Playwrights / Dramatists - 04 - George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950)

George Bernard Shaw who ranks next to William Shakespeare among English playwrights was born in Dublin, Ireland in 1856. From his mother a talented singer, he had learned much about music. (This knowledge, he combined with excellent taste and a sparking prose style to become the most influential music critic of his day later.)

Shaw came to England at the age of twenty and lived in and near London throughout the rest of his life.

After writing a few unsuccessful novels, namely ‘The Irrational Knot’, ‘Love Among The Artists’, ‘Cashel Byron’s Profession’ and ‘An Unsocial Socialist’ young Shaw turned to reviewing books and paintings in order to earn a living. It is said that he first became known as a music critic.

Shaw’s lively intelligence did not confine itself to art, fiction, and music. At an early age he became committed to the cause of social reform. He joined the Fabian movement, a type of Socialism founded in England in the 1880s, to reform the social economic and political systems through peaceful democratic measures.

Shaw turned himself into an outstanding public speaker. He continued to participate actively in politics the rest of his life. However, he found a particularly satisfying media for his ideas in reviewing drama and eventually in writing plays of his own.

In the 1890s Shaw became recognized as London’s wittiest and most stimulating drama critic. He took drama very seriously, in particular, he admired the Norwegian dramatist Henrik Ibsen. Ibsen’s cricism of middle class life revealed to Shaw, the potential impact of drama upon society.

After studying Ibsen’s works thoroughly and writing his famous essay ‘The Quintessence of Ibsenism’ in 1891, Shaw began to try his own hand in, writing plays. The result ‘Widowers’ Houses’ published in 1892 became the first of many plays to appear in years ahead.

At first Shaw’s plays were too controversial for English theatregoers, who were used to light and sentimental entertainment. However Shaw continued writing and publishing his plays with provocative examinations of moral and social issues. Eventually he established himself the leading English playwright of the modern period, with such works as ‘Arms and the Man’ (1894), Candida’ (1895), ‘Caesar and Cleopatra’ (1898), ‘Man and Superman’ (1903), ‘Major Barbara’ (1907), ‘Pygmalion’ (1912), ‘Heartbreak House’ (1917) and ‘Saint Joan’ (1923). For the above achievements Shaw was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1925.

Shaw’s plays mostly are comedies of ideas, or works that present complex and controversial themes within the framework of entertaining plots, appealing characters, and witty and lovely dialogues. Shaw’s works are insistently rational coolly ridiculing the conventions and prejudices of his time.

George Bernard Shaw, the great playwright passed away in London in the year of 1950.

Hive account@juanmanuellopez1 Hive account@coolguy222 Hive account@newageinv Hive account@gowealth Hive account@blessed-girl Hive account@cruis Hive account@lexymaine Hive account@alokkumar121 Hive account@aceandnotes Hive account@darlenys01 Hive account@rafique1953 Hive account@marvyinnovation Hive account@wems Hive account@ajks Hive account@alaisguineasis Hive account@amnlive Hive account@kimmysomelove42 Hive account@praditya Hive account@tommyl33 Hive account@samryan Hive account@vickykarma Hive account@brightsun Hive account@oppongk Hive account@kryp70kn1gh7 Hive account@hobo.media Hive account@theticket Hive account@royer94 Hive account@mentalhealthguru Hive account@bradley028 Hive account@nummulshrma Hive account@maxijgcomm Hive account@maikelblogo Hive account@mrblu Hive account@nancymj Hive account@petervi Hive account@mcoinz79 Hive account@missabigail Hive account@saludoalalma Hive account@mcnestler Hive account@moarafatshow Hive account@gargi Hive account@luis402 Hive account@sumon-ar-vines Hive account@naijauser Hive account@yantrax Hive account@josema.saborido Hive account@khan.dayyanz Hive account@shapescooper Hive account@aceofhearts Hive account@marcocosta Hive account@rvag5 Hive account@fusroj Hive account@cashlane Hive account@borrowedearth Hive account@michaeljn Hive account@kchitrah Hive account@mitchhunter Hive account@nataliaeline Hive account@cherlianny Hive account@unknownphoton Hive account@unclefz Hive account@gardengranny Hive account@bettyamv Hive account@ghostwriter9 Hive account@nancybriti Hive account@missladybug Hive account@shirophantomhive Hive account@rvag5 Hive account@ankitjnv Hive account@marvyinnovation Hive account@tommyl33 Hive account@gowealth Hive account@ustaadonline Hive account@daio Hive account@brightsun Hive account@mzubairch Hive account@amit1995 Hive account@starapple Hive account@treodecimo Hive account@edinhazard Hive account@maxijgcomm Hive account@wasito Hive account@mariita52 Hive account@maroni55 Hive account@nataliaeline Hive account@ajtech2596 Hive account@keithf Hive account@wesleyvanderstel Hive account@grainsofsand Hive account@mariita52 Hive account@naijauser Hive account@castleirwell Hive account@juanmanuellopez1 Hive account@coolguy222 Hive account@newageinv Hive account@gowealth Hive account@blessed-girl Hive account@cruis Hive account@lexymaine Hive account@alokkumar121 Hive account@aceandnotes Hive account@darlenys01 Hive account@rafique1953 Hive account@marvyinnovation Hive account@wems Hive account@ajks Hive account@alaisguineasis Hive account@amnlive Hive account@kimmysomelove42 Hive account@praditya Hive account@tommyl33 Hive account@samryan Hive account@vickykarma Hive account@brightsun Hive account@oppongk Hive account@kryp70kn1gh7 Hive account@hobo.media Hive account@theticket Hive account@royer94 Hive account@mentalhealthguru Hive account@bradley028 Hive account@nummulshrma Hive account@maxijgcomm Hive account@maikelblogo Hive account@mrblu Hive account@nancymj Hive account@petervi Hive account@mcoinz79 Hive account@missabigail Hive account@saludoalalma Hive account@mcnestler Hive account@moarafatshow Hive account@gargi Hive account@luis402 Hive account@sumon-ar-vines Hive account@naijauser Hive account@yantrax Hive account@josema.saborido Hive account@khan.dayyanz Hive account@shapescooper Hive account@aceofhearts Hive account@marcocosta Hive account@rvag5 Hive account@fusroj Hive account@cashlane Hive account@borrowedearth Hive account@michaeljn Hive account@kchitrah Hive account@mitchhunter Hive account@nataliaeline Hive account@cherlianny Hive account@unknownphoton Hive account@unclefz Hive account@gardengranny Hive account@bettyamv Hive account@ghostwriter9 Hive account@nancybriti Hive account@missladybug Hive account@shirophantomhive Hive account@rvag5 Hive account@ankitjnv Hive account@marvyinnovation Hive account@tommyl33 Hive account@gowealth Hive account@ustaadonline Hive account@daio Hive account@brightsun Hive account@mzubairch Hive account@amit1995 Hive account@starapple Hive account@treodecimo Hive account@edinhazard Hive account@maxijgcomm Hive account@wasito Hive account@mariita52 Hive account@maroni55 Hive account@nataliaeline Hive account@ajtech2596 Hive account@keithf Hive account@wesleyvanderstel Hive account@grainsofsand Hive account@mariita52 Hive account@naijauser Hive account@castleirwell Hive account@isabelpereira Hive account@nulifeiq Hive account@royer94 Hive account@yaleal Hive account@ushmil Hive account@nisiryan0522 Hive account@reveurgam Hive account@certain Hive account@kkins Hive account@nurseanne84 Hive account@hemi Hive account@amar Hive account@supportweku-io Hive account@whitelist