Born: July 26th, 1856

Died: November 2nd, 1950

Overview:

George Bernard Shaw is a model to all struggling writers. Throughout his 30s, he
wrote five novels all of them failed. Yet, he did not let that deter him. It was not
until 1894, at the age of 38, that his dramatic work made its professional debut.
Even then, it took some time before his plays became popular.

Although he wrote mostly comedies, Shaw greatly admired the natural realism of
Henrik Ibsen. Shaw felt that plays could be used to influence the general population.
And since he was filled with ideas, George Bernard Shaw spent the rest of his life
writing for the stage, creating over sixty plays. He won a Nobel Prize for Literature
for his play The Apple Cart. Also, his cinematic adaptation of Pygmalion earned him
an Academy Award.

Major Plays:

Mrs. Warrens Profession

Man and Superman
Major Barbara
Saint Joan
Pygmalion
Heartbreak House

Shaws most financially successful play was Pygmalion, which was adapted into a
popular 1938 motion picture, and then into a Broadway musical smash: My Fair
Lady.

His plays touch upon a wide variety of social issues: government, oppression,
history, war, marriage, womens rights. Its hard to say which among his plays are

the most profound, but I do humbly offer an annotated list of my five favorite
George Bernard Shaw plays.

Shaws Childhood:

Although he spent most of his life in England, George Bernard Shaw was born and
raised in Dublin, Ireland. His father was an unsuccessful corn merchant (someone
who buys the corn wholesale and then sells the product to retailers). His mother,
Lucinda Elizabeth Shaw, was a singer. During Shaws adolescence, his mother
began an affair with her music teacher, Vandeleur Lee.

By many accounts, it seems that the playwrights father, George Carr Shaw, was
ambivalent about his wifes adultery and her subsequent departure to England. This
unusual situation of a sexually magnetic man and woman interacting with an oddman-out male figure would become common in Shaws plays: Candida, Man and
Superman, and Pygmalion.

His mother, his sister Lucy, and Vandeleur Lee moved to London when Shaw was
sixteen years old. He stayed in Ireland working as a clerk until he moved into his
mothers London home in 1876. Having despised the education system of his youth,
Shaw took a different academic path a self-guided one. During his early years in
London he spent hours on end reading books in the city's libraries and museums.

George Bernard Shaw: Critic and Social Reformist

In the 1880s, Shaw began his career as a professional art and music critic. Writing
reviews of operas and symphonies eventually led to his new and more satisfying
role as a theater critic. His reviews of Londons plays were witty, insightful, and
sometimes painful to playwrights, directors, and actors who did not meet Shaws
high standards.

In addition to the arts, George Bernard Shaw was passionate about politics. He was
a member of the Fabian Society, a group in favor of socialist ideals such as
socialized health care, minimum wage reform, and the protection of the
impoverished masses. Instead of attaining their goals through revolution (violent or
otherwise), the Fabian Society sought gradual change from within the existing
system of government.

Many of the protagonists in Shaws plays serve as a mouth-piece for the precepts of
the Fabian Society.

Shaws Love Life:

For a good portion of his life, Shaw was a bachelor, much like some of his more
comical characters: Jack Tanner and Henry Higgins, in particular. Based upon his
letters (he wrote thousands to friends, colleagues, and fellow theater-lovers), it
seems that Shaw had a devout passion for actresses.

He maintained a long, flirtatious correspondence with actress Ellen Terry. It seems

that their relationship never evolved beyond mutual fondness. During a serious
ailment, Shaw married a wealthy heiress named Charlotte Payne-Townshend.
Reportedly, the two were good friends but not sexual partners. Charlotte did not
want to have children. Rumor has it, the couple never consummated the
relationship.

Even after marriage, Shaw continued to have relationships with other women. The
most famous of his romances was between him and Beatrice Stella Tanner, one of
Englands most popular actresses better known by her married name: Mrs. Patrick
Campbell. She starred in several of his plays, including Pygmalion. Their affection
for one another is evident in their letters (now published, like many of his other
correspondences). The physical nature of their relationship is still up for debate.

Shaws Corner:

If you are ever in Englands small town of Ayot St. Lawrence, be certain to visit
Shaws Corner. This beautiful manor became the final home of Shaw and his wife.
Upon the grounds you will find a cozy (or should I say cramped) cottage just big
enough for one ambitious writer. In this tiny room, which was designed to rotate to
capture as much sunlight as possible, George Bernard Shaw wrote many plays and
countless letters.

