Historical Context
Women’s Suffrage Movement
In 1889, Shaw considered entering politics as a Liberal candidate, advocating for "suffrage for women in exactly the same terms as men." During Shaw's lifetime, women began to realize they could achieve financial independence. The next logical demand was the right to vote. Since 1875, women in Britain had been fighting for both the vote and property ownership rights. Shaw's social circle included prominent suffragettes like Emily Pankhurst and her daughter Christabel, who faced multiple imprisonments and were force-fed—through tube-feedings to prevent them from dying from hunger strikes and thus becoming martyrs—in their quest to liberate women.
Shaw supported the suffrage movement and condemned force-feeding, which he deemed torture. Although he often contributed clever editorials to the suffragettes' cause, he believed women were fully capable of fighting their own battles and should not rely on men to secure what was rightfully theirs. He asserted that "the denial of any fundamental rights to the person of woman is practically the denial of the Life Everlasting," but his frequent use of flippant humor left many women uncertain about his commitment to their cause. By the turn of the century, the movement had waned as media interest faded.
Finally, in 1918, women over the age of thirty were granted the right to vote and hold positions in the House of Commons. Simultaneously, the property clause that required male voters to own property worth ten British pounds was abolished.
Fabian Society
George Bernard Shaw, along with his friends Beatrice and Sidney Webb, formed the core of the Fabian Society. The society aimed to secure basic human rights through gradual societal reforms, thus preventing potential revolutions. Members dedicated themselves to simplifying their lifestyles to focus their energy on improving the lives of others.
The Fabian Society emerged from the Fellowship of the New Life, founded by Scottish philosopher Thomas Davidson in 1883, which emphasized achieving ethical perfection to serve society by promoting socialism. Cambridge fellow Edward Carpenter refined the group's beliefs to include vegetarianism, hard physical labor, and handspun clothing, rejecting the excesses of the Victorian upper class. The Webbs and Shaw embraced this philosophy, taking the Victorian work ethic to extremes: they worked eighteen-hour days gardening, writing, and distributing pamphlets on socialist ideals. They shunned all forms of personal indulgence, including overeating, sex, and wearing fine clothing. They abstained from meat and led celibate, austere lives.
In addition to their social and political mission, the Fabians were also patrons of the arts. Under the sponsorship of the Fabian Society, Shaw delivered a series of lectures on the dramatic influence of Henrik Ibsen (Hedda Gabler), whose work he both admired and promoted in Britain. Interestingly, all three founding Fabians remained productive into their eighties (Shaw even into his nineties), continuing to write prolifically well into their seventies. Their commitment to a strict regimen of personal hygiene was intended to serve the greater cause of human equality by subordinating their personal needs.
While various others joined the group periodically, H. G. Wells (The Time Machine) being the most notable among them, it was this core trio that maintained the cohesion of the society and made its most significant impact on British society. The Fabian Society experienced a revival in 1960 and continues to function as a liberal think tank for Britain’s current Labour Party.
Literary Style
The Idea Play
Nineteenth-century drama often featured the "parlor comedy," which originated from the "comedy of manners" that gained popularity during the Restoration period in the late seventeenth century. The central theme of the comedy of manners revolved around societal life, particularly focusing on courtship and marriage. In these comedies,...
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the storyline both mirrored and mocked the moral behavior of the characters, who were depicted as "types" rather than fully developed individuals. The parlor comedy shifted the action to the parlor, or sitting room, where characters would discuss their dilemmas.
Shaw transformed the parlor comedy into what became known as the play of ideas. This new form evolved from Henrik Ibsen's serious parlor dramas, where characters engaged in discussions about profound moral or social issues. Ibsen's work featured more dialogue than action, and Shaw took this "talking" style and turned it into a dramatized conversation between conflicting ideas rather than between characters. While Ibsen's plays placed realistic characters in a parlor to discuss their conflicts at length, Shaw infused the dialogue with philosophical concepts voiced by "types" who debated these ideas extensively. In an idea play, it is the ideas themselves, not the action or the characters, that take center stage.
Compare and Contrast
1903: In Britain, women suffragettes march in the streets to protest. They also publish feminist newspapers, aiming to secure the right to vote.
Today: Since 1928, all British citizens over the age of twenty-one can vote and hold public office. Although disparities remain, women possess equal legal rights with men.
1903: Socialism is a burgeoning political ideology rapidly gaining traction among intellectuals across Europe. Shaw’s Fabian Society advocates it as the answer to Britain’s social injustices. Early socialism endorses a communistic economic model.
Today: Socialists maintain robust organizations in Britain and Europe, continuing to fight for worker rights and social equality. The economic model now incorporates aspects of capitalism.
Setting
Within the vibrant narrative of Man and Superman, the settings serve as a dynamic backdrop to the unfolding drama. Each location not only frames the action but also enriches the thematic depth of George Bernard Shaw's play, illustrating the tensions between tradition and modernity, as well as the philosophical musings that drive the characters.
