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CHAPTER II

GEORGE BERNARD SHAW AS DRAMATIST AND DIRECTOR
Bernard Shaw not only wrote drama woks but he also took active part in putting his works on stage. Therefore, he was honored for Oscar award in film adaptation thanks to “Pygmalion”. Eric Bentley as one of the well-known researchers of Bernard Shaw creativity called Bernard Shaw as “Irish Stanislavskiy” who was famous Russian dramatist. However, he was obviously aware of the contributions having done to help European theatre to be brightened by Bernard Shaw and Stanislavskiy are not comparable. As a prominent satire master, Bernard Shaw will remain a genius dramatist, publicist, sociologist, and philosopher. Shaw’s experience and activities as a director in his creativity will take its part in the second rate. In contrast, it is essential to point out here that the comparison between Bernard Shaw and Stanislavskiy had been observed long before in the discussions among actors and critics which had been dedicated to improve 20^th century European theatre (60, 134).
In those comparisons, Stanislavskiy was in fact quite quilty. In time, Stanislavskiy’s fame and popularity were getting more noticeable. Stanislavskiy’s first plays, his methodology with actors, and his works about steps of directorship profession were the resons of calling him as an etholon in the struggle for “Intellectual Theatre”. Almost all magnificient stage film makers were compared to Stanislavskiy by critics in order to comprehend and demonstrate the similar and different sides of their works. There were some particular reasons why Bentley called Bernard Shaw as “ Irish Stanislavskiy”. Shaw said: “ I state that faked up lives, laws, morality, science, world, war, love, good things, and mistakes that’s to say especially all faked things on stage and out of stage are also disgustingly up to my chin ”(60, 135). These thoughts could
also be attributed to Stanislavskiy. Addition to Shaw’s words which are written above, it is possible to state Stanislavskiy’s confession here. He said: “ I began to hate theatre in the theatre and I am not looking for regular life, in contrast, I am looking for vivid, real, and literary life.
Between two centuries, having a severe rejection to distortion and falsification of the real essence of the events and processes in social life and world stage strongly connected them. Both of them had an irressitable demand for having modern literary realities which European Theatre certainly needed.
Shaw and Stanislavskiy both had their own specific notions to modern theatre. On the contrary, there were not any film directing creativity relations between them. Neiher did Stanislavskiy put Shaw’s plays on stage as a director, nor he took a role in his plays as an actor. In addition to this, there were not any letters found adressed to Stanislavskiy among large number of letters which were sent to others who were the most recognizable and magnificient playwrights and professionals in his time. Meanwhile, Stanislavskiy was not the person who first worked on Shaw’s drama approaches, but it was Meyerhold, who was the first great dramatist applying Shaw’s dramas, being one of the wittiest playwrights and dramatists of European social life and Shaw spent an essential labor for the playwrights and dramatists to percieve the individual and social problems of society in the late 19^th century and the first quarter of 20^th century.
Shaw’s and Stanislavskiy’s approaches to theatrical system were similar. Both had aims to express and reflects in their works how to perceive the complicated social life and main trends in community’s morality and moral life. Moreover, they were both looking for modern theatrical forms which were able to keep up with modern life.
One of the vitally important goals of them was to improve theatre by using the innovations in other branches of literature and art in order to get theatre able to reflect complicated processes of modern time. They strived for
putting theatre in the same level as literature by increasing the value and importance of theatre.
Other similar sides of Shaw and Stanislavskiy was based on trustworthiness to actor who tries to indicate the complicated and various kind of relations of individuals in front of audience. Shaw’s first film directing work was “Arms and the Man” in 1984. In Louis Kesson’s opinion, who was an actor and a director, continuously worked with Shaw, Shaw attended all of his own plays which were put on stage in London theatres from 1902 to 1920.
Shaw always thought that in a good play, director was the most desirable person as an author and the most undesirable person was actor (60, 141-142).
Shakespeare was obviously the dramatist who was taken interest by English actors and film directors in the second half of 19^th century. Towards the end of 19^th, this condition turned out to be competition. Film directors competed to each other on staging the plays of Shakespeare most. However, it was well enough perceived that Shakespeare’s plays were not good enough to comprehend the complicity of historical conflicts and social relations of modern time more profoundly .
The first play performed by Shaw was “Widowers Houses”. This play was performed at “Independent Theatre” by Mr. Grein who was founder and director of this theater. Shaw hesitated to give his third play which was written for “Independent Theatre” because it was very difficult to find an actor who could able to perform as leading actor (protoganist). Furthermore, to perform this play at “Independent Theatre” was censored. Meanwhile, Shaw informed Mr. Grein by writing a letter in 1983 about which actors he wanted to play in his third play. Shaw demanded Janet to perform in the role of Vivie, Mr. Harrington in the role of Crofts, and Stella Patrick Campbell in the role of Ms. Warren. After “Independet Theatre” had been closed, from 1899 to 1939 “Stage Community theatre” began to acquaint audience with unique drama plays in an active way. Among the playwrights whose plays were put on stage at “Stage
Community Theatre” were glorious playwrights as Ibsen, Chekhov, Strindberg, Tolstoy, Moem, Grenvill-Barker, and Shaw.
In the early 1990s of 19^th century, two different trends apparently emerged by being put on stage. On one side, there were experts and followers of Sheakspeare and on the other side, followers of Henrick Ibsen who supported drama giving importance only ideas, not considering the luxury of theatre and tricks of structure of theatre. The place of Sheakspeare’ followers was “Lyseum Theatre” and the house of Ibsen’s followers was “Stage Community” formerly known “ Independent Theatre”. The followers of Ibsen heritage opposed to the followers of Sheakpeare and they were struggling in order to put mostly plays of “Intellectual Drama” on stage by changing the repertuar of “Lyseum”. Hence, both groups were completely opposed to each other.
As mentioned above it is possible to observe the efforts of various kind of dramatists who wanted to be included in the process of creating “Intellectual Theatre” by their own works. Before Bernard Shaw dealt with setting of his plays, it is significant to point out that there were efforts and attempts of many dramatists who wanted their works to be performed in front of English audiences in the second half of 19^th century.
Thomas William Robertson who had been formerly an actor, was especially interested in film directing. He was considered to be a founder of school of “Natural actor play” in English theatre. During this time, other glorious representatives of English Theatre were J.Galsworty, O. Wilde, and
H.A. Jhones .
William Powell was one of the well-kown dramatists and film director who had most impression on Shaw. Poll mostly played irreplacable role in later development of English theatre. He was good at finding better talented actors and was successul in attracting capable actors to his own plays. Lilly McCarty who had played in the role of Machbet and Grenvill Barker who had played in
the role of King Edward had significant achievements under the guidance of William Powell.
