Discuss Octavius in "Man and Superman" is an Embodiment of Shaw's Concept of Anti-Hero.

"Man and Superman" is a play of ideas in which Shaw expresses his ideas and different outlooks. He talks about a hero, a manly figure, who is very useful for the generation to come. In this respect Octavius is a foil to the hero, as he possesses all that is opposite to Shaw's idea of a true hero. In other words, Octavius is an antihero in Shaw's play "Man and Superman". Though he is very attractive and amiable, the idea he holds makes him an unsuccessful man.

Octavius is an Embodiment of Shaw's Concept of Anti-Hero:

Octavius is a very good looking man with his pretty little mustache. He is an uncommonly nice looking fellow. His arched eyebrows, his erect forehead, and neatly pointed chin all indicate he has the temper of an artist. He is a very amiable character and has the infinite sense of gratitude. He is very shocked at the death of Mr. Whitefield and says to Ramsden, "But I owed him a great deal. He did everything for me that my father could have done, if he had lived."

Shaw shows that a man of romantic notion cannot succeed in life. Octavius' most dangerous fault is that he is blind in love. When he first proposes to Ann she bursts into tears and snubs him as he proposes during the mourning period. The poor lover becomes foolish at this treatment and later when Ann rejects him, he says, "I'll kill myself and he sobs like a teenage girl which can never be manly. He further says he will worship her yet and love even the place she walks on. His world cries for romantic zeal which is impossible in this material world and Ann plainly tells him that she cannot marry him as he is too romantic. He is very foolish about woman and so Ann tells him, "heaven help the woman who marries you” and again she tells that she won't marry him for the entire world.

Octavius lacks revolutionary zeal in heart. He possesses the old values and he has not the boldness to come out of conventional ideas. Whereas Tanner introduces himself as a revolutionary character, Octavius remains a passive and inactive character. He never steps forward to shatter conventions and established traditions. He even never wants to speak about his purpose. He keeps himself in safe distance from Tanner. He cannot stand by his sister Violet when it is exposed that she is burdened with a child and she is not married yet.

Tanner comes forward saying that she is serving the greatest purpose of humanity. Even then Octavius cannot make himself free for conventional ideas. Shaw hates this kind of man who is woman and is not brave and courageous.

Octavius cannot make himself an agent of Life Force pursues woman like a romantic. He is not that type of man who can selected as an agent of life Force. He adores Ann and can not think that woman can be harmful to man's success. He is not mentally strong enough to serve the purpose. Only for this Ann refuses him as he is not suitable to be a father of a superman. He does not possess the heroic quality in him as he cannot come out of conventions and make himself an exceptional human being. He remains simple, non-revolutionary and completely a common man. 

Thus Octovius is a contrastive figure with regards to Shaw's idea of a hero. Shaw wants a change where individual personality can play a vital role and Octavius is a failure in this respect, as he has no reformative zeal. He is afraid of taking risk and even saying anything against convention. Octavius is a very simple man with a mild heart. In "Man and Superman", Octavius is an antihero, as he belongs to that type of men who oppose any change in the society.