Mythical Allusions in Shaw's Major Works: An Interpretation

AARJMD VOLUME 1 ISSUE 14 (OCT 2013)

Asian Academic Research Journal of Multidisciplinary

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ASIAN ACADEMIC RESEARCH

JOURNAL OF MULTIDISCIPLINARY

MYTHICAL ALLUSIONS IN SHAW’S MAJOR WORKS: AN INTERPRETATION

ALI SAALEH AHMED ALHAIDARI*; DR. S. G. BHANEGAONKAR**

* Research Scholar, English Dept., School of Languages,

Literature and Cultural Studies, SRTM University, Nanded, India ** Associate Professor, Post- Graduate Department of English and Research Centre,

People‟s College, SRTM University, Nanded, India

ABSTRACT

In the twentieth century, some writers use classic myths in their writings. However, they present

these myths in a fashionable dress that suits the modern readers. Shaw is one of these writers

who make use of both classic and modern myths to discuss some problems of their societies.

Therefore, this current paper aims at shedding light on the use of classic and modern myths in his

major works. In this brief paper, the concentration will be on Shaw‟s use of some mythical

themes such as mutual mercy between humans and animals and pointing at thrusting some

modern themes with these myths. The paper also focuses on presenting some mythical characters

and creatures and its presents into light some ancient expressions that enclose some mythical

allusions, as well.

Key words: Myth, Mythical Allusions, Mythical Creatures, Archetype, Mythologizers,

Superman

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1- Introduction

Classic mythology continues its influence on English literature in the twentieth century. Thus, it

inspires many modern writers to produce literary works depend entirely on them. Those modern

writers have treated and produced myths in a new dress fitting the age and discussing its

problems. The treatment of the myth in the modern literature includes treating of themes and

characters. Mark P. O. Morford and Robert J. Lenardon point out that “in modern times the

classical myths have constantly inspired poets,” and writers of other literary genres “whether as

sources for Jungian archetypes, for political and moral allegory, or for discussion of social,

religious, and psychological problems.” (Morford and Lenardon : 691) Shaw is one of these

literary writers whose works include some allusions of mythology. Like other modern literary

writers, he updates some myths and exploits them in his plays to suit the modern societies.

2- Mythical themes

Shaw presents some themes that take place in the classic myths. He deals with these themes

modernly. His plays Pygmalion and Androcles and the Lion include a modern treatment of the

classic myths. In both plays, Shaw borrows the core of the myths and presents them in a new

way. A woman is the first theme that he deals with in his plays. He is known as one of these

writers who strongly support woman. In Pygmalion, Shaw does not talk about carving woman

physically and falling in love with her, but he talks about carving a woman intellectually and

behaviorally. The issue of creating desired woman is rooted in the classic myth. In the myth of

Pygmalion, Pygmalion creates a woman with the physical features that he wishes and then he

asks Venus (Aphrodite), the goddess of love, to bring her to life. After that, he falls in love with

her. On the contrary, Shaw is writing for civilized people, so he does not give any hint to

creating a physical statue of a woman. He discusses other issues concerning the manner of

behavior, the way of talking, articulating words and the fashion that a modern woman should

wear.

The mutual mercy between human beings and wild animals is another theme that takes place in

both classic myths and one of Shaw‟s plays Androcles and the Lion. In this play, while a human

being is walking through a jungle, he is shocked to see a lion in his path. The lion is lying on the




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road and roaring loudly. At the first sight, the man feels afraid, but he attempts to overcome his

fear when he realizes that the lion is paining of a thorn fixed in his paw. The instinctive pity

leads him to take a forward step plucking the thorn out of the lion‟s paw. Because of being

Christian, Romans have captured and tortured him. They eventually sentence him to die on

Coliseum by throwing him to a hungry lion. In such a situation, one needs only a miracle to be

rescued. Fortunately, he has faced the same lion that he pulls the thorn out of his paw. Rather

than devouring him, the lion turns out and refuses to hurt the man who helps him. In fact, the

same theme along with some events takes place in a classic myth. This myth is narrated in Mary

Ellen Snodgrass‟s book Encyclopedia of the Literature of Empire and in C. Scott Littleton‟s

edited book Gods, Goddesses, and Mythology.

