Difference between revisions of "George Bernard Shaw" - New World Encyclopedia
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[[Image:George bernard shaw.jpg|thumbnail|George Bernard Shaw]] | [[Image:George bernard shaw.jpg|thumbnail|George Bernard Shaw]] | ||
| − | '''(George) Bernard Shaw'''<ref>Shaw never used his first name "George" personally or professionally: he was "Bernard Shaw" throughout his long career. Since his death it has become customary to use all three of his names, even in reference works.</ref> (July 26, 1856 – November 2, 1950) was an Irish playwright, who, at the height of his fame, won the Nobel Prize in Literature as well an Academy Award for screenwriting. Shaw is often cited as the most frequently-staged playwright after [[William Shakespeare]]. Although this may be a slight exaggeration, Shaw is unquestionably the most important playwright in the English language since the Bard. Influenced by [[Henrik Ibsen|Ibsen]] and other modern playwrights, Shaw introduced a new, realistic style of drama to the English | + | '''(George) Bernard Shaw'''<ref>Shaw never used his first name "George" personally or professionally: he was "Bernard Shaw" throughout his long career. Since his death it has become customary to use all three of his names, even in reference works.</ref> (July 26, 1856 – November 2, 1950) was an Irish playwright, who, at the height of his fame, won the Nobel Prize in Literature as well an Academy Award for screenwriting. Shaw is often cited as the most frequently-staged playwright after [[William Shakespeare]]. Although this may be a slight exaggeration, Shaw is unquestionably the most important playwright in the English language since the Bard. Influenced by [[Henrik Ibsen|Ibsen]] and other modern playwrights, Shaw introduced a new, realistic style of drama to the English theater. Unlike Ibsen, Chekhov, or even [[Eugene O'Neill]], however, Shaw is unique among modern playwrights because of his ferocious sense of humor and his pervading (if vague) belief in a higher morality. Although his plays, like those of his contemporaries, dwell upon shocking and often gloomy subject-matter, Shaw is perhaps the only major playwright of his generation to navigate the horrors of the first half of the 20th-century without falling into pessimism and despair. His plays, at times fiercely ironic, and at times heartrendingly sincere, are among the most entertaining, enduring, and moving works of high drama ever produced in the English language. |
== Life == | == Life == | ||
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Born at 33 Synge Street in Dublin, Ireland to rather poor Church of Ireland parents, Shaw was educated at Wesley College, Dublin and moved to London during the 1870s to embark on his literary career. He wrote five novels, none of which were published, before finding his first success as a music critic on the ''Star'' newspaper. He wrote his music criticism under the pseudonym ''Corno di Bassetto''. | Born at 33 Synge Street in Dublin, Ireland to rather poor Church of Ireland parents, Shaw was educated at Wesley College, Dublin and moved to London during the 1870s to embark on his literary career. He wrote five novels, none of which were published, before finding his first success as a music critic on the ''Star'' newspaper. He wrote his music criticism under the pseudonym ''Corno di Bassetto''. | ||
| − | Shaw completed his first play, ''Widower's Houses,'' in 1892. The play, inspired by an 1890 production in London of [[Henrik Ibsen]]'s ''All Doll's House'', features a number of aspects of Ibsen's style: unadorned dialogue, a realistic plot, and controversial subject-matter. In ''Widower's Houses'', however, Shaw turned material that could have been tragic—the play is about a young man who falls in love with a wealthy man's daughter, only to discover her wealth comes from the exploitation of the poor— | + | Shaw completed his first play, ''Widower's Houses,'' in 1892. The play, inspired by an 1890 production in London of [[Henrik Ibsen]]'s ''All Doll's House'', features a number of aspects of Ibsen's style: unadorned dialogue, a realistic plot, and controversial subject-matter. In ''Widower's Houses'', however, Shaw turned material that could have been tragic—the play is about a young man who falls in love with a wealthy man's daughter, only to discover her wealth comes from the exploitation of the poor—instead maintaining a constant of note of ironic hilarity that saves the work from becoming excessively overbearing. Although clearly an immature work compared with Shaw's later masterpieces, ''Widower's Houses'' and its immediate successor ''Mrs. Warren's Profession'' (about a daughter who discovers her mother's history in the prostitution industry) are still enjoyed by audiences today while many other, grimmer works of modern theater have fallen out of favor. Many of his earliest works had to wait years to receive major productions in London, though they had found an appreciative audience in the European Continent. |