His last major success was In Good King Charles Golden Days, written in 1939. But
Shaw kept writing into his 90s. He was full of vitality until the age of 94 when he
fractured his leg after falling off a ladder. The injury led to other problems: a failing
bladder and kidney. Finally, Shaw did not seem as interested in staying alive
anymore if he could not stay active. When an actress named Eileen O'Casey visited

him, Shaw discussed his impending death: "Well, it will be a new experience,
anyway." He died the following day.
What makes a hero? What makes a coward? Is bravery all a matter of perception?
The mastermind of irreverence, George Bernard Shaw delves into these questions,
and in the process skewers the social construction of honor and manliness present
throughout 19th century Europe. The Plot of "Arms and the Man"

The backdrop of Shaw's comedy is the Serbo-Bulgarian War, an ill-planned

campaign that lasted less than a month and resulted in over 1000 casualties as well
as Bulgaria's unification with a small province of the Ottoman Empire.

The play takes place in the wealthy home of Major Petkoff. The Petkoff estate is the
only home to possess a library, albeit a small, shabby one. The Major is
commanding forces on the front line while his matronly wife (Katherine) and his
duplicitous 23-year old daughter (Raina) wait for the end of the war.

Katherine and Raina discuss the heroics of Sergius Saranoff, Raina's fiance. News
has recently arrived, indicating that Sergius led a valiant charge that secured a
victory for Bulgaria. Yet, since the conflict is not over, Katherine fears that Serbian
soldiers might do damage to the town (and perhaps their home) as they retreat.

Just as Raina is about to turn in for the evening, a man climbs up a drainpipe and
stumbles through her second story window. Desperate to survive and armed with a
pistol, Captain Bluntschli seems threatening at first. However, Raina soon learns
that this "professional soldier" carries chocolates instead of ammunition. After he
begs for sanctuary, Raina is at first disgusted and then intrigued by what she
believes to be cowardice. She takes pity on him, concealing him in her room when
Bulgarian soldiers come searching for him.

Bluntschli fascinates the young lady because he does not attempt any facades of
heroism or nobility. As a Swiss mercenary, he had been fighting against Bulgaria
merely for profit, not national pride. For the past fifteen years he had been risking
his life as little as possible. His discussion captivates Raina when he speaks of a
young commander (who turns out to be Sergius) leading a foolish charge that only
worked because the Serbians had the wrong cartridges and could not return fire.

Perhaps because she has never met anyone with such bluntness, Raina assists with
his escape the next day. She lends him her father's coat, covertly placing a portrait

of herself in the pocket of the jacket. In spite of his cowardly, chocolate munching
ways, she likes him.

Act Two begins days later, shortly after a treaty has been side between the opposing
forces. Major Petkoff rejoices in his return to a peaceful home life, complete with
servants to boss around.

The Servant Subplot:

Nicola is the principle male servant of the Petkoff household. Louka is the fiery,
ambitious (not to mention attractive) maid. She disdains her occupation, and
constantly insults Nicola (with whom she is reluctantly engaged), declaring that he
has the meager soul of a servant. Nicola, however, has his own ambitions. He hopes
to start his own business, and when he realizes that Sergius has romantic desires for
Louka, he decides that he would rather have her as a wealthy customer rather than
a wife. Therefore, at the play's end, Nicola encourages Louka's engagement with
Sergius.

During Act Two, the audience discovers that the noble Sergius is not so noble. He
doubts his own reputation for bravery, yet still tries to maintain an appearance of
pomp and dignity. When reunited with his betrothed Raina, the two exchange the
trappings of romance. However, as soon as she leaves the room, he takes an
interest in the maid.

Louka's clever schemes don't seem to work at first. During Act Two, when she
reveals the secret of the hidden "chocolate soldier," Sergiius becomes outraged,
grabbing onto her, even bruising her. Undeterred, the maid continues her pursuit of
Sergius, eventually luring him into an announcement of their engagement. Thus,
Louka shocks her employers (the Petkoff family) by rising above her station,
becoming a lady - just like Raina. Nicola is satisfied as well, gaining an affluent
customer of his new business.

