On the border of the XIX-XX centuries, fundamentally new types and plots began to appear in world literature. The main difference between the literature of the new century was that the main characters were now not people, but ideas, they are also active participants in the action. The first authors to write âdramas of ideasâ were G. Ibsen, A. Chekhov and, of course, B. Shaw. Based on the experience of his literary fathers, Shaw was able to participate in the creation of a completely new dramatic system.
Curriculum Vitae
George Bernard Shaw, the world famous playwright, was born July 26, 1856 in the capital of Ireland - Dublin. Already in childhood, he openly showed his dissatisfaction with the traditional education system, which he rejected in every way and tried to devote as much time as possible to reading. At the age of fifteen, that is, in 1871, he began to work as a clerk, and in 1876 he went to England, although his heart always belonged to Ireland. Political and social inequality was especially evident here , which helped the young author to temper his character and subsequently display all the conflicts that troubled him in his work.
In the late 70s, B. Shaw finally decided on his future and chose literature as a profession. In the 80s, he began to work as a music critic, literary reviewer and theater columnist. Bright and original articles immediately arouse interest among readers.
Pen samples
The first works of the author are novels in which he tries to develop his own specific method with many paradoxes and vivid scenes. Already at this time in the works of Bernard Shaw, which, rather, are the first literary sketches, there is a lively language, interesting dialogues, catchy characters, all that is so necessary to become an outstanding author.
In 1885, Bernard Shaw, whose plays became more and more professional, began work on the work The Widowerâs House, which marked the beginning of a new drama in England.
Social views
An important role in the formation of the Show as an author was played by his political and social views. In the 80s, he was a member of the Fabian community. The ideas that this association promotes are easy to understand if you know where its name came from. The community is named after the Roman commander Fabius Cuntator, who was able to defeat the cruel Carthaginian ruler Hannibal precisely because he managed to wait and choose the right moment. The same tactics were followed by the Fabians, who also preferred to wait until the opportunity to crush capitalism appeared.
Bernard Shaw, whose works are aimed at opening the reader to new problems of our time, was an ardent supporter of changes in society. He wanted to change not only the deep-rooted foundations of capitalism, but also to pursue total innovation in dramatic art.
Bernard Shaw and Ibsen
It is impossible to deny the fact that Shaw was the most loyal fan of Ibsen's talent. He fully supported the views of the Norwegian playwright on the necessary changes in modern literature. In addition, Shaw was actively promoting the ideas of his idol. In 1891, he became the author of The Quintessence of Ibsenism, in which he demonstrates his hatred of bourgeois false morality and the desire to destroy false ideals.
According to Shaw, Ibsen's innovation is manifested in the creation of sharp conflicts and the presence of reasonable, subtle discussions. It was thanks to Ibsen, Chekhov and Show that the discussion became an integral part of the new drama.
"Mrs. Warren's Profession"
One of the authorâs most popular plays is an evil satire on Victorian England. Like Ibsen, Bernard Shaw shows a profound discrepancy between the appearance and reality, the external respectability and the internal insignificance of his heroes.
The main character of the play is a girl of easy virtue, who was able to accumulate serious capital with the help of her craft. Trying to make excuses to her daughter, who has no idea about the source of family income, Mrs. Warren talks about the sheer poverty in which she had to live earlier, claiming that this was what prompted her to such a lifestyle. Someone may not like this kind of activity, but Bernard Shaw explains to the reader that Mrs. Warren was the victim of an unfair social system. The author does not condemn her heroine, because she simply went on about the occasion of society, which states that all ways of profit are good.
The retrospective-analytical composition, which Shaw borrowed from Ibsen, is realized here according to its most standard scheme: the truth concerning the life of Mrs. Warren opens up gradually. In the ending of the play, the discussion between the main character and her daughter is decisive, the image of which was the authorâs first attempt to portray a good character.
Pieces for Puritans
The author divided all his plays into three categories: pleasant, unpleasant, and for puritans. In unpleasant plays, the author sought to portray the terrible manifestations of the social system of England. Pleasant, on the contrary, should entertain the reader. The plays for puritans are aimed at exposing the authorâs attitude to official false morality.
