George Bernard Shaw

Born:

26 July 1856, Dublin, Ireland

Died:

2 November 1950, Ayot St Lawrence, Hertfordshire, England

Nationality:

Irish

Profession(s):

Playwright, Critic, Polemicist, Political Activist

Early Life and Education

• Born into a Protestant family in Dublin.
• Received irregular schooling.
• Largely self-educated, spending considerable time in the National Gallery of Ireland and the British Museum Reading Room.

Career and Major Achievements

• Moved to London in 1876 and initially struggled financially, writing novels that were rejected.
• Became a music and theatre critic.
• Co-founded the Fabian Society, advocating gradual socialist reform.
• Began writing plays in the 1890s, establishing himself as a major playwright.
• Awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1925.
• Refused the personal monetary award but accepted the honor on behalf of his country.
• Won an Academy Award for his screenplay adaptation of Pygmalion (1938).

Notable Works

• Major plays include:
  • Man and Superman (1903)
  • Pygmalion (1913)
  • Saint Joan (1923)
  • Arms and the Man (1894)
  • Mrs Warren's Profession (1893)
• Wrote numerous essays and prefaces on social and political issues.

Film Adaptations (Selection)

Legacy and Impact

George Bernard Shaw was a prolific and influential playwright whose works continue to be performed and studied worldwide. His plays often tackled social and political issues with wit and intelligence. As some examples in the gerald bernard shaw biography examples show, his influence extends beyond theatre, with his works inspiring numerous film adaptations. His contributions to socialist thought and his impact on 20th-century drama are undeniable.

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