Life George Bernard Shaw

1 life

1.1 years
1.2 london
1.3 political awakening: marxism, socialism, fabian society
1.4 novelist , critic
1.5 playwright , politician: 1890s
1.6 stage success: 1900–1914
1.7 fabian years: 1900–1913
1.8 first world war
1.9 ireland
1.10 1920s
1.11 1930s
1.12 second world war , final years

life
early years

shaw s birthplace (2012 photograph). plaque reads bernard shaw, author of many plays, born in house, 26 july 1856 .

shaw born @ 3 upper synge street in portobello, lower-middle-class part of dublin. youngest child , son of george carr shaw (1814–1885) , lucinda elizabeth (bessie) shaw (née gurly; 1830–1913). elder siblings lucinda (lucy) frances (1853–1920) , elinor agnes (1855–1876). shaw family of english descent , belonged dominant protestant ascendancy in ireland; george carr shaw, ineffectual alcoholic, among family s less successful members. relatives secured him sinecure in civil service, pensioned off in 1850s; thereafter worked irregularly corn merchant. in 1852 married bessie gurly; in view of shaw s biographer michael holroyd married escape tyrannical great-aunt. if, holroyd , others surmise, george s motives mercenary, disappointed, bessie brought him little of family s money. came despise ineffectual , drunken husband, whom shared son later described life of shabby-genteel poverty .

by time of shaw s birth, mother had become close george john lee, flamboyant figure known in dublin s musical circles. shaw retained lifelong obsession lee might have been biological father; there no consensus among shavian scholars on likelihood of this. young shaw suffered no harshness mother, later recalled indifference , lack of affection hurt him deeply. found solace in music abounded in house. lee conductor , teacher of singing; bessie had fine mezzo-soprano voice , influenced lee s unorthodox method of vocal production. shaws house filled music, frequent gatherings of singers , players.

in 1862, lee , shaws agreed share house, no. 1 hatch street, in affluent part of dublin, , country cottage on dalkey hill, overlooking killiney bay. shaw, sensitive boy, found less salubrious parts of dublin shocking , distressing, , happier @ cottage. lee s students gave him books, young shaw read avidly; thus, gaining thorough musical knowledge of choral , operatic works, became familiar wide spectrum of literature.

between 1865 , 1871, shaw attended 4 schools, of hated. experiences schoolboy left him disillusioned formal education: schools , schoolmasters , later wrote, prisons , turnkeys in children kept prevent them disturbing , chaperoning parents. in october 1871 left school become junior clerk in dublin firm of land agents, worked hard, , rose become head cashier. during period, shaw known george shaw ; after 1876, dropped george , styled himself bernard shaw .

in june 1873, lee left dublin london , never returned. fortnight later, bessie followed him; 2 girls joined her. shaw s explanation of why mother followed lee without latter s financial contribution joint household had broken up. left in dublin father, shaw compensated absence of music in house teaching himself play piano.

london

early in 1876 shaw learned mother agnes dying of tuberculosis. resigned land agents, , in march travelled england join mother , lucy @ agnes s funeral. never again lived in ireland, , did not visit twenty-nine years.

shaw in 1879

initially, shaw refused seek clerical employment in london. mother allowed him live free of charge in house in south kensington, nevertheless needed income. had abandoned teenage ambition become painter, , had no thought yet of writing living, lee found little work him, ghost-writing musical column printed under lee s name in satirical weekly, hornet. lee s relations bessie deteriorated after move london. shaw maintained contact lee, found him work rehearsal pianist , occasional singer.

eventually shaw driven applying office jobs. in interim secured reader s pass british museum reading room (the forerunner of british library) , spent weekdays there, reading , writing. first attempt @ drama, begun in 1878, blank-verse satirical piece on religious theme. abandoned unfinished, first try @ novel. first completed novel, immaturity (1879), grim appeal publishers , did not appear until 1930s. employed briefly newly formed edison telephone company in 1879–80, , in dublin achieved rapid promotion. nonetheless, when edison firm merged rival bell telephone company, shaw chose not seek place in new organisation. thereafter pursued full-time career author.