Stumbling Into Prosperity

Considering Shaw was a British socialist, it seems surprising that many of his
comedies conclude with his characters gaining a sizable increase in wealth and
status. For example, Captain Bluntschli first appears as a common soldier. By Act
Two, when he returns the borrowed coat, the audience learns that he is acquainted
with both Sergius and the Major. In fact, shortly after his escape he began working

for the Bulgarian side, demonstrating his mercenary nature but also his
organizational skills. For example, the Major cannot fathom how to organize his
troops so they can effectively travel back to their base. Bluntschli, on the other
hand, easy tackles the assignment, quickly writing up orders and knowing just how
the troops should be properly motivated. By Act Three, we learn that Captain
Bluntschli has inhereted an enormous franchise of hotels from his recently deceased
father (whom he does not seem to mourn in the slightest). When Raina is lured into
an offer of marriage (which she coyly accepts since she seems enamored by him in
spite of herself), she will be marrying into a fortune.

So, why the fixation with wealth? Why is Bluntschli a practical at times cowardly
protagonist instead of a dashing hero? Perhaps because Shaw wants us to see
through the illusion if economic class and beyond the gleam of military medals.
Bluntschli is the most "manly" character of the play simply because he openly
acknowledges and understands his own limitations, and has a keen insight into the
motivations of others. He follows the golden advice of Socrates: "Know thyself."
The Reality of War
The play opens with a romantic view of war held by the Bulgarians, especially the
young Raina and Sergius. They will learn from experience and their lessons from
Bluntschli that war is not glorious.
Raina and Sergius have learned their ideas of war from books. They speak of
knights and ladies and the combat of honor between equals. Sergius says that war
is like a tournament (Act II, p. 31). His idea of leading the victorious cavalry
charge was a mistake from the point of view of modern warfare, for horses cannot
override cannon and guns. Sergius resigns from the regiment, disillusioned that the
other soldiers do not take him seriously. He refuses to play the modern game of war;
it is for a tradesman, he complains (Act II, p. 29).
Catherine Petkoff is even more locked into an old-fashioned conception of war and
patriotism. She is upset when peace is declared and asks her husband if he couldnt
have annexed Serbia and made Prince Alexander Emperor of the Balkans (Act II,
p. 24). Major Petkoff explains they would have had to subdue Austria first (the allies
of the Serbs). Catherine has no idea what war is or what it costs. Her ideas are as
flimsy as Rainas. The two women are excited as they hear about the victory at
Slivnitza and that Sergius is a hero. Catherine wants to worship Sergius and tries to
persuade her husband about his promotion. Major Petkoff remarks that Sergius will
not be promoted because everyone knows he is rash and incompetent.
Bluntschli tries to shock Raina into reality by reminding her that if the Bulgarians
find him in her room, they will butcher him before her eyes. There will be blood
everywhere. He appeals to the mother in her by asking for a place to sleep and food
to eat. He admits he is frightened for he has had no sleep in three days. At this
point, she heroically makes an effort to save him.

The Bulgarians are shown as nave about war. Major Petkoff admits that neither the
Bulgarians nor Serbs knew anything about war until their officers (the Austrians for
the Serbs, and the Russians for the Bulgarians) taught them. Petkoff says, thered
have been no war without them (Act II, p. 29). Russia and Austria were considered
Great Powers, more advanced and powerful countries that exerted a political
influence on lesser powers. They jumped into the border dispute between Serbia
and Bulgaria because they were worried about the balance of power. The Serbs and
Bulgarians had once been friends. Neither were experienced with modern warfare.
As a professional soldier, the Swiss mercenary, Bluntschli, is the last word to his
Bulgarian friends on the sober reality of war. He describes the soldiers point of view
of how to stay alive by carrying more food than ammunition, and by avoiding the
front lines. He beats Major Petkoff at horsetrading. Bluntschli is scorned at first
because of his middle-class notions of war, but his practical knowledge of how to
move troops and keep them supplied is soon appreciated by Sergius and Petkoff.
Bluntschli as a Swiss Republican has modern democratic ideas that contrast sharply
to the older feudal ideas of aristocracy held by the Bulgarians. They are used to a
society of privilege and class stratification. They are impressed, however, by
Bluntschlis modern power, knowledge and wealth. Unlike them, he holds no
lingering feuds after the war, but is more interested in managing his hotels.
Business can be a force of economic stability across national boundaries, more
powerful than war. He is ready to sign on Nicola, a former enemy, as one of his
managers.
The Ideal vs. The Real
Raina lives in a make-believe world, and she is aware of it, though she believes it is
a more noble world than the one other people live in: the world is really a glorious
world for women who can see its glory and men who can act its romance (Act I, p.
4). She and Sergius declare one another knight and lady, an example of the higher
love (Act II, p. 31). Raina is always found posing, dreaming, or making a dramatic
entrance. Her mother and father note her uncanny ability to come into a room at
the right moment: Yes, she listens for it, Catherine says (Act II, p. 28). Life for
Raina is what she picks up at the opera season in Bucharest. Extending sanctuary to
an enemy was in the opera she saw, and so she saves Bluntschlis life.
Bluntschli believes Raina is underage because of her romantic pretense. He is
surprised to learn she is twenty-three. He admits he admires her thrilling voice, but
he cannot believe a single word she says, he declares to her. He points out in his
direct way in Act III that her life is a lie. Raina is relieved to be accepted as she is, a
real person with faults. She is surprised to find she has more affection for her
chocolate cream soldier who admits to hunger, cold, fear, and cowardice than for
Sergius, who is full of noble bombast. She tells her mother to marry Sergius,
because he is more to her taste.
Both Raina and Sergius find it fatiguing to keep up their higher love. Each of them is
a secret realist at heart. Shaw makes the case for love being simple and real. Louka
and Bluntschli are the antidote both romantic characters need. Bluntschlis ability to
do away with romantic nonsense with common sense is good comedy and

