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(George) Bernard Shaw(1856-1950)
Bernard ShawShaw hated his first name,
George.No one personally or
professionally called him George.
Born in Dublin, Ireland in 1856 to Poor Protestant parents
Family LifeHis father drank heavily.
Therefore: Shaw becomes a Teetotaller (no alcohol)
Shaw's embarrassing alcoholic father claimed to be descended from Macduff, the slayer of Macbeth.
…
Shaw and siblings (2 sisters) grow up in the care of others.
Father dies in 1885 = none of his children or his wife attends funeral.
…When 16, his family broke up:
Mother moved to London with her daughter for opportunities in music
Scandalous!They set up their home with
mother’s vocal teacher
…Shaw moves in with his
mother and sister in London during the 1870s
He continues to live off of his mother until he marries
EducationEducated at
Wesley College.Wanders
around London, educating himself at the British Museum
Beginning Life in LondonFirst few years: writes 6
novels, only one publishedBecomes music critic on the
Star newspaper.1895, he becomes the drama
critic of the Saturday Review
Set Beliefs …1882: hears a lecture by the
American political theorist Henry GeorgeRest of his life he is deeply involved
in efforts to alter British society through the peaceful redistribution of wealth
Shaw supported abolition of private property, radical change in the voting system, campaigned for the simplification of spelling, and the reform of the English alphabet.
…Served as a local councilor in
the St. Pancras district of London for several years from 1897
He was a noted socialist in the Fabian Society
Happily Ever After?
1898: Marries Charlotte Payne Townshend
AND he finally moves out of his mother’s homeAt the age of 42 …
Quiet Days at home …
Bernard and Charlotte
…
Bernard and Charlotte stay together until Charlotte’s death in 1943.
It is said that their marriage was never consummated.
Mrs. Patrick Campbell
Widow and actress which he carried on a passionate correspondence over several years through his marriage
Shaw even writes the play Pygmalion in 1912 for her
Beatrice Stella Campbell
Mrs. Patrick Campbell
Mrs. Patrick Campbell as Eliza Doolittle
Shaw’s PlaysShaw’s plays pushed the
envelope with his controversial opinions within his playsExample: Widowers’ Houses =
about slum landlords; Mrs. Warren’s Profession = discussion about prostitution.
…
Many plays were refused performance licenses by the official censor because of their contentShaw begins to publish his play
texts; at this time, a very uncommon practice.
In the books, he writes long prefaces and epilogues where he discusses his opinions further.
Shaw believed that modern plays should contain the traditional plot conflict and its resolution as well as a consideration of important problems and suggestions for their resolution
…
1925, Shaw is awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature
He accepts the honor but refuses the money
Into the Movies 1938, Shaw writes the
screenplay for Pygmalion Shaw becomes the first and
only man ever to win the Nobel Prize for literature and an Academy Award
Shaw wrote the part of Eliza in Pygmalion for the famous actress Mrs. Patrick Campbell
DeathIn 1950, Shaw fell off a ladder while
trimming a tree on his property at Ayot St. Lawrence in Hertfordshire, outside of London, and died a few days later of complications from the injury, at age 94
“He was a hypochondriac, socialist, anti-vaccinationist, semi-feminist vegetarian who believed in the Life Force and only wore wool”
After Death
1956: Pygmalion is adapted into a musical, My Fair Lady. (Movie 1964)
BBC. Shaw Audio Interview. Available Online: http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcfour/audiointerviews/profilepages/shawg1.shtml
Online Brittanica. Nobel Prize Audio Clips. Available Online: http://www.britannica.com/nobel/ind_av.html
Sparknotes. Pygmalion, Study Guide. Available Online: http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/pygmalion/context.html
Holt, Rinehart & Winston. “Drama: Bernard Shaw (1856-1950).” Elements of Literature. New York: New York. 1989. Pgs. 1146-1147.
Scott, Foresman & Co. “Biography: Bernard Shaw.” England in Literature. Illinois: Chicago. 1989. Pg. 643.
More Information ?
Cockney English