George Bernard Shaw demanded truth and despised convention. He punctured hollow pretensions and smug prudishness—coating his criticism with ingenious and irreverent wit. In Mrs. Warren’s Profession, Arms and the Man, Candida, and Man and Superman, the great playwright satirizes society, military heroism, marriage, and the pursuit of man by woman. From a social, literary, and theatrical standpoint, these four plays are among the foremost dramas of the age—as intellectually stimulating as they are thoroughly enjoyable. “My way of joking is to tell the truth: It is the funniest joke in the world.”—G. B. Shaw With an Introduction by Eric Bentley and an Afterword by Norman Lloyd

Presents four plays by George Bernard Shaw, incuding "Mrs. Warren's Profession," "Pygmalion," "Man and Superman," and "Major Barbara," each with an explanatory annotation, and includes information on the author and his work, a chronology, and a selected bibliography.

"Shaw saw himself and his dramatic translation of the Nietzschian Superman as the Modern and secularized realization of the ancient concept of poet-creator. He believed (as did Blake, Emerson, and Nietzsche) that the poet-creator had a genius which was the spiritual source of Vision and a Will-to-Power and that these two human faculties, in a Marxist-utopian sense, held the hope of humanity. The poet's quest into the unknown, as Shaw believed, begins with a revolutionary renunciation of inherited duty and worn illusions in order to find the freedom to create a new order of being. The poet's imagination will be the guide. The poet as prophet must herald the new state of being into words, and sometimes deeds: "To desire, to imagine, to will, to create ... in one word, to conceive." The poet's gift is a state of vision and the wherewithal and will to bring that Vision into being before the greater consciousness of humanity."--Cover.

George Bernard Shaw is one of the most famous and celebrated Irish playwrights and this new collection brings together the very best of his witty and entertaining comedies in one volume; Pygmalion, Major Barbara and Androcles and the Lion. Part of the Macmillan Collector’s Library; a series of stunning, clothbound, pocket-sized classics with gold foiled edges and ribbon markers. These beautiful books make perfect gifts or a treat for any book lover. This edition has a preface by Oscar-winning actress Judi Dench. Pygmalion was first performed in 1914 and was an instant hit which then inspired the hit musical and award winning film, My Fair Lady. It tells the story of Eliza Doolittle and Henry Higgins, who tries to elevate a feisty flower girl out of her working-class roots and into high society. In Major Barbara, idealistic Barbara is a major in the Salvation Army, at odds with her millionaire father as they war over the best route to salvation. Androcles and the Lion is a clever retelling of the Bible story about a gentle Christian who pulls a thorn from a lion’s paw. All three plays are not only wonderfully amusing, they also showcase Shaw's intense concerns about poverty, class and inequality.

"Mrs. Warren's Profession" by George Bernard Shaw is a provocative exploration of morality, class, and the role of women in society. The play revolves around the relationship between Mrs. Kitty Warren, a shrewd and successful madam, and her daughter Vivie, a young woman determined to make her own way in the world. As Vivie uncovers the truth about her mother's profession, she is forced to confront her own values and beliefs, leading to a clash of ideals between mother and daughter. Shaw's incisive wit and social commentary shine through in this thought-provoking drama, challenging audiences to reconsider their preconceptions about morality and the choices individuals make in pursuit of success and independence. "Mrs. Warren's Profession" remains a compelling and relevant work that continues to spark conversation and debate.

Shaw believed that theatre audiences of the 1890s deserved more than the hollow spectacle and sham he saw displayed on the London stage. But he also recognized that people wanted to be entertained while educated, and to see purpose mixed with pleasure. In these three plays of ideas, Shaw employed traditional dramatic forms - Victorian melodrama, the history play and the adventure story - to turn received wisdom upside down. Set during the American War of Independence, The Devil's Disciple exposes fake Puritanism and piety, while Caesar and Cleopatra, a cheeky riposte to Shakespeare, redefines heroism in the character of the ageing Roman leader. And in Captain Brassbound's Conversion, an expedition in Morocco is saved from disaster by a lady explorer's skilful manipulation of the truth.