It is important to point out here that in the early 1990s of 19^th century, activities in English theatre carried out by William Powell were almost same as Bernard Shaw approaches. Works of Powell began right after he had created “Elizabethan Theatre Community” in 1984. He began to get some palys performed in different parts of country by getting some followers of Sheakspeare together. He was struggling for Sheakspeare’s poetic word art. Nonetheless, he had also valuable deeds in devlopment of “Intellectual Drama” which he didnt have any connections. A considerable interest in word art, its clear and musically-expressed pronunciation, his search for finding modern ways of interaction between audience and actors and search for modern theatrical forms of him had a significant impression on forming of “ ideas theatre” by the end of 19^th century.
In the early 20^th century other classical dramatis was obviously Euripides who could compete with Sheakspeare in the stage of European Theatre. His drama works had a unique place at repertuar of “ Royal Court Theatre” which had an important role and was famous during this time. As a result, his drama didnt only have important role at “ Royal Court theatre”, though, his drama works also had considerable importance in conpetition with Sheakspear’s works. Harley Granville-Barker put on stage Euripides’ works at “ Royal Court Theatre” such as “Hippolitus” and “Electra”, “Medea” at “Savoy Thatre”, and “Iphigenia in Tauris” at “Kingsway Theatre”.
Eventhough “ Royal Court Theatre” had a gorgeous Repartuar, theatrical works there especialy depended on only one dramatist’s works. This dramatist was Bernard Shaw. “Royal Court Theatre” mostly consisted of his plays. Therefore, this theatre was completely called as Shaw’s repartuar theatre. “ Royal Court theatre” which was one of the most important theatre during this
time had played an important role in forming of Shaws esthetical theatre, stage history of his dramas, and especially his creativeness.
It is clear that in the 90s of 19^th century many famous actors were not keen on getting role in Shaw’s plays without taking into consideration of daramatist reguests and offers. Eventually, early years of 20^th century was the beginning of successful years for coming out of “Intellectual drama”. Hence, actors looked foward to being invited for taking role in Shaw’s plays. As usual in many circumstances England was late for appericiating its best and most modern dramatists’s creativity perfectly. It was not a coincidence that German Theatre was first interested in his plays, and wanted to put his plays on stage. In the mean time his works having been put on stage became famous in America, on the other side of ocean. Even in this situation the most well-known England theatres continuosly insisted on not putting his plays on stage because they hesitated to get risk. In contrast, in such critical time, the founder of “ Royal Court Theatre” Qranvill-Barker invited Shaw to work together and initiated a considerable creativity collaboration which had tremendous importance. Thus, Shaw’s efficient and productive life began at “Royal Court theatre”. Only eleven of Shaw’s plays were put on stage between 1904 and 1907 at “ Royal Court Theatre”: “Candida”, “John Bull’s Other Island”, “Major Barbara”, “Pygmalion”, “Man and Superman”, “Captain Brassbound’s Conversion” etc. During this time 701 plays out of 988 plays being put on stage at “ Royal Court Theatre” were Shaw’s plays.
Shaw excessively proved himself as dramatic playwright during three years in the busiest time of “ Royal Court theatre” in creativity work. It was the fact that Shaw and Barker collaboratively put creativity guidance of “Royal Court theatre” in reality.
English Dramatist Shaw completely believed in actors’ miraculous role at theatre. Shaw directed his all attention to division of roles and actor’s role. Decorations, dresses, and light effects at theatre came in the second plan for
Shaw. Shaw who was the playwright of “Intellectual Drama” more fiercely and continuously stood up against the decorations, views, and much light effects at stage than William Powell.
According to his ideas, director’s profession creativity who put on stage the classical and modern plays must be sensitive, concrete, and has one meaning. He says that: “he is not a good director who puts on stage all his plays in the same style whereas he could be a well-known master in definite literary genre” (60, 180). As a dramatist and director, Shaw completely knew that his works didnt need any natural details and setting effects.
Shaw’s theatrical esthetic for creativity of theater was forming within modern literal directions and hard struggle. As a dramatist Shaw’s thoughts about stage directing were quietly differentiated from experience of European stage directing professsion which contained broadeness and varieties. In respect to his contemporaries, idea-esthetic problems which former representatives of theatre were in trouble and fairly complicated problems encountered by people in social and historical life interested him very much. In addition to this, he had his own approaches and attitudes how to implement these things.
Ideal building stage of theater in the future became animated in Shaw’s dreams who took responsibility of implementing the setting of his own plays into real life. Firstly, building of this theatre would not resemble the buildings which were boring, tiresome, heritably passing from 19^th to 20^th centuries, and not having any convenience. Secondly, at the same time the acoustic and optic condition had to remind the auditorium with high standards and a circus stage. Moreover, Shaw was also thinking of the elementary comfort of audiences coming to the theatre for spending their several hours there. The most important thing for Shaw was that the speactators coming to theatre would not stay there as observers. Shaw wanted them to become active participants by energetically joining intensive dispute and discussions. It would be more useful to join the discussions about philosophical, religious, and socio-political problems rather
than to have passive position by staying there as observer. Generally, in comparison to other directors in 19^th century it was an innovation to have an approach to spectator-actor relations from such an aspect that shaw was one of one of the first director who brought it to theatre.
On the threshold of 19th and 20th centuries creative experience of Bernard Shaw addressing to directing profession stood against searces for directors in Europe. The reaon of this was not only that his plays did not need any naturalist details, but also the other reason was that extremely using infancies in description of the environment containing personages could diminish the power of influence to the audiences.
According to Shaw’s imagination by affecting human being the environment was not only totality of natural and social condition subordinating him, identifying his fortune and charactersitics, but also objevtive social reality of the bourgeois society depending on human mind in the end of 19^th and the beginning of 29^th centuries. Shaw’s ideal-philosophical conception was opening extraordinary perspectives for creative development in front of the hero by hightening him over the environment. According to Shaw’s conception only a person who realised the environment and himself could have control over nature and social realities. While realising the life, human being also learns it and want to change it. Just from this point Shaw’s 90s plays in the comparison to Zola’s novels and Hauptman’s early plays, pointed out the beginning of a new period in the development of the European literature and drama.
The topics which related to historical dramas were fairly complicated. For Shaw, it does not make any sense to make audience feel the real atmosphere of time which was described, try them to believe the reality of time, and fascinate them with dream of past life. Additioanlly, he did not believe historical improvement thus he emphasized on nothing was apparantly changed in the life during centuries. Shaw, he constantly reiterated that nothing ineretsts him beside modern life. From this aspect, his words which are mentioned below provokes
an interest: “I write about all periods, but I never try to study a period except the modern period which I have not had yet and I’ll never have at all” (60, 187). To take all things into consideration which I have mentioned above, it does not matter wheter he wites about historical times or modern times, he considers circumstances and processes only in modern time.
