He was born in Dublin in 1856. His parents were not well off, so he had to start working at the age of fifteen. His mother left her unsuccessful husband and ran to London. Shaw and his two sisters followed her, because he knew he had to live in a centre of the international culture if he wanted to achieve success on the field of literature.
He devoted much time to self-education and then he started with writing the novels. But this carrier completely failed, but he succeeded as a journalist and playwright. In his plays he followed the Ibsen’s tradition and he introduced the modern realistic drama on the English stages.
He wanted to shock people into the looking at moral problems of the society. The dialogues in his plays are turned upside-down. He hated conventional attitudes and acceptance of ideas, which would lead to injustice. He wanted people not to adopt these attitudes without thinking. He helped them to find their own opinions.
He spent the most of his life in London in Hertfordshire, where he moved with his wealthy wife Charlotte soon after the marriage. They lived there until his death in1950.
In 1925 he received the Nobel Prize for Literature.
He divided his plays into unpleasant, pleasant and historical. Unpleasant plays forced the spectators to face unpleasant facts and pleasant plays were mostly optimistic and cheerful.
His most popular play is Pygmalion.
Pygmalion
Eliza Doolittle came from a background of poverty and neglect. Her life was devoted to Covent Garden Market where she sold flowers. Professor Higgins, an expert in phonetic, overheat Eliza at work and made a bet with his friend Colonel Pickering, that he transform Eliza into a fine lady.
Eliza took up the chance of her new education in an attempt to improve herself. Higgins treated her rather as an object for improvement than the woman. She leant everything about the language; spelling and she got rid of the accent.
After few months Professor, Pickering and Eliza visited the horse races at Ascot to Eliza try to behave in the high society. She met Freddy Eynsford –Hill there, who felt in love with her. Eliza tried to speak with his, but her old accent started to return. Six weeks later they visited the Embassy Ball. Eliza was wearing beautiful evening dress and she looked very beautiful. She was admired by all the men including the Prince of Pennsylvania.
When they returned home Professor and Pickering congratulated each other to the achievement. Eliza realized everything about her transformation. She packed her things and moved to Professor’s mother. Professor tried to persuade her to return, but she announced him she would marry Freddy. Professor surrendered it and left the house.
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