An Analysis The History of Shaw: The Shaw Festival, created in 1962, is a defining attribute of the Canadian theatre scene. Founded by Torontonian lawyer Brian Doherty, a mere twelve years following the death of the festival’s name sake, George Bernard Shaw, the festival started as what Doherty referred to as “something (they) believe in” (Henkin). Snowballing faster, the originally small courthouse performance troupe grew into a non-profit organization with a theatre sitting just over 320…
The Lesser of Two Major Barbara by George Bernard Shaw, is a play that toys with the ideas of rich vs. poor and good vs. evil. From one comes the other. Undershaft runs a very lucrative business that is closely tied to war. His family who he has been excluded from because of a tradition of the passing down of the family business does not agree with his ways. They are brought to a point where they must accept more of his “blood money” in order to continue, it is then that Undershaft shows them…
Universally, masculinity has consistently been instilled in society through pressuring and socializing people to conform to characteristics and values that are associated with gender. In The Lady’s Not for Burning by Christopher Fry and Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw, both of the playwrights use the attributes and ideologies of the characters to demonstrate the frailty of masculinity and shed light on its overwhelming adverse effects on equality of men and women. In both plays, certain male…
Stephen King once said, “Books and movies are like apples and oranges. They both are fruit, but taste completely different.” Stephen King’s quote about the difference between books and movies exemplifies the contrast between the play, Pygmalion by Bernard Shaw, and the movie adaptation, My Fair Lady. Although both highlight the importance of phonetics and the teacher-student relationship that Henry and Eliza share, the alterations of the characters in the movie make it highly unrealistic. Henry…
However even though the two come from very different worlds, just like Henry, Joan uses God in an attempt to inspire her King. This can be seen in Scene two of St Joan by George Bernard Shaw: I tell thee that the land is thine to rule righteously and keep God's peace in, and not to pledge at the pawnshop as a drunken woman pledges her children's clothes. And I come from God to tell thee to kneel in the cathedral and solemnly give…
As a part of human nature, progress to success is key. The most beneficial thing for all people is to understand that they have to fall in order to get back up again. Someone who agrees with this is Morihei Ueshiba. Morihei Ueshiba was an inspirational martial arts instructor, and the founder of Aikido. He once said, “Failure is the key to success; each mistake teaches us something." This quote shows in order to reach success there has to be mistakes and progress. Learning from mistakes makes…
Written by Moises Kaufman, the play “Gross Indecency” is a biography of the life of Oscar Wilde, that focuses on court trials where Wilde is accused of being homosexual. Kaufman spent two years writing the play and completed it in 1997. The production contains several roles, but a single actor can play multiple characters, as the case in Kaufman’s production. The play consists of twenty four characters, including eight narrators; however, this is not including parts entitled “others”. Most…
Throughout Saint Joan, a story written by George Bernard Shaw, parallels are drawn to the story of King Henry V as the idea of feminism is tested through the different gender role expectations of society during the fifteenth century. Joan of Arc and King Henry V are prime examples of two individuals that were held to different standards based upon their genders. Joan challenged these expectations while Henry lived up to them. Due to society’s influence on gender roles throughout the fifteenth…
The Treacherous Follies of Society Desdemona from Othello by William Shakespeare (1969) and Eliza Doolittle from Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw (2003) are characters who struggle with the repercussions of prejudice created by society and who defy social norms. Prejudice is an unfavourable opinion or feeling formed beforehand or without knowledge, thought, or reason. Although both plays are based off of different centuries, both characters have similar characteristics and ideologies on how…
Though many scholars may harshly criticize My Fair Lady for not adhering to Bernard Shaw’s intentions for Pygmalion, it is my conviction that the musical’s additions to his play should be celebrated, not castigated. The costumes, scenery, actions, and especially the songs significantly develop the characters, greatly enhance its comedic aspects, and fine tune many of Shaw’s themes; they are indispensable in gaining a full appreciation of Pygmalion. Songs play a vital role in developing Shaw’s…