for next 4 years shaw made negligible income writing, , subsidised mother. in 1881, sake of economy, , increasingly matter of principle, became vegetarian. grew beard hide facial scar left smallpox. in rapid succession wrote 2 more novels: irrational knot (1880) , love among artists (1881), neither found publisher; each serialised few years later in socialist magazine our corner.

in 1880 shaw began attending meetings of zetetical society, objective search truth in matters affecting interests of human race . here met sidney webb, junior civil servant who, shaw, busy educating himself. despite difference of style , temperament, 2 recognised qualities in each other , developed lifelong friendship. shaw later reflected: knew didn t know , knew didn t know ... had learn 1 , brains enough .

william archer, colleague , benefactor of shaw

shaw s next attempt @ drama one-act playlet in french, un petit drame, written in 1884 not published in lifetime. in same year critic william archer suggested collaboration, plot archer , dialogue shaw. project foundered, shaw returned draft basis of widowers houses in 1892, , connection archer proved of immense value shaw s career.

political awakening: marxism, socialism, fabian society

on 5 september 1882 shaw attended meeting @ memorial hall, farringdon, addressed political economist henry george. shaw read george s book progress , poverty, awakened interest in economics. began attending meetings of social democratic federation (sdf), discovered writings of karl marx, , thereafter spent of 1883 reading das kapital. not impressed sdf s founder, h. m. hyndman, whom found autocratic, ill-tempered , lacking leadership qualities. shaw doubted ability of sdf harness working classes effective radical movement , did not join it—he preferred, said, work intellectual equals.

after reading tract, why many poor?, issued formed fabian society, shaw went society s next advertised meeting, on 16 may 1884. became member in september, , before year s end had provided society first manifesto, published fabian tract no. 2. joined society s executive committee in january 1885, , later year recruited webb , annie besant, fine orator.

shaw, fabian tract no. 2: manifesto (1884).

from 1885 1889 shaw attended fortnightly meetings of british economic association; was, holroyd observes, closest shaw had ever come university education. experience changed political ideas; moved away marxism , became apostle of gradualism. when in 1886–87 fabians debated whether embrace anarchism, advocated charlotte wilson, besant , others, shaw joined majority in rejecting approach. after rally in trafalgar square addressed besant violently broken authorities on 13 november 1887 ( bloody sunday ), shaw became convinced of folly of attempting challenge police power. thereafter largely accepted principle of permeation advocated webb: notion whereby socialism best achieved infiltration of people , ideas existing political parties.

throughout 1880s fabian society remained small, message of moderation unheard among more strident voices. profile raised in 1889 publication of fabian essays in socialism, edited shaw provided 2 of essays. second of these, transition , details case gradualism , permeation, asserting necessity cautious , gradual change must obvious . in 1890 shaw produced tract no. 13, socialism is, revision of earlier tract in charlotte wilson had defined socialism in anarchistic terms. in shaw s new version, readers assured socialism can brought in constitutional manner democratic institutions .

novelist , critic

the mid-1880s marked turning point in shaw s life, both , professionally: lost virginity, had 2 novels published, , began career critic. had been celibate until twenty-ninth birthday, when shyness overcome jane (jenny) patterson, widow years senior. affair continued, not smoothly, 8 years. shaw s sex life has caused speculation , debate among biographers, there consensus relationship patterson 1 of few non-platonic romantic liaisons.

the published novels, neither commercially successful, 2 final efforts in genre: cashel byron s profession written in 1882–83, , unsocial socialist, begun , finished in 1883. latter published serial in today magazine in 1884, although did not appear in book form until 1887. cashel byron appeared in magazine , book form in 1886.

william morris (left) , john ruskin: important influences on shaw s aesthetic views

in 1884 , 1885, through influence of archer, shaw engaged write book , music criticism london papers. when archer resigned art critic of world in 1886 secured succession shaw. 2 figures in contemporary art world views shaw admired william morris , john ruskin, , sought follow precepts in criticisms. emphasis on morality appealed shaw, rejected idea of art art s sake, , insisted great art must didactic.