In the second half of 19^th century, Shaw bravely and sharply stood against European theatre playwrights beccause of frequent realistic details in description of neighborhood and he was also completely disinterested in description and setting of most stages which had supeiority in creativity of majority of directors. On the threshold of the 19^th and 20^th centuries’ requirement of tenderly (from the emotional, psychological, and social aspect) preparation of mass episodes was more desicively entering the conception of environment in the experiences of the European theatre directors. Shaw gave less importance to mass scenes during the period when “Psychological Theatre” gave great importance to mass scenes and their emotional, psychological, and social aspects, and also when the European Theatre had rich traditions on putting mass stages. For example, during making the recording of the play “Pygmalion” Shaw said that just one taxi was enough, whearas the director of the play and the actor, who often interfered the work of Shaw, Birbom Tre, in the first scene, insistently advised him demonstration of many taxis in the street next to “Covent Garden
theatre” (60, 195).
The main vein of the drama works of Shaw’s “Intellectual Theatre” is inclination and desire to be apart from their mass episodes. In Shaw’s “Intellectual Theatre” destinies of people are not described, but discused. However, in its early age Bernard Shaw’s intellectual satiric theatre differed from the epic view to the real life, in the next periods Shaw gave so less importance to it by standing away from describing the mass scenes.
Shaw’s directing methodology differs from other English playwrights for its two main features. The first is that dramatist-director who stepped newly into
the world of theatre should not deny matching the actors to his innovative drama works, heightening the all participants of the performance to the level of touched ideas, and providing them to conceive the social and political objective laws of the modern world as well as he can. Secondly, he comprehensively tried to help the actors participating in his plays to develop their free creative skills, to provide them to be far from non-professionalism, and to free them from the traditional patterns.
There are some both similar and different sides between Shaw and famous Russian playwright, Chekhov. The most important similar side between their creativities is that, in both dramatists’ works, there is no division of characters into negative or positive heroes (antagonists and protagonists) as being in some European playwrights’ creativities. On hero problem, the main difference of Shaw’s plays from Chekhov’s plays was that in Shaw’s plays the supremacy of the main character was more extremely felt than Chekhov’s heroes’. Even heroes of the plays, “Uncle Vanya”, so-called as one of his heroes-“Ivanoff” of Chekhov lagged behind from the heroes of Shaw. As a master of English satire, irony, and paradox Shaw tried to raise his heroes to the tops by detaching them from other participants of the play in order to better perceive their behaving motives and thinking styles. We may relate this case mainly to Caesar in “Caesar and Cleopatra”, Joan in “Saint Joan” that he wrote in historical theme. But as in his historical plays, the heroes in the plays he wrote on modern topics have an inclination against leadership and domination that belongingness of the most part of the play to them might be easily understood.
Shaw tried to take mostly Henrick Ibsen as example. Like Ibsen he also muddled himself with the heroes of plays. The heroes in plays were like speakers explaining his thoughts. By doing so he provided individuals in society to understand their situations they fell in and put educating the society as a main purpose in front of him.
As a director, Shaw’s another specific characteristic is that he started work to hire actors just for one play and spectacle. In former times, actors used to be taken lease for one season or a year, but in Shaw’s period, actors began to be used for only one spectacle. The good performing actor determined the direction of the play. Plays were formerly performed in church gardens and market (bazaar) squares. Playgoers usually watched these plays by standing. However, this conception changed together with Shaw. Plays were not already performed in closed places. Audiences were given tickets and chairs to sit down.
Shaw wrote his plays generally not for the theatre, but for the theatre of his period. And the most importantly, he wrote these plays by taking certain actors into consideration. Such cases also happened that the conception of the personages was created while observing some other actors. Shaw, being a professional dramatist, distinctly knew that how they would be embodied in the stage.
Shaw’s theatrical reviews are proof of how beautifully he knew theatre and profession of acting. Shaw was supporter of stage performing to be natural. Shaw who was a realist, demanded that life realities must be described at the stage. Shaw’s heroes are human types who in general are sick and tired of negative sides of capitalism and who are in search for freedom or envious capitalism.
Though at the end of 90s of the 19^th century, in England the profession of actor reached a high level, Bernard Shaw denied the modern English actor- theatre, he was against the bases, forms and norms, and essentially the interactive relations between actor and the playwright and thus played an important role in the next development of the European theatre.
Bernard Shaw creativity played the greatest role in the formation of the principles of the European “New dram” (Intellectual Drama) which is showing itself in the literary creativities of Henrik Ibsen, Chekhov, Gorky, Rolland, Hauptmann, and Maeterlinck on the threshold of the 19^th and 20^th centuries.
While talking about the main aspects and characteristic features of Shaw’s creativity, first of all, his approaching to issues from an unusual aspect and ability to pass through the deepest essence of problems could be noted here. Shaw was able to see what others had not been able to see before him. His plays arouse thoughts of man, educate being impatient against evil forces, and teach thinking free. Bernard Shaw was a realist master. People who were described in his creativity, their thoughts, feelings, and relationships among themselves-all these were taken from the real life surrounding the writer. As being a sign of protest against critics Shaw showed great interest in giving a detailed description of the characters in his plays, as if they lively existed in reality. In his theatrical reviews and articles he sharply acted against lie of all kinds, falsification, hypocrisy, bribery and generally faults and defficiencies being in society. Shaw felt himself responsible for the corruptions and bad situations inside society and tried to escape from this responsibility by guiding society with his works. He used to make the audience cry and think while making them laugh. Shaw would confuse spectators at the beginnig of play, and continue and finish the events in a way that the spectators could never guess the end of play.
While writing his plays Shaw would choose words carefully. Moreover, he would sensitively select voice tone of actors when he put his plays on the stage. The first purpose to do this is more strongly affecting over the spectators. Secondly, the actors could express Shaw’s ideas and feelings due to only a certain voice tone because they bring his ideas to speak. While writing his works and plays, he is obliged to his wit for choosing words in a great style of explanation and expression . Because words he chose and style of explanation are results that he had a superior intellect like his selected topics and themes. Shaw gave place to humour together with his thoughts. This shows that how much he was gifted and clever. He expressed his thoughts about himself with these words: “I’m not just an ordinary writer. I’m master on writing against immorality and current doctrines. My ambition and fame come forward from my
effort to make my people rethink and look through their moral values. I deliberately reject the people and norms, and reflect them in my drama works according to my thoughts related to male and female sexes and public themes. I direct the people towards my thoughts. I do not provide my living with my plays. There’s no any force to put me in action except informing and enlightening the people. In this sense, my prefaces are just a transformer to deliver important elements and messages to make the community and the people to be quick-witted.” (14, 27).
Shaw, one of the outstanding representatives of “Intellectual theatre”, created a special kind of drama called “drama-discussion” that his unusual personages usually have performed as transporters of certain theses and ideological positions. Shaw directed his main attention not to clashes among personages, but to the mutual struggles of ideas and view points, to the arguments of personages involving in philosophical, political, spiritual- psychological, family problems. Shaw used satire, grotesque, and most importantly paradox in a wide range. The main aim of Shaw, who used paradoxes brightly, consisted of exposing predominant dogmas and common accepted realities. Shaw could masterly convert faults, hypocrisies, and falsifications being in the English society into an object of laugh.