| − | Shaw called the ''Widower's Houses'' and ''Mrs. Warren's Profession'' his "unpleasant plays" because they forced the audience to confront unpleasant aspects of London life; he followed these up with his four "pleasant" plays, ''Arms and the Man'' (1894), ''Candida'' (1897), ''The Man of Destiny'' (1898), and ''You Never Can Tell'' (1899). Of these, ''Arms and the Man''—a satire of overwrought [[Romanticism]] | + | Shaw called the ''Widower's Houses'' and ''Mrs. Warren's Profession'' his "unpleasant plays" because they forced the audience to confront unpleasant aspects of London life; he followed these up with his four "pleasant" plays, ''Arms and the Man'' (1894), ''Candida'' (1897), ''The Man of Destiny'' (1898), and ''You Never Can Tell'' (1899). Of these, ''Arms and the Man''—a satire of overwrought [[Romanticism]] in the dramatic setting of the Balkans—has become the most popular. Typical of Shaw, the play pokes fun at the beliefs of his times, particularly the excessive romanticization of passionate love and glorious warfare. |
| − | Shaw's first financial success as a playwright came from Richard Mansfield's American production of ''The Devil's Disciple'' in 1897. His most significant play, however, would be 1901's ''Caesar and Cleopatra''. The play, a modern re-envisioning of the Shakespeare's masterpiece ''Antony and Cleopatra'', repeats the themes of Shakespeare's classic tragedy but with a decided twist: in Shaw's version, Caesar is dramatically aged and Cleopatra an impulsive girl of 16. The play contrasts Caesar's thoughtfulness | + | Shaw's first financial success as a playwright came from Richard Mansfield's American production of ''The Devil's Disciple'' in 1897. His most significant play, however, would be 1901's ''Caesar and Cleopatra''. The play, a modern re-envisioning of the Shakespeare's masterpiece ''Antony and Cleopatra'', repeats the themes of Shakespeare's classic tragedy but with a decided twist: in Shaw's version, Caesar is dramatically aged and Cleopatra an impulsive girl of 16. The play contrasts Caesar's thoughtfulness. Contrary to almost any prior artistic depiction, the emporer is portrayed in Shaw's play as moody, philosophical, an almost reluctant soldier and leader—compared with the impulsive and impossible capriciousness of the childish Cleopatra. The play is the first of Shaw's to introduce his theories of "original morality." Caesar is portrayed as a man of ethics and wisdom rather than an almost-superhuman soldier-king. It is easily one of Shaw's most influential works. From 1904 to 1907, several of Shaw's plays had their London premieres in notable productions at the Court Theatre, managed by Harley Granville-Barker and J.E. Vedrenne. |
Shaw would finally find wide success in his native Britain after ''John Bull's Other Island'' (1904), a comic piece about Ireland, was performed at court. During the performance, King Edward VII laughed so much he broke his chair. | Shaw would finally find wide success in his native Britain after ''John Bull's Other Island'' (1904), a comic piece about Ireland, was performed at court. During the performance, King Edward VII laughed so much he broke his chair. | ||
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By the 1910s, Shaw was a well-established playwright. New works such as ''Fanny's First Play'' (1911) and ''Pygmalion'' (1913) – on which the succesful musical and film ''My Fair Lady'' was based – had long runs in front of large London audiences. | By the 1910s, Shaw was a well-established playwright. New works such as ''Fanny's First Play'' (1911) and ''Pygmalion'' (1913) – on which the succesful musical and film ''My Fair Lady'' was based – had long runs in front of large London audiences. | ||
| − | Shaw opposed World War I | + | Shaw opposed World War I, becoming unpopular with many of his fellow citizens. His work after the War was, in general, darker, though still full of the Shaw's typical wit. His first full-length play after the war, written mostly during it, was ''Heartbreak House'' (1919). In 1923, he completed ''Saint Joan'' (1923), a play on [[Joan of Arc]] that celebrated the French saint's visionary morality, bringing him international fame that led to his Nobel Prize in Literature. |
| − | Shaw continued writing plays into his nineties, but very few of them are as notable—or as often revived—as his earlier work. Many of Shaw's published plays come with lengthy prefaces that have become famous | + | Shaw continued writing plays into his nineties, but very few of them are as notable—or as often revived—as his earlier work. Many of Shaw's published plays come with lengthy prefaces that have become famous themselves. Shaw's prefaces tend to be essays that deal more about Shaw's opinions on the issues addressed in the plays than about the plays themselves. Some prefaces are much longer than the actual play. For example, the Penguin edition of his one-act ''The Shewing-up Of Blanco Posnet'' (1909) has a 67-page preface for the 29-page piece. |
Shaw died in 1950 at the age of 94 due to a fall from a ladder.<ref>http://www.english.upenn.edu/~cmazer/mis1.html</ref> | Shaw died in 1950 at the age of 94 due to a fall from a ladder.<ref>http://www.english.upenn.edu/~cmazer/mis1.html</ref> | ||
==Correspondence== | ==Correspondence== | ||