of shaw s various reviewing activities in 1880s , 1890s music critic best known. after serving deputy in 1888, became musical critic of star in february 1889, writing under pen-name corno di bassetto. in may 1890 moved world, wrote weekly column g.b.s. more 4 years. in 2016 version of grove dictionary of music , musicians, robert anderson writes, shaw s collected writings on music stand alone in mastery of english , compulsive readability. shaw ceased salaried music critic in august 1894, published occasional articles on subject throughout career, last in 1950.

from 1895 1898, shaw theatre critic saturday review, edited friend frank harris. @ world, used by-line g.b.s. campaigned against artificial conventions , hypocrisies of victorian theatre , called plays of real ideas , true characters. time had embarked in earnest on career playwright: had rashly taken case; , rather let collapse manufactured evidence .

playwright , politician: 1890s

after using plot of aborted 1884 collaboration archer complete widowers houses (it staged twice in london, in december 1892), shaw continued writing plays. @ first made slow progress; philanderer, written in 1893 not published until 1898, had wait until 1905 stage production. similarly, mrs warren s profession (1893) written 5 years before publication , 9 years before reaching stage.

shaw in 1894 @ time of arms , man

shaw s first box-office success arms , man (1894), mock-ruritanian comedy satirising conventions of love, military honour , class. press found play overlong, , accused shaw of mediocrity, sneering @ heroism , patriotism, heartless cleverness, , copying w. s. gilbert s style. public took different view, , management of theatre staged matinée performances meet demand. play ran april july, toured provinces , staged in new york. among cast of london production florence farr, whom shaw had romantic relationship between 1890 , 1894, resented jenny patterson.

the success of arms , man not replicated. candida, presented young woman making conventional romantic choice unconventional reasons, received single performance in south shields in 1895; in 1897 playlet napoleon called man of destiny had single staging @ croydon. in 1890s shaw s plays better known in print on west end stage; biggest success of decade in new york in 1897, when richard mansfield s production of historical melodrama devil s disciple earned author more £2,000 in royalties.

in january 1893, fabian delegate, shaw attended bradford conference led foundation of independent labour party. sceptical new party, , scorned likelihood switch allegiance of working class sport politics. persuaded conference adopt resolutions abolishing indirect taxation, , taxing unearned income extinction . in london, shaw produced margaret cole, in fabian history, terms grand philippic against minority liberal administration had taken power in 1892. tents, o israel excoriated government ignoring social issues , concentrating solely on irish home rule, matter shaw declared of no relevance socialism. in 1894 fabian society received substantial bequest sympathiser, henry hunt hutchinson—holroyd mentions £10,000. webb, chaired board of trustees appointed supervise legacy, proposed use of found school of economics , politics. shaw demurred; thought such venture contrary specified purpose of legacy. persuaded support proposal, , london school of economics , political science (lse) opened in summer of 1895.

by later 1890s shaw s political activities lessened concentrated on making name dramatist. in 1897 persuaded fill uncontested vacancy vestryman (parish councillor) in london s st pancras district. @ least initially, shaw took municipal responsibilities seriously; when london government reformed in 1899 , st pancras vestry became metropolitan borough of st pancras, elected newly formed borough council.

in 1898, result of overwork, shaw s health broke down. nursed charlotte payne-townshend, rich anglo-irish woman whom had met through webbs. previous year had proposed , shaw should marry. had declined, when insisted on nursing him in house in country, shaw, concerned might cause scandal, agreed marriage. ceremony took place on 1 june 1898, in register office in covent garden. bride , bridegroom both aged forty-one. in view of biographer , critic st john ervine, life entirely felicitous . there no children of marriage, believed never consummated; whether wholly @ charlotte s wish, shaw liked suggest, less credited. in weeks of marriage shaw occupied writing marxist analysis of wagner s ring cycle, published perfect wagnerite late in 1898. in 1906 shaws found country home in ayot st lawrence, hertfordshire; renamed house shaw s corner , , lived there rest of lives. retained london flat in adelphi , later @ whitehall court.