Ideas, conflicts, and personages gained incredible freedom in Shaw’s creativity and took a dominant position over characteristics of genre of the works. After the curtain fell, plays did not end. They demanded from people of the modern period to carry on the arguments and real actions directed to the improvement of social condition for the existence of mankind. Drama, in a certain sense, rendered a service like a means calling to social struggle. In the frame of drama works, the creation of new functions of ideas and their interactive relations was one of the significant factors settling the originality of Bernard Shaw drama methods and the characteristic features of his theatre.
Shaw was a real reformist in the field of drama. He was the creator of new type drama in English theatre. This drama which is called “Intellectual Drama” for the main place does not include intrigue or attractive plot, but includes the intensive disputes and quick-witted verbal discussions. Shaw called his plays “play-discussion”. They attracted the audience with the deep statement of problems and their solution in an unusual form, and compelled them to think intensely over happening events and with the playwright to laugh merrily existing rules-laws, custom-traditions by disturbing consciousness of the audience.
Shaw dreamed of creating the theatre of dramatist philosophers. In his opinion, this had to be such a theatre that there both actors and playgoers could have an ability to analytically perceive the realities and to penetrate into the genuine essence of separate events. He believed the power of human understanding ability and needs of human being with all his heart and soul, and he saw his essential goal in educating and enlightening consciousness of modern people in his era.
At the end of the 19^th century, two main types of theatre existed in Europe: “Psychological theatre” and “Intellectual theatre”. “Psychological theatre” addressed into soul, heart, feelings, spiritual world of human beings. The purpose of this theatre was to provide spiritual development and perfection of the society. The actor himself of the theatre had to be an example of high spiritual qualities and solicitude. Unlikely from “Psychological theatre”, “The Intellectual theatre” addressing mainly into human mind and trying to arouse it, directed its attention basically to vigilance, intellect, thinking, and man’s ability to research analytically.
The creation of “Psychological theatre” or “Theatre of impressions” which has an exceptional place in the art of world theatre is related to the name of the great Russian dramatist, Anton Chekhov. Having played an important role in the development of European Theatre, Chekhov’s drama helped the
improvement of the profession of acting and directing, and also created conditions for the appearance of theatre scene figures in new style. On the threshold of 19^th and 20^th centuries the interest to people’s psychology and its modes of expression by understanding aroused again, the issue about limits for the perception of spiritual and psychological world of human by the art was raised, and simultaneously till modern time the matters of mutual understanding each other among people that interested people of art and realists turned to be again object of open topic. The art men of different countries, especially Russian masters started to investigate the depths of human soul and psychology in order to discover the secrets and miracles of human soul. Moreover, about at that time there appeared “Intellectual Theatre” which had a significant importance and has not lost its importance up till now. This Theatre is called “Intellectual Theatre” because the "intellectualism" has a superior position in this theatre. Ideas containing the main materials of the dramaturgy based on the “Intellectual Theatre” and the whole literary system subordinates to these ideas. It is not a`coincidence that, already at the end of the 19^th century plays of the playwrights such as Ibsen, Strindberg, Shaw, and others were named as “Drama of Ideas”. In “Intellectual Theatre” historical realities and life events are more widely described, more giant conflicts are addressed and in this sense “Intellectual Theatre” is put against “Psychological Theatre”. “Intellectual Theatre” is also called “Epic Theatre”. The reasons of this are those the perception of life with epic method, the literary embodiment of man in drama and on stage, mutual relations based on specific principles of this theatre between actor and auditorium, and suggestion of new audience psychology are the most characteristic features being peculiar. One of the most important sides of this theatre is making effort not for stimulating mainly feelings, but for awakening of cognition of the audience. The spectators should not be excited and sensible, but argue with the actors.
Shaw’s drama has some specific rules-laws on stage. The theatre has also been a means to enlighten people and perfect them from the aspect of spiritual, social, and cultural side for Bernard Shaw. The fate of such theatre is solved by an actor with an innovative soul. Innovations contain both the principles of plays and the relationships between actors and auditorium. In Shaw’s drama, the importance of taking advantages from Elizabethan stage theatre and the abundant legacy of Shakespearean creativity by referring them indicates the way itself very distinctly on the issues of the role of actor on the stage and searching for ideal performer.
While preparing his theatrical aesthetics, Shaw decisively could not go through without Shakespearean theatre and always address to his great legacy on some different theoretical and philosophical issues and used them. Despite the fact that such a case was not accidental, Bernard Shaw’s attitudes to Shakespeare and his drama at times differed by carrying out conflicting temper. Although we observe feelings of great and deep affection and respect, Shaw, at the same time on some many issues did not approve Shakespea and was against some features of his theatrical aesthetics and drama art, and also criticized them. One of the most important issues interested Shaw in Shakespearean drama works was in what means and ways they implemented the embodiment of Shakespeare's drama works by actors. In 1966 Flenco wrote about one of the best actors of Shakespearean theatre, Richard Berbic: "The difference between him and our ordinary actors is like a difference between the songsters who hardly sing his ballads and the professional singers who realize their attraction, who can change their voice and know how to sound each syllable” (60, 76). Difference of philosophical principles of Shakespearean and Shaw creativity was reflected in real and deep way on the thesis for a Doctor's degree of A. S. Rom and comprehensively in his book, called “Theorist Shaw”. At the same time researcher lady Rom noted: “ceaseless and powerful love of life, wide, deep world view and outlook of Shakespeare always amazed Shaw”. And
later Rom noted: “Shaw and Shakespeare resembled each other on issues below: according to their inclination to widely generalizations and abilities to convert the scene into a world or universe” (60, 77).
It should be stated that this is not a little thing that though G.B. Shaw, who attacked Shakespeare, criticized him for his sense and inclination to “romanticism” and “idealism”, he tried to protect Shakespeare from non professional critics’ and commentators’ wrong interpretations of the essence of his tragedy and comedies.
On the other hand, in Shaw’s theatrical-criticism, differences from the aspect of the attitude to Shakespeare and his creative legacy indicated theirselves so vividly and sharply. Shaw starting to be engaged in the art of theatre, tried to use Elizabethan period traditions and especially legacy of Shakespearean drama so effectively by looking over them.
Shaw did not avoid himself of using traditional things at theatre essentially things enlighteners had beed using. The traditional things which enlighteners used did not only have importance for Shaw’s dramaturgy methods but they did also have particular importance for thetarical aesthetics. Therefore, Shaw did not put only the most general ideal-aesthetic theories of enlighteners – addressing to human mind, being more importance of civil duty of people than their personal feelings and interests against each other, but he also put mind, feeling and excitement against each other. He considered mind as the source of infinite emotions.
In Shaw’s esthetic theatre, the traditions of English romantics were taken into consideration. “What is romanticism? I don’t know, though, in my youth I was under impact of its magic and power”, said Bernard Shaw (60, 77).
