Shaw's Plays are Essentially Plays of Ideas. Discuss

Man and Superman is a great drama of ideas. The most important element of this type of drama is its discussion about social problems. In this type of drama there is conflict of ideas and the conflict of speech instead of conflict of wills as in romantic drama. Ideas are more important than feelings. Shaw's interest is in his representing ideas not in human passions and this is so much in the ease that his language is barren of emotive suggestion. In this play Shaw represents his ideas about sex attraction, marriage, anti-romanticism, social and political conflict, and about the need of superman and life force.

George Bernard Shaw is a Dramatic Artist:

In drama of ideas, there is found the conflict of ideas and speeches among characters and through this conflict the dramatist delivers his message. In Man and Superman we find this sort of conflict in the thoughts of Ann, Octavius and Tanner about marriage and sex. Octavius and Tanner, the two young men are close to Ann Octavius, a poet and Tanner is a rich man holding radical views. Octavius loves Ann passionately and wants to marry her, Tanner also loves her but he does not want to marry her as he wants to maintain his independence.

In his play, Shaw depicts the conflict of social values. This conflict is generally regarded as the essence of dramatic action. Shaw is not interested in depicting external context; rather he wants conquest of the self-the conquest of will over passion. According to Shaw, it is the power of seeing and judging things, independently of conventional standards. A perfect hero must have consciousness of original morality and the will to act upon it. This is the reason Tanner passes the following comment regarding the marriage and child birth of Violet:

I congratulate you, with the sincerest respect, on having courage to do what you have done. You are entirely in the right, and family is entirely in the wrong.

The play reveals Shaw's interest in discussion. In this respect his intellectual craftsmanship is so dazzling and his wit so amusing that he can sustain the interest of his audience even in the lengthy scenes. Don Juan tells the Devil that man's greatness lies in his brain. But the Devil tells him that man has not used his brain for the arts of peace. He has used the brain for the perfection of his weapons because he is in love with death. Thus the devil presents a pessimistic view of life.

Shaw's drama of ideas represents his philosophy and outlook! through his wit and humour. He is a master in this respect. His characters pass through genuine spiritual struggle for there can be no conflict between a deep original morality and passions which are superficial and unnecessary. Rather he represents discussion in such a way that it becomes quite realistic to the audience and readers.

In fact, Shaw confers his ideas with the use of all the tools of argument and weapons of assertion which can make the reader convinced. His directness, his resourcefulness his illustration, his command over metaphor and simile, his paradox and arguments are all intended to drive his point home. The characters and incidents in the play represent Shaw's different views towards life, society and in some respect, his reforming zeal. He has succeeded to create a play of ideas, Man and Superman