'Man and Superman' by George Bernard Shaw - Summary

 Man and Superman

- George Bernard Shaw

👉 Introduction

Well known British playwright, George Bernard Shaw is famous as the great British writer after William Shakespeare. This British writer, who was born in Ireland, was not a playwright in his first career but after he considered that drama has a propagandist value, he turned to be a playwright.

George Bernard Shaw believed that the theater is able to fulfill an important social function by teaching, but the plays that dominated Victorian stage said nothing about the audiences lived in. then, through his plays, he has become a pillar of the modern drama.

George Bernard Shaw’s golden period as a dramatist was from 1903 – 1925, the time when he wrote his best and most popular plays. One of George Bernard Shaw’s great plays is Man and Superman (1903). Man and Superman is a serious and intellectual play, however it is a comedy. Shaw wrote more about his opinions on the issues touched by the play than about the story of the play itself.  

👉 The idea of Superman in the play, Man and Superman

George Bernard Shaw’s Man and Superman which is subtitled A Comedy and a Philosophy is a drama of ideas. George Bernard Shaw’s idea of Superman was adopted from Friederich Nietzsche’s philosophical concept. George Bernard Shaw himself is a socialist figure. As a socialist, it was common that he was influenced by Friederich Nietzsche’s philosophical concept because Friederich Nietzsche was the one who developed the idea of socialism.

The ‘idea of Superman’ is a philosophical concept made by Friederich Nietzsche, a German philosopher. It is a philosophical concept of a man, in our society, who is able to surpass social boundaries. The Superman is supposed to be higher than common men because he can surpass societies, morality, intelligence and spirituality levels. The common men refer to the society. Nietzsche describes the philosophical concept in order to draw about the goal of human effort, which are finer and stronger individuals, judges of life, and the creators of values. Life force is an important value that someone called Superman has. A real Superman has Life Force has an energy to live in.

However, the idea of Superman becomes the theme of this play. As revealed in the title of Man and Superman. But there is an interesting value about the direction of a unique character, Don Juan. As argued by George Bernard Shaw in the Epistle Dedicatory of Man and Superman. The story of Don Juan in his play is intended to retell the legendary character of Don Juan.

👉 Don Juan - the traditional concept

Don Juan character is usually described as womanizer or a seducer. He is always seen in a perspective which places him as a person who sees women as his prey. He loves every woman he seduces. Then Don Juan character is known as a universal figure of womanizer. The name is used to identify someone who has the same characteristics related to women seduction. His seductive ability to women became his popular characteristics.

👉 George Bernard Shaw’s intention to represent the character of 'Don Juan'

Reviewing the title of the play, the playwright did not include the name of Don Juan but Superman. Based on this evidence, George Bernard Shaw wanted to express the concept of Superman using Don Juan's character, which he said in his preface of Man and Superman that Don Juan's character is someone who can distinguish between good and bad.

Furthermore, George Bernard Shaw argues that Don Juan in the play is not characterised conventionally as what people think about Don John, typically. Don Juan in Man and Superman is a figure who represents ideas. He is not ‘a womanizer Don Juan’. George Bernard Shaw emphasizes that the figure of Don Juan is not only a womanizer or seducer but a person in a philosophical manner. By stating his argument, George Bernard Shaw tries to reconstruct the common mildest that takes Don Juan as only a womanizer without ideological value. Especially Don Juan in Man and Superman is drawn in order to represent a man who is supposed to be the Superman.

In particular, in Man and Superman, the unique Don Juan portrayal is presented through some characters. George Bernard Shaw called Don Juan the legendary character of Don Juan from his point of view, dividing him into two characters (Tanner and Mendoza). They take their role together in expressing the idea of ​​the main theme, Superman. This study, therefore, is done for a deeper understanding of the theme by analyzing the significance of the selected characters.