Shaw also called the theatre of romantic period as theatre of illusions and fantasies and made mockery about the romanticism for description of not real life events, but of ideal life. However, the things like romantic grotesques which were far from real life, passion and feelings together in unity with mind used in
English romantic poets Shelly, Blake, and Keats’s works whom Shaw respected much, amazed Shaw and were specifically conceived by him.
“Intellectual, or an epic theatre”, during the all years when it was created and developed, demonstrated a special inclination to the Elizabethan stage and made an effort to get benefit from its resplendent and varied legacy. The famous dramatis and theatre critic Berthold Brecht found some elements and features of “Intellectual, or an epic theatre” in the creativity of Shakespeare. Furthermore, Berthold Brecht noted that for the modern theatre there was only one style at thetare to be able to expose for the expression of the real philosophical essence of Shakespearean drama, and this is the epic or intellectual style. Brecht was especially attracted by setting and structure of theatre’s stage of that time (Elizabethan period).
While interpreting the principles of “Intellectual or an Epic Theatre”, Berthold Brecht considered that it would be completely wrong to deprive this theatre of feelings and emotions. When he said this thought, Brecht meant both feelings, most important elements, of actor performing in the stage and feelings and emotions, appearing in the auditorium by the result of actor performing. Shaw put a very difficult and responsible problem in front of the stage masters. “It is important to attract the spectators to be compelled for obstinacy to perceive the important performances on the scene”.
The genius reformer of 19^th century European Theatre, Berthold Brecht noted that emotions can not be formed in an isolated way from the activity of theatre (60, 121).
One of the main principles of Shaw’s theatre was so: “drama creates theatre, theatre does not” (Introduction of unpleasant plays) (60, 75). Shaw, who appeared newly as an innovative playwright and professional critic of theatre incessantly repeated that the spectators had to go to the theatre not to watch the actors, but the play. Moreover, he was resolutely sure that the performance of actor had to be the most perfect according to the most prefect drama art. Only in
this case the modern theatre can worthily fulfil the innovative public and literary issues in front of itself. In Shaw’s theatre, there stood an important problem in front of actors. Actors had to be creator of drama consciously and he had to show and discuss actively the intentions and aims of play, and also perform the character and image in the play, not himself.
As being an English satire master in his drama, the next unexpectedness in studying of Bernard Shaw’s method and theatrical aesthetics is that the relation with the artistic-literary traditions of art of enlightment and of that period manifests itself distinctly.
It is not right to accept the one-sidedness by appreciating Shaw’s plays. In Shaw’s plays which are full of paradoxes, humour, and irony, the light of satire is always felt sometimes in bright and sometimes in pale way. In Shaw’s opinion the main purpose of drama is helping the development of mankind. He several times repeated that for the clean and pure art he would not write a line.
In general, bright expressing styles being characteristic for Shaw’s creativity were explained with certain objective reasons. For Bernard Shaw with satiric plays it was not so easy to attract, at that time, the mass of English audience educated mainly on the primitive melodramas and amusing plays with half comedy and half satiric characteristics. If Shaw had been extremely serious, nobody would have read and watched his plays, thus it would have put his drama under danger. Shortly, he was striving for increasing of expressibility and attractibility in his plays. For this reason, Shaw used mainly paradoxes and satire which were unique and had excessive importance for English Drama.
Shaw used grotesque a little in the description of the external appearance of the human images. Though Shaw used grotesque a little from the aspect of the external appearance, he was completely addicted to grotesque soul in words material of his plays. Therefore, A lot of situations are also in soul of grotesque. Shaw giving great importance to situations and discussions as a dramatist said: “The first goal of the playwright is to create a situation, the second is to
approach it deeply, and the third is to be able to achieve dealing with it. Dramatist should start from the end of the second act, then he should create and prepare a transition for passing the first act, and at last he should go through third act.” (60, 126).
There is another reason for Shaw’s inclination to the grotesque style, too. Critics like recalling his yellow-grey beard. This reminding is a sign to Ireland. As we know, Shaw was born in Ireland and grew there, though he was originally English. And grotesque is a feature belonging to Irish people. For this stiation, in the Middle Ages we may take Jonathan Swift as example who was a master of satire and grotesque, author of the works “The tale about barrel” and “Gulliver’s Travel” (66).
In later periods of Shaw’s creativity (In the 30-40s of 20^th century), drama style of the venerable writer was significant subjected to change. During this time, his attention gradually assembled more over the sharp political problems. Fantasy and satire were wholly the main literary features of his plays. Shaw often and abundantly used the style such as eccentrics, buffoonery, and other exaggeration styles. “Apple cart” (1929) and “Geneva” comedies which he wrote in these years were called “Political Extravagancies” by him.
Always in the internal meaning of the great satire of Bernard Shaw not being of certain secret world view, Rabble’s world view in Renaissance humanism, Swift’s world view in Enlightenment period and internal completion could be impossible in certain extent to cause the weakness of the satiric direction of Shaw’s creativity.
Shaw compared his comedies with joyful melody. “Esteemed” mass audience taking breath with this melody, sometimes forgetting satire, enjoying by heart, continuously applauding the playwright with passion.
Lev Tolstoy with his specific severity criticized Shaw’s sharp and extreme satire. It is known that Shaw sent his “Man and Superman” play to Tolstoy. As an answer Tolstoy replied him with a letter. There he said so: “By hoping not to
insult you I want to talk to you about inconspicuous deprivation for me. The first deprivation of it is that you are not serious. In your book I see a desire to surprise and confuse the majority of readers, to amaze them with their own erudition, talent, and mind. By the way, all these are not necessary and important for the solutions of problems you put forth, and in most situations all these also direct the attention of the playgoers to the attractive expressions and descriptions by distracting them from the real essence of the issues” (66). Sometimes Shaw’s satire overstepped. First of all, such a case is observed in his early plays. For example, “Widower’s houses” and “Mrs. Warrens’s Profession”. These plays were called “Unpleasant plays” by Shaw. The dramatic strength of these plays is that these plays compelled the audience to perceive the unpleasant facts in society and life. In the play “Widower’s houses” while Trench preparing to marry a girl called Blanche knows that her father gets income by exploiting the Houses of the city which the poor live in. After having learned about it, furious Trench rejects the dowry and the wedding is disordered. And suddenly this time Trench gets information that the source of his income what he lives on account is also gained from the exploitation of those houses (cabins). And this is not only criticism of hypocrisy, but also criticism of social system. The greatest features Shaw used in his plays were his wit and humour. This has found its reflection in many examples of his plays. One of them is that in Shaw’s plays heroes are generally people who suffered much from corruptions and falsifications of communities and who tried to run away from them. This case keeps providing to discover situations for discussions in Shaw’s plays and these situations are discussed by actors. As a result, these discussions may have an intellectual depth and a reciprocal satire for the theatre (14, 40).
