The Iceman Cometh Fear Quotes

Larry says this line not as a confession, but as something he doesn’t believe. This is one of the lines that, ironically, ends up getting right to the heart of Larry, though. If you were going to sum him up in one statement—a trick that can be helpful for play analysis but not necessarily a good idea when first meeting someone—you could use this line.

Harry invokes fear, so he has an excuse not to change his life in any way. This is quite a nice little move on Harry’s part. He gets away with not having to face his true fear—change—by creating a false fear—dangerous streets.

While most of the characters live through pipe dreams, Hugo actually faces an ongoing nightmare. Sleep for Hugo is not a pleasant escape. He often wakes up wildly yelling at all those around him. This is a good way for O’Neill to show us just how bad it is for some of these people. Even when they’re out cold, they still have to deal with their issues.