Some events in the myth are identical with some events in Shaw‟s play. On the one hand, both

stories have the same title as well as the main characters. On the other hand, he adds the issue of

Christianity to the events of the play. Instead of talking about a slave escaped from his master,

Shaw presents the hero, Androcles, as one of a number of Christians who have been led to the

Coliseum for torturing them. Shaw discusses the results of the gap between the teaching of Jesus

and the traditional Roman values. Shaw produces his play at a time when the church affects

everything around and it presents a strong pressure on those who are not believers. He reflects

the problems of these people by reversing the roles in the play. In his play, Romans torture

Christians. His play aims at evoking the empathy from the people towards those who are being

tortured in the name of religion.

Shaw selects the supernatural world to be the setting of this act. Traditionally, religiously and

mythologically, hell and heaven are two places that people dwell in after the doom according to

their conduct in life and their faith. Hell is the home for those people who have committed sins in

their lives, and heaven is the home for true believers who do only good deeds. The people in the

hell are punished because of their errors, and the people in heaven are rewarded for their well

conduct. Shaw portrays hell and heaven in different ways. The hell is traditionally defined in a

horrible way, but Shaw defines it as “the home of the unreal and of the seekers of happiness”,

and as the “home of honor, duty, justice, and the rest of the seven deadly virtues.” (G. B. Shaw :

107) In mythology, hell links to the underworld that is mysterious and horrible. However, Shaw




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introduces the world of hell as similar as the ordinary world. Don Juan, in Man and Superman,

attempts to console Dona Ana with saying that “Hell is a city much like Seville”. Besides, he

explains her that hell includes all that she requires as a woman.

you are a lady; and wherever ladies are is hell. Do not be surprised or terrified:

you will find everything here that a lady can desire, including devils who will

serve you from sheer love of servitude, and magnify your importance for the

sake of dignifying their service the best of servants. (Shaw : 107)

He concludes his speech about the hell by describing it as “the place where you have nothing to

do but amuse yourself.” On the contrary, Shaw illustrates heaven as “the home of the masters of

reality” (Shaw : 118) in which “you live and work instead of playing and pretending. You face

things as they are; you escape nothing but glamour; and your steadfastness and your peril are

your glory.” (Shaw : 118) Don Juan feels boring of all the entertainment that hell possesses,

and he regards all these things as “lies”, “tedious” and “vulgar pursuit of happiness.” (Shaw :

118) However, he elucidates that he would like to be in heaven for contemplating everything

interested him “namely, life: the force that ever strives to attain greater power of contemplating

itself.” (Shaw : 119)

In brief, Shaw uses the religious and mythological concepts of hell and heaven, but he illustrates

them in a different way. Instead of illustrating hell as a horrible place from which a sinner should

be afraid of punishment, he illustrates it as a place where enjoyment is easy to be got, and love

and beauty are its features. On the other hand, he does not deal with heaven as the reward given

to the believers or the virtuous people. He portrays it as a place where some people feel boring

because it does not have the same entertainment that hell has. According to him, in heaven one

has to strive for getting what one wishes.

3- Mythical characters

The influence of classic myths on George Bernard Shaw appears in his deep comprehension to

its core. Thus, the supernatural power that is the core of mythology has a vital influence on his

thoughts. He classifies men into two categories, a man and a superman. The concept of




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superman has its origin in classic mythologies. In their search for security, primitives spiritualize

the nature and give it the power of changing the world as well as ruining the world. They have

thought about gods and goddesses in mortals‟ form, but they have illustrated them with super

power. Furthermore, each god and goddess governs something different from other.