As a talented master of satire, Shaw chooses unique humour and laugh as a main weapon against the social injustice. This weapon served loyally him throughout his creativity. “My joking style is just to tell the truth” he stated once. His words give us opportunity to understand his specific humour once
more (66). “Shaw is a terrorist using his humour as a weapon to make intellectual attacks against his audience’s mind. However, Shaw’s this characteristic comes from his possession of ability to move with a righteous, logical way and with a humour conception to every man. Furthermore, Being against him moving in this way is taking its source from dwelling insistently over the point he is obliged. Because thoughts create his world, actors fates are the same with the ideas they have. Reading Shaw is useful for health. His enemies are people who do not give much importance to health” (14, 26).
After Shaw’s plays first had been performen in Germany, he won a great sympathy of the German audience and media. After watching these plays German writer Berthold Brecht said these words about Shaw: “Shaw differed from other dramatists of his period with his sharp and exposing humour. Shaw’s humour was more bitter and deeper on uncovering the pure essence of the events happening in the modern society. Shaw comprehensively and independently used comic means. A style containing the idea-literary essence of each figure is noted especially by Shaw. We are talking about the author’s irony having great power”. Shaw’s humour either addressed of the constituent features of the active intellect or created a specific atmosphere surrounding events and people. Up till Shaw in the history of the world heroism and irony had never come together like this in a separable and prolific way yet. Shortly, irony hadnt been served as the first step in the heroic attack against falsification, hypocrisy, fault, and ugliness appearing by the social laws of the bourgeois society.” (8, 16).
Shaw is a great master of paradoxes and a creator of paradoxical drama. His paradoxes cover his bitter and sharp satire. There stands only one purpose behind his paradoxical conflicts in his plays-criticism of bourgeois morality and life style.
While exposing the social problems, Shaw used paradoxes and contrasts more eficiently. Doing so, Shaw both attempted to make the readers and the
audience confuse and think of the issues and situaitons by creating question marks in the mind of the society.
Paradoxical realities and truths in his comedies are the real essence of G.
B. Shaw’s discussions. “He was obliged to get benefit from fool privilege to explain the need of considering conventional beliefs and thoughts, and localized organizations repeatedly under the light of logic”, he said (8, 14). Paradoxes which are main things to understand the processes happening in the world and one of the elements of Shaw’s creativity stay yet completely as not researched problem by the world and European literary and theatrical experts. As a matter of fact, the pradoxes of Shaw, who awoke his contemporaries by doing cleaning work in their minds, created conditions for the formation of more mature, freer, and more perfect to thinking style.
In Shaw’s plays, there is a confusion of the playgoers not as an action, but as an idea. Shaw discovered the traditional structure, thought of the society in his plays. His plays always used to start in a way everybody absolutely knew. The audience was thinking of the continuation and end of the play would go so, but Shaw used to completely confuse the audience and destroy their thoughts by finishing the event with a different way. This confusion took its source from Shaw’s secret jokes and paradoxal expressions. These expressions, jokes, and paradoxes caused the audience having questions in their mind and not to know about the seriousness of the thoughts, purposes, and intentions about Shaw’s view-point.
“The most cardinal purpose of Shaw’s plays to bring the audience face to face with the environment they live in and new horizons. He combined the contradictions with satire. He got great pleasure by finishing his plays in defiance of the spectators expected” (8, 13). He used extraordinary situations to introduce the strangeness in his works. For example, while introducing Captain Shotover living in a house like a ship, in “Hearthbreak house”, his clothing the
dress of an Arabian Sheikh to one of the heroes of play is a fine pattern for this strangeness.
In Shaw’s plays unlike his contemporaries and Ibsen’s work, bad pople (antagonist characters) live, but good people (protagonist characters) die as in “Saint Joan”. By creating such a situation Shaw tries to make bad people think that why good people die, question and understand the events, and have pressure of conscience. On the other hand, he had the society acquire bad people by discovering their good sides by thinking that they could do favour and be good member of society.
Apart from satire, humour, irony, and paradox one of the characteristic feature of Bernard Shaw’s creativity is eccentrics. There is a great literature about English eccentrics. We may observe the eccentrics and strangeness in Shakespeare’s works. And Ben Johnson also saw the whole world full of strangeness. Congreve considered the strangeness is the leading thing makes a man differs from others in his characteristics. The situations in Bernard Shaw’s works are rather eccentric and beautiful. There always hides a serious content behind the eccentric viewes of Shaw’s plays. For instance, till Shaw most English actresses performed Cleopatra like a mysterious woman. On the other hand, Shaw brought a capricious, naïve, and even a bit foolish, but at the same time an extraordinary character who could maintain her attractiveness. In Shakespeare’s tragedy, Cleopatra’s servant, Ira, was also usually described as a tender and frail creature. In contrast, in Shaw’s play, Ira was described as a lady who was “open-hearted, stout, and ready to laugh for an ordinary thing”. All these were not to spite of Shakespeare, but existing banality.
In Shaw’s play “Caesar and Cleopatra”, Caesar was described as a man who had a beautiful voice. Reading the plays over and over we become sure that Shaw’s only goal is to demonstrate Caesar’s seniority more clearly and substantially by describing him as living human.
Shaw stood more over discussion because he set the fantastics of his play on the base of policy, humour, looking at everything vice versa, and Fabianism. Doing so, he defended that discussion always kept the feelings, pulses, and thought of the audience active. Discussions have a great importance as a vital element of theatre which help realities to come to be true, provoke to think, and to make brain active. It is possible to observe discussion techniques densely in Shaw’s plays. In these discussions, personages were arguing and talking about various kind of topics and problems. To give an example, in the third act of the play, “Saint Joan” commanders and clergymen being in the English tents broadly discuss the topic about Islam, Christianity, and Judaism. Furthermore, in the play “The Shewing-up of Blanco Posnet” there were intensive discussions about the topic of religion, hypocrisy, and falsification between horse thief and his priest brother, and in “Candida”, there were long discussions between the servant fallen in love with Candida and her husband about what kind of husband Candida wanted and whom she would choose.
Ibsen drama also embraced Shaw with its discussion style. Shaw got closely acquainted with the creativity of the great Norwegian playwright and he sometimes a little exaggerated the importance of discussions in the literary style of his dramas. Additionally, Shaw showed more interest to Ibsen than critics and movie directors of his period. Shaw was sure that in theatre and drama he was a real follower and supporter of Ibsen. In comparison with Ibsen Shaw who wrote outstanding discussions converted discussions as an inseparable part of his plays by extending their boundaries. We can say that play and discussion became synonyms for Shaw, and the audience in their turn became participants of sharp, exciting discussions of the significant modern problems by joining the discussions during the performance of acts. The main goal of Shaw in using discussions is to involve the society with discussion style, to make them brainstorm about conflicts and problems, to put people or playgoers in front of problems talked or not talked among people in society, to inform people with the
solutions of these problems, and as a result to enlighten and educate the society. However, discussions with full of paradoxes in Shaw’s plays are extremely longer than reasonable, that is why these discussions sometimes tired and bothered the audience and the readers, and sometimes amazed them with their extraordinary ideas.
