Blasted Setting and Symbolism

Blasted is set in an expensive hotel room in Leeds, United Kingdom, 1995.

When they arrive in the expensive hotel room, there is a bouquet of flowers. At the beginning of the play, the flowers are a symbol of luxury and the love that Ian wants Cate to feel from him, but soon enough, the flowers are shredded and petals are covering the floor. Then, the flowers become a symbol of the destruction and chaos that underscore the relationship between the two of them, the fact that there is a violent tremor, a threat that Ian wields against Cate.

Throughout the play, Ian drinks to excess, downing extreme amounts of gin without a second thought and chain-smoking in moments of anxiety. This compulsive consumption represents Ian's self-destructive tendencies, his desire to descend into oblivion rather than face emotional realities. He is a largely unethical character who cares little for others and has no remorse for his mistreatment of Cate. His drinking and smoking make him all the more monstrous, both towards himself and towards the people in his orbit. They are symbols of his insatiable death drive.