George Bernard Shaw As a Playwright

                    George Bernard Shaw

                                                              As a Playwright

G.B.Shaw was an Irish Playwright, Literary critic and fervent socialist. He was born on 26July 1856 in Dublin,Ireland.

                           His father G.C.Shaw was a civil servant and mother L.E.Shaw was a aspiring singer and a music teacher. G.B.Shaw was the third and youngest child in his family with two elder sister.He has an irregular education reason so that he dislike any organized training centre. After receiving early tuitions from his clerical uncle, he attended several local schools but eventually ended his formal education. At last, he developed an interest towards art and literature due to his mother’s influence.

                           In 1876 G.B.Shaw moved to London with his mother and decided to pursue a career in writing and journalism.For the next few year, Shaw spent most of his time in the British Museum reading room and wrote several novels but was unable to get them published. During this period, he struggled financially and suffered more.

Career

       G.B.Shaw lectured for “Fabian Society” and wrote pamphlets on the progressive arts, later getting involve in most of its activities. After some time he was appointed to the ‘Saturday review’ as theatre critic. In the mean time, he wrote several plays but failed to convince the theatre managers to produce them.

                     By 1910 G.B.Shaw had established himself as a playwright through his incredible works including Man And Superman ,Major Barbara,

You Never Can Tell

By 1914, at the outbreak of World War❶  Shaw’s popularity declined considerably after he published an essay titled “Common Sense About The War” describing the war as a tragic waste of young lives under the guise of patriotism. The essay met with much criticism and proved to be a disaster for his social stature. After the war, G.B.Shaw re-established himself as a dramatist and he wrote a series of five plays under the collective title “Back To Methuselah” based on the human evolution. During the next decade he continued to work as a dramatist and some of his dramas include.

                                  -The Apple Cart

                              -Too True To Be Good

                              -On The Rocks

Following the Second World War ,he produced several more plays such as…

                                  -Shakes Versus Shav

                              -Why She Would Not

As a Dramatist throughout his life, Shaw continued to work until his death.

Major Works

              G.B.Shaw came up with his most popular play, a comical masterpiece titled “Pygmalion” a gentle comedy about love and the English class system. Pygmalion was a great success and achieved further fame when it was later made into a film. For which Shaw wrote the screenplay and winning an “Oscar” for his works.

Award and Achievement

              In 1925 G.B.Shaw was awarded the ”Noble Prize” for his lodestar contribution to the field. In 1938 Shaw shared an “Academy Award” for the best adaptation of his most popular play Pygmalion.

Personal life and Legacy

                                  By 1898 G.B.Shaw married with C.P.Townshend who was a feminist who joined the “Fabian Society”. The marriage was a happy one although the couple had no children together. G.B.Shaw died on 2 November 1950 at his home in Ayot St.Lawrence in Hertfordshire, England and he was cremated at the Golden Green Crematorium.

Life isn't about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.

-    G.B.Shaw

Md.Shakib