stage success: 1900–1914

gertrude elliott , johnston forbes-robertson in caesar , cleopatra, new york, 1906

during first decade of twentieth century, shaw secured firm reputation playwright. in 1904 j. e. vedrenne , harley granville-barker established company @ royal court theatre in sloane square, chelsea present modern drama. on next 5 years staged fourteen of shaw s plays. first, john bull s other island, comedy englishman in ireland, attracted leading politicians , seen edward vii, laughed broke chair. play withheld dublin s abbey theatre, fear of affront might provoke, although shown @ city s royal theatre in november 1907. shaw later wrote william butler yeats, had requested play, got rather more bargained for ... uncongenial whole spirit of neo-gaelic movement, bent on creating new ireland after own ideal, whereas play uncompromising presentment of real old ireland. nonetheless, shaw , yeats close friends; yeats , lady gregory tried unsuccessfully persuade shaw take vacant co-directorship of abbey theatre after j. m. synge s death in 1909. shaw admired other figures in irish literary revival, including george russell , james joyce, , close friend of seán o casey, inspired become playwright after reading john bull s other island.

man , superman, completed in 1902, success both @ royal court in 1905 , in robert loraine s new york production in same year. among other shaw works presented vedrenne , granville-barker major barbara (1905), depicting contrasting morality of arms manufacturers , salvation army; doctor s dilemma (1906), serious piece professional ethics; , caesar , cleopatra, shaw s counterblast shakespeare s antony , cleopatra, seen in new york in 1906 , in london following year.

now prosperous , established, shaw experimented unorthodox theatrical forms described biographer stanley weintraub discussion drama , serious farce . these plays included getting married (premiered 1908), shewing-up of blanco posnet (1909), misalliance (1910), , fanny s first play (1911). blanco posnet banned on religious grounds lord chamberlain (the official theatre censor in england), , produced instead in dublin; filled abbey theatre capacity. fanny s first play, comedy suffragettes, had longest initial run of shaw play—622 performances.

androcles , lion (1912), less heretical study of true , false religious attitudes blanco posnet, ran 8 weeks in september , october 1913. followed 1 of shaw s successful plays, pygmalion, written in 1912 , staged in vienna following year, , in berlin shortly afterwards. shaw commented, custom of english press when play of mine produced, inform world not play—that dull, blasphemous, unpopular, , financially unsuccessful. ... hence arose urgent demand on part of managers of vienna , berlin should have plays performed them first. british production opened in april 1914, starring sir herbert tree , mrs patrick campbell as, respectively, professor of phonetics , cockney flower-girl. there had earlier been romantic liaison between shaw , campbell caused charlotte shaw considerable concern, time of london premiere had ended. play attracted capacity audiences until july, when tree insisted on going on holiday, , production closed. co-star toured piece in us.

fabian years: 1900–1913

shaw in 1914 aged 57

in 1899, when boer war began, shaw wished fabians take neutral stance on deemed, home rule, non-socialist issue. others, including future labour prime minister ramsay macdonald, wanted unequivocal opposition, , resigned society when followed shaw. in fabians war manifesto, fabianism , empire (1900), shaw declared until federation of world becomes accomplished fact must accept responsible imperial federations available substitute .

as new century began, shaw became increasingly disillusioned limited impact of fabians on national politics. thus, although nominated fabian delegate, did not attend london conference @ memorial hall, farringdon street in february 1900, created labour representation committee—precursor of modern labour party. 1903, when term borough councillor expired, had lost earlier enthusiasm, writing: after 6 years of borough councilling convinced borough councils should abolished . nevertheless, in 1904 stood in london county council elections. after eccentric campaign, holroyd characterises [making] absolutely of not getting in , duly defeated. shaw s final foray electoral politics. nationally, 1906 general election produced huge liberal majority , intake of 29 labour members. shaw viewed outcome scepticism; had low opinion of new prime minister, sir henry campbell-bannerman, , saw labour members inconsequential: apologise universe connection such body .

in years after 1906 election, shaw felt fabians needed fresh leadership, , saw in form of fellow-writer h. g. wells, had joined society in february 1903. wells s ideas reform—particularly proposals closer cooperation independent labour party—placed him @ odds society s old gang , led shaw. according cole, wells had minimal capacity putting [his ideas] across in public meetings against shaw s trained , practised virtuosity . in shaw s view, old gang did not extinguish mr wells, annihilated himself . wells resigned society in september 1908; shaw remained member, left executive in april 1911. later wondered whether old gang should have given way wells years earlier: god knows whether society had not better have done . although less active—he blamed advancing years—shaw remained fabian.

