George Bernard Shaw
The Master of the Drama of Ideas
George Bernard Shaw (1856–1950) is the most significant British dramatist since Shakespeare. He revolutionized the English stage by turning it from a place of shallow amusement into a forum for serious social debate. He is the father of the "Drama of Ideas" or the "Problem Play" in modern English literature.
Unlike the Aesthetes who believed in "Art for Art's sake," Shaw believed in "Art for Life's sake." He was a propagandist who used drama to expose the follies of society. He was heavily influenced by the Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen. Shaw believed that a play should force the audience to face unpleasant facts about their own lives.
Shaw was an iconoclast—a breaker of idols. He attacked the "romantic lies" that society held dear.
- War: In Arms and the Man, he mocks the romantic idea of war as glorious. He presents a soldier (Bluntschli) who fills his pockets with chocolates instead of bullets, proving that survival is more important than heroism.
- Love: Shaw rejected sentimental romance. In his plays, love is often a biological force (the "Life Force") used by women to trap men for the purpose of evolution (as seen in Man and Superman).
Shaw’s greatest weapon was his wit. He coated his bitter pills of social criticism with the sugar of humour. He was a master of Paradox—turning an accepted truth upside down to reveal a new meaning. For example, he argued that the "golden rule is that there are no golden rules." His dialogue is intellectual, sparkling, and often argumentative.
Shaw’s contribution to drama is immense. He cleared the stage of artificial plots and filled it with intellect and vitality. While his characters sometimes feel like mouthpieces for his own views, his plays remain timeless because the social issues he attacked (poverty, hypocrisy, class) are still relevant today.
Comments
Post a Comment