George Shaw never dreamed of fame and glory. He was simply doing his favorite thing, which suddenly led him to success. The talented playwright was distinguished not only by his witty sharp style, but also by his extravagant behavior. He never sought to make money on his works, and he received true pleasure from the creative process and artistic contemplation.
Early life
George Bernard Shaw was born July 26, 1856 in the Irish city of Dublin. He was the third child in the family. The uncle was engaged in the upbringing of the boy. It was he who first introduced his nephew to the wonderful world of art. In addition, his mother was engaged in creative training for George. Together with their young son, they visited the National Gallery of Ireland every weekend. Here, the future playwright discovered new authors, remembered the artistic features of their paintings, made some notes in a notebook so as not to forget anything.
In 1872, a crisis began in the Shaw family. His mother decided to leave her father and permanently leave Ireland. She bought tickets to London, quickly packed her things and left the country with her daughters. The show remained with his father, but four years later, nevertheless, he decided to move to his mother. At that time, George's family was truly in poverty. His parents' finances were completely exhausted.
The first creative successes
It is in these difficult and contradictory conditions that George Shaw's career begins. Wanting to escape from family troubles, the young man spent a lot of time in the reading room of the British Museum. Within these walls, he began working on his first novels.
George spent more than a year writing his works, but none of them was successful. Publishers did not want to make deals with the young playwright, considering him mediocrity. After that, the Show temporarily isolates itself from creativity and turns to politics. He begins to enter the circles of the British intelligentsia, joins the socialist group and proceeds to edit the most important political treatises.
Working as an editor, Shaw received several important recommendations from renowned writers. In 1895 he was hired as a theater critic in the popular Saturday Review newspaper.
Career and Literary Surveys
George published his first plays in a book with the general title "Plays Unpleasantly." After an overwhelming success, he released the second volume - "He plays nice." The world first became acquainted with such great works of the Show as The Widowers' Homes, Weapons and Man, Man of Fate, and Candida. All of these plays were filled with the playwright's signature wit and a healthy dose of social criticism. These works laid a solid foundation for Shaw's future career.
Towards the end of the 19th century, George Shaw was called the literary giant. By this time he had written a number of important works, including Caesar and Cleopatra, Man and Superman, and Don Juan in Hell. Famous directors used these plays for their theatrical productions. The playwright began to appear the first fans who did not miss a single premiere and quickly snapped up all the editions of the writer.
The works "Major Barbara", "The Doctor's Dilemma" and "Saint Jeanne", written in the first half of the 20th century, finally confirmed the Show as the leading playwright of its time. In 1925, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature for his high influence on world culture.
Not every playwright of that time could boast of a television adaptation of his plays. However, the work of George Shaw "Pygmalion" in 1938 was first shown on the big screen. For the best writing of the script, the author even won the popular Academy Award. In addition, Pygmalion became widely known in the theater. His production was attended by such famous artists as Rex Harrison, Julia Andrews and Audrey Hepburn.
At the height of World War I, George Bernard Shaw wrote anti-war works. Like many socialists, he opposed the participation of Britain in all battles. His pamphlet The Common Sense of War, which was published in 1914, sparked much controversy. The authorities strongly encouraged the British to patriotism, and George Shaw by his actions undermined the people's faith in a strong army. Some of his anti-war speeches were severely censored, as they threatened the integrity of the state. At that time, the Show was also expelled from the Playwright Club.
Nevertheless, George Shaw's fame continued to grow after the war. His new plays “House of a Broken Heart”, “Cart with Apples”, “St. Joan” became popular not only in the UK, but also in other countries of the world. In addition, he began to pay even more attention to social and political issues. For example, he published the books Crime in Custody and The Guide to Socialism for Smart Women, which called for a sober understanding of Britain’s political reality.