Mythologizers such as Hesiod, Ovid and others record all these stories in their literary works,

and they recount myths of some heroes that primitives talk about them as an outcome of

marriage between a god or goddess and a mortal. These hybrids are also super mortals in which

they have fulfilled impossible deeds. On the other hand, Crystal Mills emphasizes that the figure

of superman is not a new figure, but it is “existing in different forms through Western

mythology, but always as the man who defies accepted morality and destroys contemporary

social structures.” (Mills :..)

Kashi Kumar Karan proposes that the concept of superman has its origin in the Greek

philosophers‟ inquiry about the world along with its objectives and from their thinking about

man instead of being in thinking of the external nature. Consequently, “the shifting of interest

from nature to man, the polytheistic character of the Greek religion led to the study of human

mind and human conduct.” (Karan : 32) Karan points to “the Sophists, Socrates, Plato, Aristotle,

the stoics and Epicurus” as “the chief representative of the idea merit.” (Karan : 32) These

philosophers and mythologizers lead people to self-awareness. Protagoras states, “Man is the

measure of all things.” (qtd. in Karan: 32) Shaw himself emphasizes that the concept of

superman roots in classic mythology, and he links the concept to the myth of Prometheus who is

the first one to defy the god of gods, Zeus, and other Olympian gods. Prometheus violates the

will of gods by giving fire to men. This labor can be regarded as the first rebellion against the

order. Violation of the normal is the prevailing features that characterize a superman.

Gary Westfahl agrees that the concept comes back to the classic mythology and presents some

examples of Supermen in mythology. He refers to “Achilles, Beowulf, and Gilgamesh” as “the

earliest examples of the superman in ancient human cultures” (Westfahl : 769) because of their

bravery as well as achievements. According to him, bravery is not only confined to mortals but

also gods and goddess. He says, “Heroes of great physical prowess, they were sometimes gods

and goddess with magical power.” (Westfahl : 769) That is to say that a superman is an




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individual who is able to do something and others cannot. Classic mythology, therefore, includes

many examples of supermen having some individual features. Some have a strength and

braveness that are outstanding among others. Hercules is one of these mythical heroes. He is

another example of mythical superman whose outstanding bravery places him in a high status

among others. He fulfills impossible labors that others cannot achieve such as killing many-

headed Hera, bringing the Hellhound Cerberus up from the underworld and retrieving the golden

apples of the Hesperides.

The super intellectual power is another feature that mythical archetypes possess. Accordingly,

Oedipus is a superman for possessing such a super intellectual power. His super intellectual

power appears when he helps people of Thebes to free from the Sphinx that stops all travelers

and asks them a question. If they do not answer this question, Sphinx kills and eats them.

Oedipus is the only person who answers the question of the Sphinx and leads her to throw herself

into the sea. Shaw adds the same feature to his superman. Kashi Kumar Karan highlights that

Shaw‟s superman is “the product of profound intellectual power.” (Karan : 86)

Shaw explains his concept of Superman in his play Man and Superman. In fact, the title of the

play attracts the eyes and attention of the readers and leads them to inquire about the features that

Superman has. Shaw introduces Jack Tanner as the superman. The features of superman appear

in Tanner‟s illustration as well as his speech. David Carl Artman analyzes the character of

Tanner starting with reference to Shaw‟s illustration of his appearance that reflects his awareness

towards everything around him. Artman believes that “The superman‟s general attention to all

of Man‟s acts is the initial step in his evolution through awareness.” (Artman) According to

Chaix-Ruy, “The superior man creates his own laws, and the iron claws of Destiny, which tear

only the flanks of the weak, have no hold on him. He lives in an atmosphere beyond what

ordinary men call good and evil.” (qtd. in Millers: ..) Tanner goes against society and its

institutions. He believes that some of these institutions belong to “morality and propriety and so

forth” are “silly superstitions”. (Shaw : 66) One of these social institutions that Shaw attacks

through Tanner is marriage. He regards it as an obstacle that delays the evolution of the

superman because it sometimes prevents many people from different classes to get married.




