George Bernard Shaw
...ions and many of the theories and findings of Science. He went beyond the accepted norms of society. He was against Romantism, which was respected and heavily regarded at that time. This is evident in his drama ‘Arms and the Man” where he does not attack war, but denounces the sentimental illusion that gathers around war. Even in Candida he does not attack love, but the impulsive passion and the romance that surrounds it. Thus, Shaw is rationalistic without being a rationalist, mystical without being a mystic. Shaw prefaced many of his plays with a long essay expanding the ideas presented in the play. He didn’t believe in art for arts sake. Even in his plays he was concerned with ideas than telling a story. He created memorable characters as Candida, Barbara Undershift, Eliza Doolittle and Henry Higgins. Demonstrations:- This is a scene from the movie My Fair Lady which was based on the play Pygmalion. Julia Andrews as Eliza Doolittle and Rex Harrison as Henry Higgins. This is a scene from Androclus and the Lions performed in New York. This is a scene from Caesar and Cleopatra, Shaw portrayed Caesar as Cleopatra’s teacher and the wisest man in the world. Shavian wit has produced phrases as “ He who can does, he who cannot, teaches”, “ England and America are two countries divided by a common language” Shaw was a master of satire, quoting Picke...