.
He can be extremely mean-spirited; as when he 'attacks' Honey by calling her a "simpering Bitch" and the plan to 'torture' Martha by 'killing' their son. A third element of his character is the fact that his personality is pervaded with guilt; whether it is guilt over accidentally killing his mother and father (never quite clear if he was the central character in his own story or whether he was distancing himself from the reality of it by making it into a story), or guilt at not being able to live up to Martha's expectations. There is also a sense of guilt in that he is not able to have fathered a child or to make Martha happy. .
He is kind only twice during the play: once when he is talking to Nick, warning him that he'll be "sucked down" into the "quicksand" of the college if he isn't careful. He offers the younger man a "survival kit" in what must be considered a kind gesture of friendship. The other instance occurs as the play ends and he comforts Martha as they both attempt to integrate the ramifications of the 'death' of their son and the world as they've known it. .
Albee's seems to sum up the way George feels about himself and the world when he has him tell Nick, "You gotta have a swine to show you where the truffles are." Martha seems to be extremely afraid of aging and of dying. Her 'battle' with George is somewhat centered on her sexuality and desirability - which, along with her reputation for promiscuity and her obvious seduction of Nick, strengthens the argument that she is trying to hold on to a vision of herself as young, beautiful and desirable. Her fear of aging also shows in her occasional lapses into infantilism, such as when she 'whimpers', "I'm firsty". .
She is a woman who is constantly looking for attention as well - although she confronts her needs by confronting others, generally George. Martha would rather be fought with than ignored. This is seen when George actually ignores her when she announces that she's "necking with one of the guests.