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Larry A. Brown discusses the superman of Shaw along with other supermen of Wagner,

Nietzsche. In this discussion, he refers to their features. According to him, Shaw‟s superman is

not selfish and does have any desire to “rule over others but to raise all humanity to his level.”

(Brown :..) Besides, Brown emphasizes that Shaw has shared the “heroic energy and a

willingness to serve a higher force” (Brown :..) with Nietzsche‟s superman. Like other characters

of Shaw, the superman defies the obsolete moral codes and lives freely out of these chains. John

Tanner is proud of himself that he rebels against the old moral traditions and gets the reputation

of being shameless. Shaw introduces some historical characters in his plays with some traits of a

superman such as Julius Caesar and Napoleon Bonaparte. In fact, he illustrates these characters

in less grand as they are in history, but he makes them more human and more familiar with the

ways of governing.

The Spanish myth of Don Juan was popular in the 17th century, and some writers have used it in

their literary works. Shaw applies this myth and treats it dramatically. In his play Man and

Superman, he produces an act about the myth of Don Juan. The characters of the myth along

with some events have been applied as a dream seen by John Tanner. Don Juan, the hero, is a

famous lover and a rascal who deceives many women and makes sex with them. He always

shows each one that he is in love with her. Don Juan prepares himself to seduce a noble woman,

Donna Ana whose father is the commander, but the commander discovers him and then

challenges him to duel in which Don Juan kills the commander. While he is moving by the

commander‟s grave or statue, he hears a voice warning him that he will be punished. He

kiddingly invites the voice to dinner. Don is surprised when the statue comes to the house for

dinner. The statue puts his hand out and asks Don to go to another dinner. As soon as, Don Juan

takes the hand of the statue, the statue drags him to hell. In fact, classic mythology includes a

myth about the god of gods, Zeus, who falls in love with many females either goddess or human.

Zeus deceives some of them by disguising.

Shaw produces a scene of Don Juan‟s life in the hell. He also presents the commander and his

daughter in his treatment of this part of the myth. He uses the same names for his characters, but

he adapts some features. Unlike Don Juan of the myth, Shaw‟s Don Juan does not like to talk

about love and its features which are in hell. In the myth, he enjoys plotting tricks for women to




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fall in love with them. Don Juan shows that the hell possesses everything that he has in his life.

However, he does not feel happy because he thinks that not all these things should be too easy to

be held.

According to Don Juan, one has to strive “to bring it into existence or clearing the way for it.

That is the law of my life.” (Shaw : 137) Shaw attempts to add an interpretation of woman‟s

reason of making relation with man through Don Juan‟s speech about himself. In the myth, he

feels happy of pursuing women and gets pleasure of sleeping with them. However, Shaw

illustrates him as a man whose first pleasure is to get a refuge where his annoyance is easy to be

lost. Don Juan describes his first experience with a woman and what he is used to do after that.

It was not love for Woman that delivered me into her hands: it was fatigue,

exhaustion. When I was a child, and bruised my head against a stone, I ran to

the nearest woman and cried away my pain against her apron. When I grew

up, and bruised my soul against the brutalities and stupidities with which I

had to strive, I did again just what I had done as a child. (Shaw : 138)

On the other hand, Shaw introduces the characters of the myth, Dona Ana and her father. In fact,

Shaw introduces Dona Ana and Don Juan to represent the characters of his play. Dona Ana

represents Ann Whitefield, and Don Juan represents Jack Tanner. Shaw believes that woman‟s

“predominant function is to produce human race and to preserve it.” He adds, “The single

purpose of her life is to carry her mission.” (Singh : 29) Thus, a woman does her best to catch a

man to generate a new race. Dona Ana asks about the superman and as soon as she knows that

“he is not yet created” (Shaw : 144), she devoutly prays for finding the father for the superman.

In fact, Shaw not only exploits some classic myths but also historical stories that are regarded as

myths. The life and trial of the cultural French heroine, Joan De Acre, who is canonized in the

twentieth century as a saint is the centre of his play Saint Joan. He attempts to reflect the

substantial records concerning her life and trial. The resistance, the suffering from torture and

capital punishment are the events of the play. The resistance along with suffering has its root in

classic myths.




