The optimistic George Bernard Shaw watched happily as the steely modern world made its debut. Shaw hoped that World War I would sweep away the flawed Victorian world and lead to significant social change and a socialist utopia. When postwar Europe gave way to totalitarianism and a second "final war," Shaw's optimism waned. He would later conclude that the twentieth century was a "world of great expectations cruelly disappointed." His changing sentiments were most clearly revealed in his plays: The upbeat Pygmalion in 1916 ...
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The optimistic George Bernard Shaw watched happily as the steely modern world made its debut. Shaw hoped that World War I would sweep away the flawed Victorian world and lead to significant social change and a socialist utopia. When postwar Europe gave way to totalitarianism and a second "final war," Shaw's optimism waned. He would later conclude that the twentieth century was a "world of great expectations cruelly disappointed." His changing sentiments were most clearly revealed in his plays: The upbeat Pygmalion in 1916 led to the despondent Heartbreak House in 1919 - with other didactic dramas coming before, between, and after those two masterpieces. Setting the playwright in context to his personal life, social, historical and political events, other writers of influence, and more, you will quickly gain a deep understanding of Shaw and the plays he wrote. Read Shaw in an Hour and experience his plays like never before. Know the playwright, love the play!
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