Shaw and Spanish plays in 1890s London

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Some years have passed since E. J. West claimed that “the most dogged Shavian researcher finds a surprisingly small number of serious attempts to estimate or to define Bernard Shaw as dramatic critic.” However, there remains much to say on the topic. This chapter builds upon what West established in his founding paper, “The Critic as Analyst: Bernard Shaw as Example,” and its main objective is to analyze two of Shaw’s essays on the type of theater he reacted against—their peculiar feature is that the plays in question were Spanish—and to provide a new example in order to properly assess Shaw’s skills as a critic.