Candida, a comedy by playwright George Bernard Shaw, was written in 1894 and first published in 1898, as part of his Plays Pleasant. The play’s title is named after the central female character of a middle-aged housewife. The naming indicates Candida’s singular importance in the play and since Shaw, in aContinue Reading
Shaw’s ‘problem play’, Candida, deals with ‘The Woman Question’ in so far as it is a play about the issue of freedom of a domestic woman who is at the centre of the dramatic discourse. Candida is a very beautiful and seductive woman. She can charm men and usually gets what sheContinue Reading
George Bernard Shaw (1856–1950) was an Irish playwright, critic, and polemicist known for his wit, sharp social commentary, and significant contributions to modern drama. Born in Dublin, Shaw moved to London in 1876, where he initially struggled as a writer. He gained recognition through his critical essays, particularly in music,Continue Reading
Power and suffering constitutes the leading theme of Marlowe’s play Edward II. The assertion and the exercise of power and authority are a recurrent theme in this play. Suffering – sometimes delayed – results directly from the exercise of power and authority. The subject of this play is the reignContinue Reading
In comparison to Doctor Faustus, Tamburlaine, or Barabas the Jew, Edward II is not a typical Marlovian hero. He is not portrayed as one with so much outer glory, intelligence, villainy, or ambition as has been bestowed to the other three. It might even be argued that, compared to theContinue Reading
The “Murder Scene” [V.v] of King Edward is the horrible climax of the “Deposition Scene” [V.i]. Here we find the king facing indescribable ignominy and humiliation. According to Charles Lamb, “The death scene of Marlowe’s king moves pity and terror beyond any scene, ancient or modern…” The king is shownContinue Reading
The play Edward II reaches its emotional climax in scene I, Act V where the king’s image as an irresponsible and weak person undergoes a total transformation, and he emerges as a tragic figure in his understanding of the worthlessness of a king stripped of power. The scene well representsContinue Reading
Christopher Marlowe (1564–1593) was a seminal figure in Elizabethan drama and a contemporary of William Shakespeare. Born in Canterbury and educated at Cambridge, Marlowe was not only a playwright and poet but also a scholar with rumored ties to espionage. His short but impactful career significantly influenced the development ofContinue Reading
Ben Jonson (1572–1637) was a towering figure of English Renaissance literature, known for his sharp wit, classical learning, and mastery of both drama and poetry. A contemporary and friendly rival of William Shakespeare, Jonson helped shape the early modern English stage and was a dominant literary voice during the JacobeanContinue Reading
Overrun by gullible souls piously intent on social elevation, Ben Jonson’s The Alchemist is a comedic exposé in which the fabric of society is inextricably linked to the status-quo and its ravenous desire for wealth and power. Through the characters in the play, Jonson presents an allusive manifestation of ElizabethanContinue Reading
