Angels in America Short Summary

The focus of this story is the lives of two couples. The first is that of Louis Ironson and Prior Walter (gay couple). The other is Joe Pitt, a lawyer and the wife, Harper. Louis loses his grandmother. After that, Prior reveals to him that he (Prior) is HIV positive. The news makes Louis panic. In the other marriage, Joe gets a job in Washington, but his wife, who is a valium addict, does not want to move with him to Washington.

The Complete and Informative Story Synopsis

Soon, the two couples meet. Joe finds Louis crying in the courthouse bathrooms. They become friends with Louis assuming that Joe may also be a gay. Meanwhile, there is also a meeting between Harper and Prior. It is that it is revealed to Harper that her husband may be a closeted gay. When Joe is Confronted by his wife, he denies the accusation saying he has struggled with the issue fie a while. Roy, who hates gay men, has also contracted HIV. Henry convinces him to use his influence to get the AIDS used for experiments.

The fears that both Harper and Prior have grown with time. Louis is forced to look for sex somewhere else away from Prior. Belize takes care of Prior. With time, Joe and Louis grow closer. When drunk, Joe tells his mother that he is gay through the phone. Joe also tells Harper the same while Louis leaves Prior.

Ghosts appear and taunt Prior in his dreams. Joe is not in good terms with Roy. Later, Joe and Louis have sex. Meanwhile, Harper has fantasies of being in love with a “Mr. Lies.” Hannah, Joe’s mother, comes to rescue Harper when the police catches her. She takes Harper to the hospital where she works.

Meanwhile, Roy comes to the same hospital to see Belize, who takes care of Prior more than anyone else. Belize tells Prior of the story of the angel’s visit and gives him a prophetic book. The stories from Belize make Prior even more fearful.

Roy discovers that there are people who want to prevent him from working, mentioning moral lapse. However, Roy wants to work as a lawyer until death. After blessing Joe, Joe reveals that he has left Harper for Louis. There are scuffles between the characters and the reader encounter Louis, Belize, and Prior four years later. It seems like the others have died. That is how Tony Kushner ends the piece.