Candida remains one of Shaw's most popular plays, partly because it is one of his slickest; by 1894 the iconoclastic G.B.S. had already learned all the oldest tricks of the trade. Along with a sprinkling of Christian socialism, he put into Candida the essence of secretarial infatuation. He made Candida's father a symbol of petty capitalism, and standard low comedy as, well. And Shaw, picturing a happy marriage, made it look like a triangle story, right down to the Big Scene where Candida has to choose between her parson husband and her poet suitor. She chooses the husband on the ground...
To continue reading:
or
Log-In