in 1912 shaw invested £1,000 one-fifth share in webbs new publishing venture, socialist weekly magazine called new statesman, appeared in april 1913. became founding director, publicist, , in due course contributor, anonymously. @ odds magazine s editor, clifford sharp, 1916 rejecting contributions— paper in world refuses print me , according shaw.

first world war


shaw: common sense war (1914).

after first world war began in august 1914, shaw produced tract common sense war, argued warring nations equally culpable. such view anathema in atmosphere of fervent patriotism, , offended many of shaw s friends; ervine records [h]is appearance @ public function caused instant departure of many of present.

despite errant reputation, shaw s propagandist skills recognised british authorities, , in 1917 invited field marshal haig visit western front battlefields. shaw s 10,000-word report, emphasised human aspects of soldier s life, received, , became less of lone voice. in april 1917 joined national consensus in welcoming america s entry war: first class moral asset common cause against junkerism .

three short plays shaw premiered during war. inca of perusalem, written in 1915, encountered problems censor burlesquing not enemy british military command; performed in 1916 @ birmingham repertory theatre. o flaherty v.c., satirising government s attitude irish recruits, banned in uk , presented @ royal flying corps base in belgium in 1917. augustus bit, genial farce, granted licence; opened @ royal court in january 1917.

ireland

dublin city centre in ruins after easter rising, april 1916

shaw had long supported principle of irish home rule within british empire (which thought should become british commonwealth). in april 1916 wrote scathingly in new york times militant irish nationalism: in point of learning nothing , forgetting nothing these fellow-patriots of mine leave bourbons nowhere. total independence, asserted, impractical; alliance bigger power (preferably england) essential. dublin easter rising later month took him surprise. after suppression british forces, expressed horror @ summary execution of rebel leaders, continued believe in form of anglo-irish union. in how settle irish question (1917), envisaged federal arrangement, national , imperial parliaments. holroyd records time separatist party sinn féin in ascendency, , shaw s , other moderate schemes forgotten.

in postwar period, shaw despaired of british government s coercive policies towards ireland, , joined fellow-writers hilaire belloc , g. k. chesterton in publicly condemning these actions. anglo-irish treaty of december 1921 led partition of ireland between north , south, provision dismayed shaw. in 1922 civil war broke out in south between pro-treaty , anti-treaty factions, former of whom had established irish free state. shaw visited dublin in august, , met michael collins, head of free state s provisional government. shaw impressed collins, , saddened when, 3 days later, irish leader ambushed , killed anti-treaty forces. in letter collins s sister, shaw wrote: met michael first , last time on saturday last, , glad did. rejoice in memory, , not disloyal snivel on valiant death . shaw remained british subject life, took dual british-irish nationality in 1934.

1920s

the rotating hut in garden of shaw s corner, ayot st lawrence, shaw wrote of works after 1906

shaw s first major work appear after war heartbreak house, written in 1916–17 , performed in 1920. produced on broadway in november, , coolly received; according times: mr shaw on occasion has more usual , takes twice long usual . after london premiere in october 1921 times concurred american critics: usual mr shaw, play hour long , although containing entertainment , profitable reflection . ervine in observer thought play brilliant ponderously acted, except edith evans lady utterword.

shaw s largest-scale theatrical work methuselah, written in 1918–20 , staged in 1922. weintraub describes shaw s attempt fend off bottomless pit of utterly discouraging pessimism . cycle of 5 interrelated plays depicts evolution, , effects of longevity, garden of eden year 31,920 ad. critics found 5 plays strikingly uneven in quality , invention. original run brief, , work has been revived infrequently. shaw felt had exhausted remaining creative powers in huge span of metabiological pentateuch . sixty-seven, , expected write no more plays.