underscores Shaws animosity towards Victorian melodrama, which gave audiences

a distorted view of life.
Class Prejudice
The tension of class rivalry is present throughout the play. Shaw treats it playfully,
though it is a serious topic for him as a socialist dedicated to doing away with class
injustice.
The Bulgarian society is pictured as a primitive holdover of the feudal class
structure that Europe was slowly doing away with. England, for instance, was
dealing at the turn of the century when Shaw was writing, with melting class
distinctions. The working classes had gained the vote and the right to education.
Improvement of slums, improvement of factory conditions, and greater
representation of the lower classes in government signaled the democratic reform
going on in advanced countries. In addition, it was a time of the rising power of the
middle class, with the entrepreneurial spirit reigning as the force of the future.
Bluntschli represents the middle-class business spirit of Europe; the Petkoffs are the
aristocratic great landowners of the past; Nicola and Louka represent the old
peasantry, bound to the land and landowners.
In the Bulgaria Shaw portrays, the higher classes hold the lower classes in
subjugation through power, fear, and custom. Nicola warns Louka that the Petkoffs
could destroy her if she defies them: you dont know the power such high people
have over the like of you and me when we try to rise out of our poverty against
them (Act II, p. 22). Nicola is cunning, but he accepts being the scapegoat of the
family because they pay him off. He has dreams of rising out of his position as
Louka does. He will buy a shop in Sofia to be independent, but even then I shall
always be dependent on the good will of the family (Act II, p. 22). She accuses him
of selling his manhood for 30 levas (Act III, p. 55) and swears that Youll never
put the soul of a servant into me (Act II, p. 23).
Loukas ambition is higher than Nicolas: she wants to marry into the aristocracy.
She plays on Sergiuss sense of rebellious individualism to get him to defy social
convention. She shows him that underneath his noble rhetoric, they are both human
and made of the same clay (Act II, p. 35). Nicola gives Louka lessons on how to
change classes through her thinking and actions. He teaches her to stop wearing
false hair and make-up, to trim her nails and keep her hands clean. He tells her a
lady must act as if she will get her own way. He lies to Sergius and says that Louka
has been reading in the library, trying to get education above her station.
Sergius himself points out that class discrimination spills over into military life. Both
the upper and lower classes fight the enemy with equal courage. The poor soldiers,
however, fear their own upper class officers who can keep them in their place:
they put up with insults and blows (Act III, p. 58).
The Petkoffs are initially contemptuous of Bluntschlis middle-class or bourgeois
background. He is no gentleman. Sergius calls him a commercial traveler in
uniform (Act II, p. 30). Raina accuses him of having a low shopkeeping mind (Act
III, p. 53). They change their minds when he turns out to be a problem solver

(getting the troops home), and rich (inherits hotels). Petkoff says he must be the
Emperor of Switzerland, but Bluntschli points out that my rank is the highest
known in Switzerland: I am a free citizen (Act III, p. 72). If Louka is the rebellion of
the lower classes demanding equal treatment, Bluntschli is the force of democracy.
He congratulates Louka on her engagement with the best wishes of a good
Republican (Act III, p. 69).