The journey begins in Ramsden’s office in London, a setting steeped in the entrenched values of Victorian society. The office, with its air of traditional respectability, becomes a battleground for Jack Tanner’s radical ideas and his relentless critique of conventional morality. Here, Ann Whitefield's determination to challenge social norms is ignited, propelling her pursuit of personal ambitions against the backdrop of conservative restraint.
Transitioning to the Whitefield house in Richmond, the play moves to a suburban milieu that introduces modern elements into the narrative. This outdoor setting highlights the significance of the automobile, a symbol of progress and practicality embodied by Henry Straker, the archetype of the modern technological man. The suburban environment, away from the constraints of the city, serves as a canvas for characters to explore their more pragmatic aspirations.
In act three, the scene shifts to the evocative Sierra Nevada in Spain. Here, amidst the rustic charm of this Spanish mountain range, Mendoza’s band of comic opera bandits sets the stage for the "Don Juan in Hell" dream sequence. This locale, reminiscent of Spain's cultural Golden Age, allows Shaw to weave a philosophical tapestry through Tanner’s vision of Don Juan, blending comedy with existential inquiry.
The setting of Hell itself emerges as an austere yet abstract environment, either an empty void or a borderland where timeless spirits engage in elegant philosophical debates. This reimagined version of Hell diverges from traditional depictions, becoming a space for intellectual discourse rather than eternal damnation.
Finally, the narrative culminates in Granada, set against the picturesque backdrop of a garden overlooking the Alhambra ruins. This location, rich with the exotic allure of Moorish history, sets the stage for the play’s emotional crescendo. It is here that the truth of Violet’s secret marriage is unveiled and Ann’s relentless pursuit of Tanner reaches its dramatic climax. The mystical atmosphere of Granada lends authenticity to the passionate exchanges between Ann and Tanner, accentuated by Shaw's characteristic wit and comedic undertones.
Media Adaptations
The classic rendition of the Don Juan in Hell segment from Act III was recorded during the 1950s by actors Charles Laughton, Sir Cedric Hardwicke, Charles Boyer, and Agnes Moorehead for Columbia. This recording is available on audio tape.
Bibliography and Further Reading
Sources
Evans, T. F. George Bernard Shaw: The Critical Heritage, Routledge, 1997.
Kronenberger, Louis. George Bernard Shaw: A Critical Survey, World Publishing, 1953.
Further Reading
Bentley, Eric. Bernard Shaw, Methuen, 1967. A prominent drama critic examines Shaw’s plays through the lens of his political and social philosophies and their influence on theater.
Berst, Charles A. Bernard Shaw and the Art of Drama, University of Illinois Press, 1973. An in-depth analysis of Shaw’s significant plays.
Brecht, Bertolt. "Ovation for Shaw" in Modern Drama, translated by Gerhard H. W. Zuther, Vol. 2, no. 2, 1959, pp. 184-87. Brecht, known for works like Mother Courage and Her Children and as a fellow innovative dramatist and social reformer, commends Shaw’s craft.
Dukore, Bernard F. Bernard Shaw, Playwright, University of Missouri Press, 1973. Dukore lauds Shaw as a pivotal playwright of the twentieth century.
Hardwick, Michael, and Mollie Hardwick. The Bernard Shaw Companion, John Murray, 1997. Offers summaries of Shaw’s plays and a brief biography.
Hill, Eldon C. George Bernard Shaw, Twayne, 1978. A monograph on Shaw and his plays, part of the Twayne writers series.
Holroyd, Michael. The Genius of Shaw, Hodder and Stoughton, 1979. A biographical study of Shaw’s life and era, featuring images of many of his colleagues and early productions.
Innes, Christopher. The Cambridge Companion to George Bernard Shaw, Cambridge University Press, 1998. Contemporary essays on Shaw’s views on feminism, his dramatic techniques, and his influence on theater.
Kaye, Julian B. Bernard Shaw and the Nineteenth-Century Tradition, University of Oklahoma Press, 1955. Discusses the heritage of eighteenth-century sociological ideas and the socialist movement of the nineteenth century, placing Shaw within this intellectual context.
MacCarthy, Desmond. Shaw, MacGibbon and Kee, 1951. In this biography, a respected drama critic assesses Shaw’s social agenda as depicted in his plays.
Meisel, Martin. Shaw and the Nineteenth-Century Theater, Princeton University Press, 1963. Evaluates Shaw in relation to the norms of nineteenth-century popular theater.
Weintraub, Stanley. "Bernard Shaw" in Concise Dictionary of British Literary Biography, Volume 6: Modern Writers, 1914-1945, Gale, 1992, pp. 348-68. Weintraub explores Shaw’s personal life and his work, emphasizing his creation of the play of ideas.
Weintraub, Stanley. The Unexpected Shaw: Biographical Approaches to G. B. S. and His Work, Ungar, 1982. Weintraub draws connections between Shaw’s personal experiences and his work, including a chapter on the impact of specific paintings on Shaw.
Whitman, Robert F. Shaw and the Play of Ideas, Cornell University Press, 1977. Investigates Shaw as an advocate for philosophical, social, and religious concepts.
