and George ultimately believes he has the authority to "kill" their son in an imaginary car crash, through the game of "raising the child", which also relates to the theme, as Martha takes the whole fantasy too far into reality which the audience deduces as madness. George and Martha heighten the illusion of their "child" by exposing minute details about the child , for example about his birth, and the color of his eyes and hair, "blond eyes and blue hair" as George says, which highlights the influence of alcohol both in the illusion and in the way illusions are presented. Nick and Honey, the other two main characters, are introduced to the imaginary son of the landlord at the beginning of the show, and doubt immediately arises as to whether George and Martha are telling the truth, despite the deliberate intention of trying to confuse and intimidate their guests with treacherous gameplay, shows how George and Martha have exchanged a healthy reality for an illusory one. Nick and Honey, the guests Albee creates to attend the after-party at George and Martha's house, have a marriage centered on false pretenses and illusions. The couple appears to be a conventional, practically perfect "All-American" family on the surface, yet over the course of the evening their truths are revealed in much the same way as George and Martha's secrets. The recurring theme of fertility, or the lack of, continues in their relationship; the couple's reason for marrying was described as a natural love between childhood friends and a hysterical pregnancy, although in the final scenes Nick reveals that he only really wanted to marry Honey in a bid to inherit her wealth. Over the course of the show, as each of the characters becomes more drunk, Martha and Nick's flirtatious behavior particularly develops; at the end of the second act the couple kiss while Honey is unknowingly passed out in the bathroom, demonstrating the fact that their marriage certainly lacks truth and communication. Furthermore, Honey is described as the "perfect housewife", however from her actions the audience infers that she actually has an abnormally youthful personality; for example, thumb sucking and sleeping in the fetal position along with other tendencies indicate her reluctance to accept herself as an adult. There are constant references to Honey having "thin hips", however the truth is revealed that she is actually terrified of becoming a parent and as a result takes preventative medication, or "apple jelly", to ensure she doesn't fall. pregnant. Ultimately, although there is a significant change in her character, she is moved by George and Martha's account of their son and announces her decision to have a baby. Honey and Nick's misconception of marriage is a clear example of how Albee explores the theme of truth and illusion, which connects both to the false identities of the relationships in the play, but also how the exposure of their secrets allows the characters to feel liberated. The presence of the name Virginia Woolf in the title of the work brings to mind the famous writer and raises the overwhelmingly recurring theme of.