The remarks (stage directions and comments) of Shaw differ for their specific features. Sometimes tremendous remarks in his plays containing several pages were taken into consideration not only for readers, but also generally for the theatre. It could be impossible to understand much thing without remarks in Shaw’s theatrical aesthetics. In remarks there is valuable information for directors, actors, and artists. Only in remarks Shaw behaved as a real director of his plays. In these directions Shaw demonstrated him as a master who thought theatrically, felt, and saw the future performances. That is why his stage directions caused a strict protest of his close friends and critics when they were first written. There are subjective ideas in Shaw’s remarks. Shaw was a playwright ,who demonstrated immodesty, acted as an active negotiator between the audience and heroes by forgetting remarks to be neutral.
While talking about his remarks, Shaw said: “If the actor precisely keeps order of the writings in stage directions, it is impossible for him to do wrong action.” (60, 209).
Shaw’s (remarks) remarks put various and compicated problems in front of the organizers of the performance. It is impossible to fulfill these remarks precisely and actors didnt have to perform them. Best of all, theatres have possibility to use only some parts of remarks.
To perceive the real essence of Shaw’s remarks two features have particular importance. First of all, it is related to their methodology how to be written. Shaw started writing remarks after finishing the dialogue-disputes. For example, while finishing the work “The Devil’s Disciple” Shaw said in his letter written to actress Ellen Terry: “The play has been written only on small sheets
of my notebook which I carry in my pocket. After reviewing the text again, I should put remarks and also read some information about the history of American wars for the independence, and then I will give it to the printer to be published in legible style.” (60, 192).
The second important factor of Shaw’s remarks is that they convey a descriptive characteristic. In these stage directions the description of nature, internal and external world of personages, emotional cases, social, religious, moral, spiritual, and psychological problems are widely included. The goal of Shaw doing so was to describe the events completely to the audience and readers and to provide them to feel themselves as participants of the events. The most significant purpose was to create an opportunity for events, personages, and environment to be better animated in the mind of the audience.
Shaw gained a great reputation mainly after getting Nobel Literature Prize in 1925. His reputation was thanks to his work, “Saint Joan” written in 1923. This work was applauded by a lot of literary critics with appreciation. When it was notified that he would be given Nobel Prize in 1925 for this play Shaw appreciated this situation with the following words: “This Nobel Prize is a real trouble maker for me…In 1925 I did not write anything. Probably, that is why this prize has been submitted to me. If this Nobel Prize is kept for the old people who have successfully accomplished wars for the law of “first safetiness”, the Sweden government had better abolish this prize.”(8, 282).
Shaw’s successes, qualifications, and works he wrote were criticised in a positive sense by literature and theatre critics and a lot of valuable and famous people who accomplished in their branches. We will try to explain by taking some of them as example.
In some topics Shaw wrote a lot of articles to teach and inform people. Famous scientist Einstein who welcomed his ideas with great appreciation said about him: “Shaw taught and protected all of us with his scientific interpreting skill with having no individuality.” (8, 1).
One of popular writers, Virginia Woolf highly appreciated Shaw’s reflecting method of his ideas, thoughts, and methods to people and told about him: “Shaw has ability to give any form he wants to the whole world.” It is clear from these words that Shaw is an outstanding writer who always chose enlightening people as an ambition, used his pen to illuminate them, and led the way. Of course, while doing so he made people laugh, think , and approach circumstances more logically. And he implicated it so masterly. Bertrand Russell, Friedrich Engels, Indira Gandhi, T.S. Eliot, Berthold Brecht, and Gilbert Murray appreciated this feature of Shaw as following:
Indira Gandhi: “Shaw is one of the greatest humour masters of the world who has a soul reminding a fairy, who has a generous heart which is not getting old…” (8, 1).
Friedrich Engels: “He is master of satire and extraordinarily skilled …”
(8, 1).
Bertrand Russell: “Shaw saw humour as a useful election of mind. He
defended any idea so masterly that people who did not confirm his ideas fell into a stupid situation. He was dissimilar beraking the conventional laws…” (8, 1).
T. S. Eliot: “He was dissimilar master of satire-dialogue…” (8, 431).
Berthold Brecht: “It is clear that he is a terrorist…and a prominent terrorist. His using weapon is an extraordinary weapon that is satire…” (8, 1).
Gilbert Murray: “He is a writer who is greedy of ideas, enemy of tyranny, distributing smiles and hopes to many parts of the world, and never losing his courage.” (8, 431)
Sometimes Shaw was making fun of himself. In April of 1906 Once he said to Rodin who was making his statue: “One day my name will be written down on encyclopedia and next to my name there will be noted- Shaw sat in front of August Rodin who is famous sculpture…” he said (8, 275).
Another aspect of Shaw was to speak about his thoughts fearlessly and courageously. While expressing his ideas it was not so important for him what
people would think of him. The truth and realities were the most important things he wanted to tell. He did not avoid telling and writing whether people would approve or disapprove. This characteristic of Shaw was mentioned by Winston Churchill, the prime minister of England then, and famous writers Gorky and Oscar Wild as below:
Winston Churchill: “Shaw is as a volcano which is continuously erupting…a piece of gold extracted from a flame of truth!... A perfect, a wise, a scholar, an extraordinary prolific playwright, and higly intellectual…He is the most prominent master of satire who is still living and writing in English language.” (8, 1).
Maxim Gorky: “he who is one of the courageous scholars of Europe…”
(8, 1).
Oscar Wilde: “Shaw is faultless man. He has no enemy and none of his
close friends loves him…” (8, 431).
Shaw impressed the readers and audience on religious topics written in his works. He was a writer having religious knowledge at least as much as theologians had. He won Nobel Prize just for writing “Saint Joan” on religious theme. The works “Androcles and the Lion”, “Back to Methuselah”, and “The Shewing-up Blanco Posnet” are plays he preferred to write on religious subject. This peculiarity of Shaw is stated by Eric Bentley with the following words:
Eric Bentley: “Shaw defended socialism against socialists, liberty against liberals, science against scientists, and religion against theologians…” (8, 431).
Apart from these, the following words were mentioned about Shaw’s literary creativity and personality to show that how much he was a skilful and great writer;
Great Russian writer, Leo Tolstoy considered Shaw as a writer who masterly exposed the hypocrisy of society. French criticism called him “English Molliere”. That is natural to compare him with the author of “Tartuffe” (69).
Albert Einstein: “Shaw could affect us more than any other modern man for the sake of independence and precisely completed his job and ease the responsibility of life over him .” (8, 18).
Herbert George Wells: “I don’t know any other writer like him...” (8,
431).
William Butler Yeats: “Bernard Shaw is prominent representative of
modern generation...” (8, 431).
Gilbert Keith. Chesterson: “Shaw reminds a Milo Venera. It is impossible not to adore his each feature...” (8, 431).
