George Shaw never dreamed of being famous and famous. He was just doing what he loved, which suddenly led him to success. The talented playwright was distinguished not only by his witty sharp style, but also by his extravagant behavior. He never aspired to make money on his works, and he got real pleasure from the creative process and artistic contemplation.
Early years of life
George Bernard Shaw was born on July 26, 1856 in the Irish city of Dublin. He was the third child in the family. The boy was raised by his uncle. It was he who first introduced his nephew to the amazing world of art. In addition, his mother was engaged in creative training of George. Together with his young son, he visited the National Gallery of Ireland every weekend. Here the future playwright discovered new authors, memorized the artistic features of their canvases, made some notes in a notebook so as not to forget anything.
In 1872, a crisis began in the Shaw family. His mother decided to leave her father and leave Ireland for good. She bought tickets to London, quickly packed her things and left the country with her daughters. Shaw stayed with his father, but after four years he decided to move to his mother. During that period, George's family was really poor. His parents' finances were completely depleted.
First creative successes
It is in these difficult and contradictory conditions that the creative path of George Shaw begins. Wanting to distract himself from family troubles, the young man spent a lot of time in the reading room of the British Museum. Within these walls, he began to work on his first novels.
George spent over a year writing his works, but none of them were successful. The publishers did not want to make deals with the young playwright, considering him mediocrity. After that, Shaw temporarily isolates himself from creativity and turns to politics. He begins to enter the circles of the British intelligentsia, joins the socialist group and begins to edit the most important political treatises.
While working as an editor, Shaw received several important references from well-known writers. In 1895 he was hired as a theater critic for the popular newspaper Saturday Review.
Career and literary exploration
George published his first plays in a book with the general title "Plays unpleasantly." After an overwhelming success, he released the second volume - "Plays nicely." The world first became acquainted with such great works of Shaw as "Houses of Widowers", "Arms and Man", "Man of Destiny", "Candida". All of these plays were imbued with the playwright's trademark wit and a healthy dose of social criticism. These jobs laid a solid foundation for Shaw's future career.
Towards the end of the 19th century, George Shaw was called the literary giant. By this time, he wrote a number of important works, including "Caesar and Cleopatra", "Man and Superman" and "Don Juan in Hell". Renowned directors have used these plays for their theatrical productions. The first fans began to appear at the playwright, who did not miss a single premiere and quickly bought up all the writer's editions.
Major Barbara, The Doctor's Dilemma, and Saint Jeanne, written in the first half of the 20th century, finally established Shaw as the leading playwright of his time. In 1925 he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature for his great influence on world culture.
Not every playwright of the time could boast of television adaptations of his plays. However, the work of George Shaw "Pygmalion" in 1938 was first shown on the big screen. For the best script writing, the author even won the popular Oscar. In addition, "Pygmalion" has become widely known in the theatrical environment. Famous artists such as Rex Harrison, Julia Andrews and Audrey Hepburn participated in its production.
During the height of World War I, George Bernard Shaw wrote anti-war fiction. Like many socialists, he opposed British participation in all battles. His pamphlet Common Sense About War, which was published in 1914, caused much controversy. The authorities urged the British to patriotism in every possible way, and George Shaw, by his actions, undermined the people's faith in a strong army. Some of his anti-war speeches were heavily censored because they posed a threat to the integrity of the state. At the time, Shaw was also expelled from the Playwrights' Club.
Nevertheless, George Shaw's fame continued to grow after the war. His new plays "House of the Broken Heart", "The Cart with Apples", "St. Joan" have become in demand not only in Great Britain, but also in other countries of the world. In addition, he began to pay even more attention to social and political issues. For example, he published the books Crime in Prison and A Guide to Socialism for Smart Women, which called for a sober understanding of the political reality of Britain.
Personal life
Shaw's friends called him a surprisingly witty guy who didn't know how to make money. Indeed, the playwright did not know how to promote his works, because he got much more pleasure from writing the work. Many contemporaries admitted that George was a great friend. In addition, he often became the subject of female adoration, but ultimately his soul mate was Charlotte Payne-Townsend, whom he met in the Fabian Society. His chosen one was a wealthy heiress, but Shaw was never interested in money. It is known that he even turned down the Nobel Prize. Later, these funds were used to create a fund for translators.
George lived with Charlotte until his death. The couple never had children. Their marriage was not perfect: quarrels and conflicts happened almost every day. Towards the end of his life, the writer began to have health problems. He practically stopped leaving the house and communicating with people. The famous playwright died at 94 from kidney failure.