this mood short-lived. in 1920 joan of arc proclaimed saint pope benedict xv; shaw had long found joan interesting historical character, , view of veered between half-witted genius , of exceptional sanity . had considered writing play in 1913, , canonisation prompted him return subject. wrote saint joan in middle months of 1923, , play premiered on broadway in december. enthusiastically received there, , @ london premiere following march. in weintraub s phrase, nobel prize committee no longer ignore shaw after saint joan . citation literature prize 1925 praised work ... marked both idealism , humanity, stimulating satire being infused singular poetic beauty . accepted award, rejected monetary prize went it, on grounds readers , audiences provide me more sufficient money needs .

after saint joan, 5 years before shaw wrote play. 1924, spent 4 years writing described magnum opus , political treatise entitled intelligent woman s guide socialism , capitalism. book published in 1928 , sold well. @ end of decade shaw produced final fabian tract, commentary on league of nations. described league school new international statesmanship against old foreign office diplomacy , thought had not yet become federation of world .

shaw returned theatre called political extravaganza , apple cart, written in late 1928. was, in ervine s view, unexpectedly popular, taking conservative, monarchist, anti-democratic line appealed contemporary audiences. premiere in warsaw in june 1928, , first british production 2 months later, @ sir barry jackson s inaugural malvern festival. other eminent creative artist closely associated festival sir edward elgar, whom shaw enjoyed deep friendship , mutual regard. described apple cart elgar scandalous aristophanic burlesque of democratic politics, brief shocking sex interlude .

during 1920s shaw began lose faith in idea society changed through fabian gradualism, , became increasingly fascinated dictatorial methods. in 1922 had welcomed mussolini s accession power in italy, observing amid indiscipline , muddle , parliamentary deadlock , mussolini right kind of tyrant . shaw prepared tolerate dictatorial excesses; weintraub in odnb biographical sketch comments shaw s flirtation authoritarian inter-war regimes took long time fade, , beatrice webb thought obsessed mussolini.

1930s


letter manchester guardian, 2 march 1933, signed shaw , 20 others.

shaw s enthusiasm soviet union dated 1920s when had hailed lenin 1 interesting statesman in europe . having turned down several chances visit, in 1931 joined party led nancy astor. managed trip culminated in lengthy meeting stalin, whom shaw later described georgian gentleman no malice in him. @ dinner given in honour, shaw told gathering: have seen terrors , terribly pleased them . in march 1933 shaw co-signatory letter in manchester guardian protesting @ continuing misrepresentation of soviet achievements: no lie fantastic, no slander stale ... employment more reckless elements of british press.

shaw s admiration mussolini , stalin demonstrated growing belief dictatorship viable political arrangement. when nazi party came power in germany in january 1933, shaw described hitler remarkable man, able man , , professed himself proud writer in england scrupulously polite , hitler . principal admiration stalin, regime championed uncritically throughout decade. shaw saw 1939 molotov–ribbentrop pact triumph stalin who, said, had hitler under thumb.

shaw s first play of decade true good, written in 1931 , premiered in boston in february 1932. reception unenthusiastic. brooks atkinson of new york times commenting shaw had yielded impulse write without having subject , judged play rambling , indifferently tedious conversation . correspondent of new york herald tribune said of play discourse, unbelievably long lectures , although audience enjoyed play bewildered it.

during decade shaw travelled , frequently. of journeys charlotte; enjoyed voyages on ocean liners, , found peace write during long spells @ sea. shaw met enthusiastic welcome in south africa in 1932, despite strong remarks racial divisions of country. in december 1932 couple embarked on round-the-world cruise. in march 1933 arrived @ san francisco, begin shaw s first visit us. had earlier refused go awful country, uncivilized place , unfit govern itself ... illiberal, superstitious, crude, violent, anarchic , arbitrary . visited hollywood, unimpressed, , new york, lectured capacity audience in metropolitan opera house. harried intrusive attentions of press, shaw glad when ship sailed new york harbour. new zealand, , charlotte visited following year, struck him best country ve been in ; urged people more confident , loosen dependence on trade britain. used weeks @ sea complete 2 plays—the simpleton of unexpected isles , 6 of calais—and begin work on third, millionairess.

