George Bernard Shaw is arguably the greatest English language playwright in the past 150 years. His plays deal with the issues of modern society in ways that are witty, clever and thought-provoking. His characters are memorable. He achieves one of the most difficult and satisfying results of playwriting: making social and political points with humor and without preaching.
Shaw’s plays deal with many issues, including capitalism and socialism, marriage, women’s issues, religious belief and hypocrisy, the folly of war, the English view of the Irish, human foibles and arrogance and the battle of the sexes. The dialogue sparkles with wit, making the plays a pleasure to read and to view. The prefaces to some of the plays spell out more of his philosophy and will be part of the weekly readings.
We will read the plays indicated in the list of weekly topics, as well as readings on Shaw’s life and some of his non-dramatic writings.
1. Shaw Biography
2. Mrs. Warren’s Profession (1893)
3. Candida (1897)
4. You Never Can Tell (1899)
5. Caesar and Cleopatra (1901)
6. John Bull’s Other Island (1904)
7. Man and Superman, including Don Juan in Hell (1905)
8. Political and Social Essays
9. Major Barbara (1905)
10. Androcles and the Lion (1912)
11. Pygmalion (1913) and My Fair Lady (movie)
12. The Dark Lady of the Sonnets (1910) and The Shewing-up of Blanco Posnet (1909)
13. Heartbreak House (1919)
14. Saint Joan (1923) and Evaluation of Influence of Shaw’s Plays and Ideas
Basic reading: The plays and prefaces.
Supplemental reading:
“Bernard Shaw” by Michael Holroyd. A full biography.
“Bernard Shaw’s Plays” edited by Warren Smith. Text of four plays and 18 essays on Shaw and his plays.
There are voluminous materials on-line, including Wikipedia and You Tube, dealing with Shaw himself and with his plays. and the movies made of some of them.
Viewing: On You Tube and elsewhere on line are complete plays, scenes from plays and movies.