Arcenic and Old Lace

Arsenic and Old Lace

Arsenic and Old Lace is a play with a lot of comedy. It takes place within a simple Brewster home in the time of 1941 in Brooklyn, New York. There are two elderly woman that become known to the audience as the aunts. These woman are the owners of the Brooklyn home and the main characters of the play. The title of this play must be examined to fully understand why it was called what it is, and if there is an ulterior meaning or not.

First the title can be taken literally and it is based upon an old saying of “Lavender and Old Lace.” This term was commonly used in the Victorian Era to mean that elderly woman overly decorate their homes with touches of lace - doilies, curtains, and the smell of lavender. The house was covered with many things that referred to lace. Hence the reason why the title included Old Lace.

The dictionary definition of lace according to the Merriam Webster Dictionary is, “to add a small amount of a powerful substance (such as alcohol, a drug, or a poison) to (something, such as a drink.)” Here is where we find a double meaning within the word “lace”. The phrase Old Lace refers to sweet old ladies. The reader can clearly see this has a literal meaning because within the story itself, two elderly woman of whom are otherwise known as the aunts, lace poor lonely men's drinks (elderberry wine) with arsenic (a type of poison).

The word “arsenic” however has a different story because its meaning can be represented in only one way. Arsenic is a metalloid poison commonly used for killing weeds and insects. You can pick it up in common stores such as Wal-Mart or any hardware or lawn care store. It would not be suspicious to find arsenic around the house. This may be why the policemen never questioned them having it around (assuming they saw it). However, it didn’t show the arsenic in the play so it can be assumed because they poison the men with something. The reason it can be assumed is because of the title....