despite contempt hollywood , aesthetic values, shaw enthusiastic cinema, , in middle of decade wrote screenplays prospective film versions of pygmalion , saint joan. latter never made, shaw entrusted rights former unknown gabriel pascal, produced @ pinewood studios in 1938 wendy hiller. shaw determined hollywood should have nothing film, powerless prevent winning 1 academy award ( oscar ); described award best-written screenplay insult, coming such source. became first person have been awarded both nobel prize , oscar. in 1993 study of oscars, anthony holden observes pygmalion spoken of having lifted movie-making illiteracy literacy .

shaw s final plays of 1930s cymbeline refinished (1936), geneva (1936) , in king charles s golden days (1939). first, fantasy reworking of shakespeare, made little impression, second, satire on european dictators, attracted more notice, of unfavourable. in particular, shaw s parody of hitler herr battler considered mild, sympathetic. third play, historical conversation piece first seen @ malvern, ran briefly in london in may 1940. james agate commented play contained nothing conservative audiences take exception, , though long , lacking in dramatic action witless , idle theatregoers object. after first runs none of 3 plays seen again in west end during shaw s lifetime.

towards end of decade, both shaws began suffer ill health. charlotte increasingly incapacitated paget s disease of bone, , developed pernicious anaemia. treatment, involving injections of concentrated animal liver, successful, breach of vegetarian creed distressed him , brought down condemnation militant vegetarians.

second world war , final years

although shaw s works since apple cart had been received without great enthusiasm, earlier plays revived in west end throughout second world war, starring such actors edith evans, john gielgud, wendy hiller, deborah kerr , robert donat. in 1944 9 shaw plays staged in london, including arms , man ralph richardson, laurence olivier, sybil thorndike , margaret leighton in leading roles. 2 touring companies took plays round britain. revival in popularity did not tempt shaw write new play, , concentrated on prolific journalism. second shaw film produced pascal, major barbara (1941), less successful both artistically , commercially pygmalion, partly because of pascal s insistence on directing, unsuited.

st john ervine on shaw, 1959

following outbreak of war on 3 september 1939 , rapid conquest of poland, shaw accused of defeatism when, in new statesman article, declared war on , demanded peace conference. nevertheless, when became convinced negotiated peace impossible, publicly urged neutral united states join fight. london blitz of 1940–41 led shaws, both in mid-eighties, live full-time @ ayot st lawrence. there not immune enemy air raids, , stayed on occasion nancy astor @ country house, cliveden. in 1943, worst of london bombing over, shaws moved whitehall court, medical charlotte more arranged. condition deteriorated, , died in september.

shaw s final political treatise, s political s what, published in 1944. holroyd describes rambling narrative ... repeats ideas had given better elsewhere , repeats . book sold well—85,000 copies end of year. after hitler s suicide in may 1945, shaw approved of formal condolences offered irish taoiseach, Éamon de valera, @ german embassy in dublin. shaw disapproved of postwar trials of defeated german leaders, act of self-righteousness: potential criminals .

pascal given third opportunity film shaw s work caesar , cleopatra (1945). cost 3 times original budget , rated biggest financial failure in history of british cinema . film poorly received british critics, although american reviews friendlier. shaw thought lavishness nullified drama, , considered film poor imitation of cecil b. de mille .

garden of shaw s corner

in 1946, year of shaw s ninetieth birthday, accepted freedom of dublin , became first honorary freeman of borough of st pancras, london. in same year government asked shaw informally whether accept order of merit. declined, believing author s merit determined posthumous verdict of history. 1946 saw publication, crime of imprisonment, of preface shaw had written 20 years study of prison conditions. praised; reviewer in american journal of public health considered essential reading student of american criminal justice system.

shaw continued write nineties. last plays buoyant billions (1947), final full-length work; farfetched fables (1948) set of 6 short plays revisiting several of earlier themes such evolution; comic play puppets, shakes versus shav (1949), ten-minute piece in shakespeare , shaw trade insults; , why not (1950), shaw described little comedy , written in 1 week shortly before ninety-fourth birthday.

during later years, shaw enjoyed tending gardens @ shaw s corner. died @ age of ninety-four of renal failure precipitated injuries incurred when falling while pruning tree. cremated @ golders green crematorium on 6 november 1950. ashes, mixed of charlotte, scattered along footpaths , around statue of saint joan in garden.

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