| − | + | During his lifetime, Shaw maintained correspondence with hundreds of personages, and his massive correspondence has become a major aspect of his enduring literary fame. His letters to and from Mrs. Patrick Campbell were adapted for the stage by Jerome Kilty as ''Dear Liar: A Comedy of Letters''; as was his correspondence with the poet Lord Alfred 'Bosie' Douglas (the intimate friend of [[Oscar Wilde]]), which was turned into the drama ''Bernard and Bosie: A Most Unlikely Friendship'' by Anthony Wynn. His numerous letters to such varied figures as the actress Ellen Terry, the boxer Gene Tunney, the IRA leader Michael Collins, and the authors [[H.G. Wells]] and [[Henry James]] are among those that have been published. | |
==Works== | ==Works== | ||
Revision as of 02:59, 31 August 2006
(George) Bernard Shaw[1] (July 26, 1856 – November 2, 1950) was an Irish playwright, who, at the height of his fame, won the Nobel Prize in Literature as well an Academy Award for screenwriting. Shaw is often cited as the most frequently-staged playwright after William Shakespeare. Although this may be a slight exaggeration, Shaw is unquestionably the most important playwright in the English language since the Bard. Influenced by Ibsen and other modern playwrights, Shaw introduced a new, realistic style of drama to the English theater. Unlike Ibsen, Chekhov, or even Eugene O'Neill, however, Shaw is unique among modern playwrights because of his ferocious sense of humor and his pervading (if vague) belief in a higher morality. Although his plays, like those of his contemporaries, dwell upon shocking and often gloomy subject-matter, Shaw is perhaps the only major playwright of his generation to navigate the horrors of the first half of the 20th-century without falling into pessimism and despair. His plays, at times fiercely ironic, and at times heartrendingly sincere, are among the most entertaining, enduring, and moving works of high drama ever produced in the English language.
Life
Born at 33 Synge Street in Dublin, Ireland to rather poor Church of Ireland parents, Shaw was educated at Wesley College, Dublin and moved to London during the 1870s to embark on his literary career. He wrote five novels, none of which were published, before finding his first success as a music critic on the Star newspaper. He wrote his music criticism under the pseudonym Corno di Bassetto.
Shaw completed his first play, Widower's Houses, in 1892. The play, inspired by an 1890 production in London of Henrik Ibsen's All Doll's House, features a number of aspects of Ibsen's style: unadorned dialogue, a realistic plot, and controversial subject-matter. In Widower's Houses, however, Shaw turned material that could have been tragic—the play is about a young man who falls in love with a wealthy man's daughter, only to discover her wealth comes from the exploitation of the poor—instead maintaining a constant of note of ironic hilarity that saves the work from becoming excessively overbearing. Although clearly an immature work compared with Shaw's later masterpieces, Widower's Houses and its immediate successor Mrs. Warren's Profession (about a daughter who discovers her mother's history in the prostitution industry) are still enjoyed by audiences today while many other, grimmer works of modern theater have fallen out of favor. Many of his earliest works had to wait years to receive major productions in London, though they had found an appreciative audience in the European Continent.
Shaw called the Widower's Houses and Mrs. Warren's Profession his "unpleasant plays" because they forced the audience to confront unpleasant aspects of London life; he followed these up with his four "pleasant" plays, Arms and the Man (1894), Candida (1897), The Man of Destiny (1898), and You Never Can Tell (1899). Of these, Arms and the Man—a satire of overwrought Romanticism in the dramatic setting of the Balkans—has become the most popular. Typical of Shaw, the play pokes fun at the beliefs of his times, particularly the excessive romanticization of passionate love and glorious warfare.
Shaw's first financial success as a playwright came from Richard Mansfield's American production of The Devil's Disciple in 1897. His most significant play, however, would be 1901's Caesar and Cleopatra. The play, a modern re-envisioning of the Shakespeare's masterpiece Antony and Cleopatra, repeats the themes of Shakespeare's classic tragedy but with a decided twist: in Shaw's version, Caesar is dramatically aged and Cleopatra an impulsive girl of 16. The play contrasts Caesar's thoughtfulness. Contrary to almost any prior artistic depiction, the emporer is portrayed in Shaw's play as moody, philosophical, an almost reluctant soldier and leader—compared with the impulsive and impossible capriciousness of the childish Cleopatra. The play is the first of Shaw's to introduce his theories of "original morality." Caesar is portrayed as a man of ethics and wisdom rather than an almost-superhuman soldier-king. It is easily one of Shaw's most influential works. From 1904 to 1907, several of Shaw's plays had their London premieres in notable productions at the Court Theatre, managed by Harley Granville-Barker and J.E. Vedrenne.
Shaw would finally find wide success in his native Britain after John Bull's Other Island (1904), a comic piece about Ireland, was performed at court. During the performance, King Edward VII laughed so much he broke his chair.