Arnold Bennet: “Shaw’s writings tell all the most outstanding, the brightest, the most convincing, and the strongest ideas” (8, 431).
Virginia Wolf: “Shaw has an ability to give any form he wants to the whole world.” (8, 9).
Ellen Terry: “Bernard Shaw is ful of life like a cat with seven souls…” (8,
431).
Wystan Hugh Oden and Eric Bentley: “Shaw is the greatest music critic
of the world ever born.” (8, 9).
After Shaw had closed his eyes to life, a lot of writers and critics from different countries told different many opinions about him. Many radios gave his death as breaking news and a lot of newspapers took this news as headline. The words written below are examples to show people’s thoughts about him after Shaw’s death. American writer and critic John Mason Brown wrote this about Shaw’s death: “The world as if got discharged…Shaw was such a mean of nature that it seemed as Niagara waterfall has dried off…He was one of the lifelong admonitions. Apart from applying his admonition in a bright way, he was able to bring the planet he lived over into more animating and changing place. He shook unoriginal beliefs with his unbelievable struggle lasted more than sixty years and became a symbol of “Super man” he created. All of us feel the enthusiasm that our eyes had been closed with a curtain and he tore the
curtain which had closed our eyes and then saved and directed us toward the sunlight out of a shadowy world. He warned our mind, knocked down our ideas, and poured thoughts into our intellect which we could not imagine,... He encouragd us with modern things, an incredible feeling of freedom, and enthusiasm concerning today we don’t perceive…Today’s youths do not know that most of the beliefs they naturally meet are result of Shaw’s struggles. But they are mistaken if they assume that they have understood Shaw’s approach…Their grandchildren, even grandchildren of their grandchildren will run breathlessly on these roads with obstacles to reach Bernard Shaw’s approach and understanding. Shaw was not just genius. One of the famous persons resembled him a centipede having foot at every problem. Subjects he was interested in were incredibly tremendous. He wrote on any subject from economy to religion, from ruling government to painting, from history to music, from theatre to doctoring, from anatomy to literature, from phonetics to socialism, from reasons of war to difficulties of peace, and from actual current events to theory of “Creative evolution”…His speaking with humour about serious things confused narrow-minded people. In their opinion, serious men should not smile but have strict view… Shaw was an open-hearted, kind, sensitive, and sweet man…He would have hopes that people have life which they deserve by using enigmatic features inside man for getting rid of present faults…In this planet it is great profit to have lived with a great man like Shaw then. He was ready to die as he would die, but we have not lost him.” We may claim what Shaw had said about William Morris for Shaw, too. “Man only with his own death lose a person like Bernard Shaw, not when a person dies like Shaw…” (8, 8-9).

CONCLUSION

While trying to identify importance of Shaw’s place in the world and European theatre at the same time we tried to explore the writers he took as example and styles he used. Consequently, we tried to discover what Shaw added, and brought to theatre and literature. It is expedient to note Shaw’s activities and the subjects we have written systematically in this dissertation as follows.

1. 
   From the aspect of subjects and styles he wrote down Shaw took Strindberg, Chekhov who had important position at the stage of theatre, and Ibsen who was known as a founder of the modern theatre as example. Shaw appreciated especially their description of life in a real way.
   
2. 
   Shaw was known both as being a writer of 53 plays and some novels and at the same time for his works over criticism of article, music, and of theatre. Shaw only chose his creative activity as a purpose for the implication to express his world view and ideas to wide masses of people and to educate them not for money or other things.
   
3. 
   So far Shaw has been the only and first man who has achieved to gain the Nobel Prize in the field of world literature and Oscar Award in stage directing of movie field is a result of his hard working and being talented. The other reason of this success is Shaw wrote about any problems with their sollutions heroically. While doing it he was never afraid of and avoided the laws of religion, society and state. Because his aim was to enlighten and illuminate the society against problems. On enlightening the society his real target was to fulfil his responsibility over himself as a person who lived in this society.
   
4. 
   From the aspect of subjects he used Shaw brought new themes to drama and theatre. He approximately touched all problems in society and gave a broad
   

place to these problems in his plays and novels. In these themes the most importance ones are social and political issues, poverty, social injustices, world wars and disasters they brought to mankind, religious problems, human rights consisted of child especially woman rights, family issues, and so on. Among them especially religious problems, woman rights, and poverty have wide places.

5. 
   Shaw was one of the most famous representatives of “Intellectual Drama”. He wrote and put his plays on stage not only to make the readers and the audience laugh and entertain, but also to make them think while entertaining. He wanted people to disscuss the issues and problems in their mind and concience. On doing this Shaw’s purpose was to create a bridge between the problems he wrote and the real life. That is why he tried do show the real life with its ins and outs which is surrounding people..
   
6. 
   Shaw used more broadly methods such as satire, humour, and irony by creating a different style. He criticised social and political system, especially bourgeoisie sometimes in a satiric and ironical way, and sometimes using humour. Moreover, he used paradoxes more than satire, irony, and humor. His goal to use paradoxes is to create question marks in minds of people who read and watch his plays and involve them in thinking. By using contrasts together with paradoxes, Shaw made reader’s and spectator’s head confused and also amazed readers and spectators in the sequence of events.
   

8. Shaw used remarks (stage directions) and discussions effectively. The purpose of Shaw who used long and short remarks is to show the environment lively where events happen, to show way for actors and help them for effective performances and by doing that his aim was to make plays be performed as real, and the spectators feel theirselves inside the events. His purpose to use discussion is to discuss the events and problems widely with their negative and positive sides. While doing this Shaw tried to indicate the reasons of events and problems, and also results which they could cause. However, this is not enough
for him to be satisfied, so he tried to show the audience the ways of solution to problems

8. 
   In the first half of second part of this dissertation Shaw’s stage activity which was analyzed in detail has a special importance in his creative work. He gave great importance to actors, tones of their voice, their speeches, their thinking styles, their philosophy and views to life, and skills to get into a role. According to Shaw’s theatre conception, while actor is performing he should forget himself completely and give his whole life and attention to his role. Actors shuold do his best to reflect Shaw’s opinions into plays effectively. Finally, it is important to note that as a director Shaw’s most improtant characteristic was to describe life as in reality. In my research dissertation, I tried to share innovations, which as writer and director Shaw brought to the European theatre, by discovering similar and different sides between Shaw and famous Russian director, Stanislavskiy.
   

All in all, at globalization age, theatre in certain sense seems to have lost its importance. Because, plays and novels made into films and reach till our houses through the television and internet due to opportunities which high technology created. Hence, people do not give essential significance to the theatre. Movies, television, and the internet caused the role of the theatre to get decreased importantly. However, one thing must be also considered that as in face to face communication it is more effective to watch the performance of actors lively by going to the theatre than seeing on the monitor. That is to say, to see life and life events artificially on the monitor will not give the impact which the theatre could bestow.