👉 Man and Superman – Summary

👉 Man and Superman (Act I)

The story takes place in the last years of the nineteenth century. Roebuck Ramsden is in his study room. She is enjoying her activity: reading mail. Suddenly, Octavius ​​Robinson arrives. They have a conversation about the death of Ann Whitefield's father. Octavius ​​is very sorry for Ann's condition. Both of them have same sympathy for the present condition of Ann Whitefield. The next topic to discuss is John Tanner, a friend of Octavius. It has been shown that Ramsden does not like Tanner because he does not like his book "A Revolutionary Handbook".

Then comes John Tanner. Tanner, often referred to as "Jack", reveals that he and Ramsden have been appointed guardians of Anne Whitefield. Tanner protests his appointment as guardian of Anne Whitefield. Tanner and Ramsden are involved in the debate because they don't like each other. Octavius ​​himself takes a neutral position because he has a close relationship with both of them.

Ann enters and gets involved in the conversation. He urges Tanner and Ramsdenas to take his father's last will to receive his guardians. When Ann and Tanner have a conversation, it becomes clear that Ann is in love with Tanner. It is revealed by Ann that Octavius' sister Violet Robinson is pregnant. Tanner is the only person who sympathizes with her because of her pregnancy.

Tanner congratulates Violet for pursuing her own will instead of convention. People around her are totally ignorant about real identity of her husband. People assume that Violet is unmarried and are very peculiar about her pregnancy. Finally, Violet reveals that she was married but she refuses to name her husband.

👉 Man and Superman (Act II)

The Act takes place outside Tanner's home. Henry Strecker, Tanner's driver, is working in his employer's car. After he fixes the car, Octavis arrives and joins their discussion. Then some characters from Act I appeared. They want to travel using motor cars. The team is expected to split into two motor vehicles. Secretly, Ann forbids her sister Rhoda to ride Tanner. He arranged to ride with Tanner.

He is introduced to an American man named Hector Malone. He is very interested in violet. Then it is clear that Hector is the husband of Violet. They keep their marriage a secret for some reason related to their different backgrounds.

Stracker tells Tanner that Tanner is Ann's goal. He warns Tanner that Octavis will be Ann's husband, not Tanner. At the same time, Tanner understands Ann's wishes. To escape from Ann, he instructs Stracker to drive his car around Europe.

👉 Man and Superman (Act III)

It is set in the Spanish desert. Tanner and Streaker are captured by a band of pirates. Mendoza, the leader of the pirates, congratulated them. The pirates do not snatch them but take Tanner and Streaker into their discussion. They talk about socialism because they are socialist.

Then comes their sleep. They have the same dream. The next scene begins. The dream characters are based on the legend of Don Juan. The characters in the dream are similar to the characters in the previous plot. John Tanner as Don Juan Tenorio, Don White as Ann Whitefield, Don Gonzalo as Reubak Ramsden, and Lucifer as Mendoza.

They have an interesting conversation in hell. Like John Tanner who always opposes everything, Don Juan Tenerio is a rebel. He became the adversary of another character in the conversation. At the end of the dream, Don Juan goes to heaven; Don Gonzalo, who performs as an idol, and Lucifer, the devil, will be in hell; When Donna Anna is missing.

The scene ends when Tanner and Mendoza wake up. They realize that they have shared the dream but can't remember. Soon the police found them. Ramsden and Ann come. They meet again. Police do not arrest pirates because Tanner considers them his bodyguards.

👉 Man and Superman (Act IV)

The last Act takes place in a Spanish town. Hector reveals a new character named Malone. It is clear that there are two people named Hector Malone. They are father and son. Mr. Malone, Sr. is an American-born Irish rich man who wants to see his son marry an English majestic woman. Then the Malones clashed with both of them. Mr Malone the Jr. refused his father's intervention. Cunningly, Violet persuades her father-in-Act to arrange an income for her and her husband.

Anne Whitefield seems willing to marry her tanner. He turned down Ann's offer but eventually accepted it. Finally, Tanner's decision to marry Anne is final. The drama is over.

*****

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👉 'Man and Superman' by George Bernard Shaw – Summary