By the 1910s, Shaw was a well-established playwright. New works such as Fanny's First Play (1911) and Pygmalion (1913) – on which the succesful musical and film My Fair Lady was based – had long runs in front of large London audiences.
Shaw opposed World War I, becoming unpopular with many of his fellow citizens. His work after the War was, in general, darker, though still full of the Shaw's typical wit. His first full-length play after the war, written mostly during it, was Heartbreak House (1919). In 1923, he completed Saint Joan (1923), a play on Joan of Arc that celebrated the French saint's visionary morality, bringing him international fame that led to his Nobel Prize in Literature.
Shaw continued writing plays into his nineties, but very few of them are as notable—or as often revived—as his earlier work. Many of Shaw's published plays come with lengthy prefaces that have become famous themselves. Shaw's prefaces tend to be essays that deal more about Shaw's opinions on the issues addressed in the plays than about the plays themselves. Some prefaces are much longer than the actual play. For example, the Penguin edition of his one-act The Shewing-up Of Blanco Posnet (1909) has a 67-page preface for the 29-page piece.
Shaw died in 1950 at the age of 94 due to a fall from a ladder.[2]
Correspondence
During his lifetime, Shaw maintained correspondence with hundreds of personages, and his massive correspondence has become a major aspect of his enduring literary fame. His letters to and from Mrs. Patrick Campbell were adapted for the stage by Jerome Kilty as Dear Liar: A Comedy of Letters; as was his correspondence with the poet Lord Alfred 'Bosie' Douglas (the intimate friend of Oscar Wilde), which was turned into the drama Bernard and Bosie: A Most Unlikely Friendship by Anthony Wynn. His numerous letters to such varied figures as the actress Ellen Terry, the boxer Gene Tunney, the IRA leader Michael Collins, and the authors H.G. Wells and Henry James are among those that have been published.
Works
Drama
- Plays Unpleasant (published 1898):
- Widowers' Houses (1892)
- The Philanderer (1893)
- Mrs Warren's Profession (1893)
- Plays Pleasant (published 1898):
- Arms and the Man (1894)
- Candida (1894)
- The Man of Destiny (1895)
- You Never Can Tell (1897)
- Three Plays for Puritans (published 1901):
- The Devil's Disciple (1897)
- Caesar and Cleopatra (1898)
- Captain Brassbound's Conversion (1899)
- The Admirable Bashville (1901)
- Man and Superman (1902-03)
- John Bull's Other Island (1904)
- How He Lied to Her Husband (1904)
- Major Barbara (1905)
- The Doctor's Dilemma (1906)
- Getting Married (1908)
- The Glimpse of Reality (1909)
- Misalliance (1910)
- Dark Lady of the Sonnets (1910)
- Fanny's First Play (1911)
- Androcles and the Lion (1912)
- Pygmalion (1912-13)
- Heartbreak House (1919)
- Back to Methuselah (1921):
- In the Beginning
- The Gospel of the Brothers Barnabas
- The Thing Happens
- Tragedy of an Elderly Gentleman
- As Far as Thought Can Reach
- Saint Joan (1923)
- The Apple Cart (1929)
- Too True To Be Good (1931)
- On the Rocks (1933)
- The Six of Calais (1934)
- The Simpleton of the Unexpected Isles (1934)
- The Millionairess (1936)
- Geneva, a Fancied Page of History in Three Acts (1938)
- In Good King Charles' Golden Days (1939)
- Buoyant Billions (1947)
- Shakes versus Shav (1949)
Novels
- Immaturity (1879)
- The Irrational Knot 1880
- Love Among the Artists (1881)
- Cashel Byron's Profession (1882-83)
- An Unsocial Socialist (1883)
Essays
- Commonsense about the War
- The Intelligent Woman's Guide to Socialism and Capitalism
- The Black Girl in Search of God
- Everybody's Political What's What? 1944 Constable
Music criticism
- The Perfect Wagnerite: A Commentary on the Niblung's Ring, 1923
Debate
- Shaw V. Chesterton, a debate between George Bernard Shaw and G.K. Chesterton 2000 Third Way Publications Ltd. ISBN 0953507777
References and footnotes
- ↑ Shaw never used his first name "George" personally or professionally: he was "Bernard Shaw" throughout his long career. Since his death it has become customary to use all three of his names, even in reference works.
- ↑ http://www.english.upenn.edu/~cmazer/mis1.html
External links
- Works by George Bernard Shaw. Project Gutenberg
- "Excerpt from Caesar and Cleopatra" Creative Commons audio recording.
- Dan H. Laurence/Shaw Collection in the University of Guelph Library, Archival and Special Collections, holds more than 3,000 items related to his writings and career
- The Shaw Society
- The Bernard Shaw Society, New York
Credits
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