Man and Superman

by George Bernard Shaw

Book Overview

George Bernard Shaw (26 July 1856 - 2 November 1950), known at his insistence simply as Bernard Shaw, was an Irish playwright, critic and polemicist whose influence on Western theatre, culture and politics extended from the 1880s to his death and beyond. He wrote more than sixty plays, including major works such as Man and Superman (1902), Pygmalion (1912) and Saint Joan (1923). With a range incorporating both contemporary satire and historical allegory,...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1535290633
• ISBN13: 9781535290630
• Release Date: September 2016
• Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
• Length: 116 Pages
• Weight: 0.36 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.2" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Pure Bergsonism

George Bernard Shaw was called, with good reason, the "English Nietzsche". Though Nietzsche was an aristocrat and Shaw a socialist, both cherished the dream of the superman and looked forward to the day when he would be realised. Both, however, were characterised by their mordant wit and intellectual cynicism, in which "Man and Superman" abounds. Shaw manages to compress a number of disparate themes into a relatively taut dramatic format, even throwing in a scene in which Don Juan, the Devil and a gang of anarchist brigands make an appearance. The central event of the plot involves the wealthy Tanner, a member of the "Idle Rich Class" making himself subservient to the Life Force and seeking the perfect woman to marry, who would guarantee him a very special offspring, his ideal, the superman himself. Though Shaw was not known to have read the works of Bergson at that time, nor to have been conversant with his vitalist doctrine of the Life Force, his use of the Life Force motif and the philosophical underpinnings of the play attest to a pure Bergsonism. The most delightful part, however, is the "Revolutionist's Handbook" at the end, which contains Shaw's most scandalous anti-Establishment jibes. For instance, "Do not do unto others as you would them do unto you. They might not have the same taste."

Don Juan, in the 20th century

In this title, G.B. Shaw outdoes himself. Not only does he manage to turn up with a Don Juan play in our modern day and age, which is full of cynicism, and doesn't give in to 'medieval' codes of behaviour, but he even manages to turn around the table. Here, the hunter becomes the hunted, forced to flee from his pursued/pursuer. Shaw includes in this play an ingenious conversation between the original 15th century characters, which not only explains about Don Juan's philosophy, but shines a new light upon our own lives, here and today.

a philosphical comedy

The writings of Bernard Shaw in this particulat play, invites to you use your mind to understand life and philosphy. It has such great insight into many aspects of human nature and at the same time is exteremely funny and really takes you into it's pages. The writing has impecable style and this is truly a classic play.

Mr. Shaw's Legacy to our Modern Life

George Bernard Shaw enables fantasy, dreams and reality to show the heritage of our strugle from the savana to modern civilization. He crafts modern relationships using powerful mother, father, daughter, son, the loved and the rebuffed to allow us to reflect on our current state. This book contains clasic elements of a Don Juan dream, a "road trip" and an entire handbook written by one of Mr. Shaws main characters. The Don Juan dream is one in which the battle of the sexes is answered and shown to be a facade for an agenda that we perpetuate, but do not control or often acknowledge. The "road trip" appears to be the original of much of what we've experienced in Jack Kerouac's writings and see in our modern movies. The handbook allows Mr. Shaw to express his own ideas as those of his character. This provides some insulation from any contemporary criticism that may have come his way. This work, more so than any other, provides a wonderful avenue to Mr. Shaw's personal philosophy that can lend insight to his other works. It truly can be said that this book "has it all" with something for everyone. It is truly amazing that this book has remained relatively obscure, however it has remained a strong influence in many modern literature courses and would be an enjoyable addition to most anyone's book collection.