Statements by Bernard Shaw about his plays for Puritans are formulated in the preface to the collection, published in 1901. The author claims that he is not a prude and is not afraid to portray feelings, but against reducing all the events and actions of the characters to love motives. If guided by such a principle, says the playwright, then no one can be brave, kind or generous if he is not in love.
âA house where hearts breakâ
The play âThe House where Heart Breaksâ, written at the end of World War I, marked a new period in the creative development of the Show. Responsibility for the critical situation of modern morality the author placed on the English intelligentsia. To confirm this idea, at the end of the play there appears a symbolic image of a ship that has gone astray, which is sailing into obscurity with the captain who left his captainâs bridge and left his crew in indifferent expectation of a catastrophe.
In this play, Bernard Shaw, whose brief biography shows his desire for the modernization of the literary system, puts realism in new clothes and gives it other, unique features. The author turns to science fiction, symbolism, political grotesque and philosophical allegory. In the future, grotesque situations and characters, reflecting the fantastic nature of artistic types and images, became an integral part of his dramaturgy, and they are especially clearly manifested in political satire. They serve to open the eyes of the modern reader to the true state of affairs in the current political situation.
In the subtitle, the author calls his play âfantasy in the Russian style on English themesâ, indicating that the plays for L. Tolstoy and A. Chekhov served as a model for him. Bernard Shaw, whose books are aimed at exposing the internal impurity of heroes, in Chekhov's style, examines the souls and broken hearts of the characters in his novel, who thoughtlessly waste the cultural heritage of the nation.
"Applecart"
In one of his most popular plays, The Cart with Apples, the playwright talks about the peculiarities of the social and political situation of England in the first third of the 20th century. The central theme of the play is a discussion about political nobility, King Magnus and the cabinet. Ministers who were elected by the people, that is, in a democratic way, demand the establishment of a constitutional type of government by the state, while the king insists that all power in the state belong exclusively to the government. A satirical discussion with the elements of a parody allows the author to reflect on his true attitude to the institution of state power and explain who really controls the country.
Bernard Shaw, whose biography reflects all his contempt for any tyrannical power, seeks to reflect the true background of the state conflict not only in the confrontation between autocracy and quasi-democratism, but also in âplutocracyâ. According to the author, by the term "plutocracy" he means a phenomenon that, hiding under the protection of democracy, destroyed the royal power and democracy itself. This happened, of course, not without the help of those in power, says Bernard Shaw. Quotes from the work can only reinforce this opinion. For example: âA king is an ideal created by a bunch of rogues to make it more convenient to lead the country, using the king as a puppet,â Magnus says.
"Pygmalion"
Among the works of the Show of the pre-war years, the comedy Pygmalion stands out clearly. When writing this play, the author was inspired by an ancient myth. It refers to a sculptor named Pygmalion, who fell in love with the statue he himself created and asked the goddess Aphrodite to revive this creation, after which the beautiful revived statue became the wife of her creator.
The show wrote a modern version of the myth in which the main characters are no longer mythical, they are ordinary people, but the motive remains the same: the author polishes his creation. The role of Pygmalon is played by Professor Higgins, who is trying to make a lady out of Elizaâs simpleton, but as a result, charmed by her naturalness, she changes for the better. It is here that the question arises of which of the two heroes is the author and who is the creature, although the main creator, of course, was Bernard Shaw himself.
Eliza's biography is quite typical for the representatives of that time, and the successful phonetics professor Higgins wants her to forget about what surrounded her earlier and become a secular lady. As a result, the "sculptor" succeeded. By a wonderful transformation of the main character, Shaw wanted to show that, in fact, there is no difference between different social groups. Potential can be laid in any person, the only problem is that the poor population has no opportunity to realize it.
Conclusion
Bernard Shaw, quotes from the works of which are known to every educated person, for a long time could not achieve recognition and remained in the shadows, because the publishers refused to print his creations. But, despite all the obstacles, he managed to achieve his goal and become one of the most popular playwrights of all time. The desire, which sooner or later will be realized, if not turned off the right path, became the leitmotif of the work of the great English playwright, it allowed him not only to create unsurpassed creations, but also to become a classic of drama.