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4- Myths within expressions

In some of his plays, Shaw writes some phrases that allude to some myths and some mythical

characters. When he is illustrating Jack Tanner in Man and Superman, Shaw portrays him

mentioning two mythical characters, Jupiter and Apollo. In The Doctor’s Dilemma, he cites two

lines of one of Alexander Pope‟s Poems:

A little learning is a dangerous thing :

Drink deep; or taste not the Pierian spring.

(qtd. in Shaw‟s The doctor‟s Dilemma: 20)

In these two lines, Pope highlights the vastness of knowledge as well as learning. Similarly,

Shaw uses these two lines to emphasize the danger of ignorance. The second line includes an

allusion to Pierian Spring. In Greek Mythology, this place lays “on the slopes of Mount Olympus

and was sacred to the MUSES.” (Manser : 373) It is a regarded as “a fountain of Knowledge”

(Philips and Christner) and “the source of inspiration for art and science.” (Murty : 24) Besides,

it is believed that “anyone who drank from the spring would enjoy wisdom or inspiration.”

(Manser : 373)

George B. Bryan and Wolfgang Mieder point out some proverbial expressions implied a

reference to classical mythology used in the works of Shaw. Some of the expressions refer to

some mythical heroes and their achievements. For instance,

Here, then, is no little diplomatic job… but a

Labor of Hercules… (qtd. in Bryan and Mieder: 15)

In this expression, there is an allusion to the mythical hero, Hercules and his labor. Shaw exploits

another expression that includes a hint to another mythical character. Achilles is known as the

bravest hero in the Trojan War. After his birth, his mother has attempted to make him immortal

by dipping him in the River Styx. When she dips him, she holds him in one of his heel, and she

forgets to dip him again to wet that part of the leg. Instead of being immortal, that part of his heel

leads to his death after being wounded. Shaw writes a sentence containing a reference to Achilles

and weakness.




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Divorce is the Achilles heel of marriage. (qtd. in Bryan and Mieder: 15)

„As rich as Croesus‟, „Gordian Knot‟ and „Pile Pelion on Ossa‟ are also classic expressions

containing allusions to classic mythology and Shaw applies them in his writings. In the first

expression, there is an allusion to Croesus, the king of Lydia, who is popular for his wealth.

Shaw says:

…the man …will never be a cultivated citizen

though he were as rich as Croesus. (qtd. in Bryan and Mieder: 15)

The second expression alludes to the king of Phrygia, Gordius. The expression is a symbol of the

problems that cannot be solved. In mythology, the king Gordius binds and fastens his chariot to

the pole, and no one could unravel it because of the knots. The myth contains a hint that one will

come one day and solves it. Alexander the Great attempts to look for the end of knots and then

impatiently cut the knots. Thus, the expression has a received another addition that refers to

solving problems by cutting the knots. Shaw applies this expression in his writings.

I have at last cut the Gordian knot by printing the

book myself in the united States. (qtd. in Bryan and Mieder: 15)

The third expression alludes to the story of piling the Mount Pelion and the Mount Ossa in

classic mythology by the giants Outs and Ephialtes in their attempt to storm Olympus. Shaw uses

the expression that means adding extra difficulty to something which is already difficult.

I might Pile Pelion on Ossa with illustrations of the

passages that might very well be cut of shake-

spear’s plays… (qtd. in Bryan and Mieder: 16)

5- Mythical Creatures

Shaw‟s knowledge of mythology helps him exploiting mythical creatures in his plays. In Caesar

and Cleopatra, Shaw denotes a mythical creature, Sphinx, which has a body of a lion and a head

of a human. He refers to its statue in Egypt whose paws are used as a bed for sleeping by

Cleopatra and to whom Caesar says his prayer. On the other hand, Shaw‟s knowledge of classic

myth appears in applying a myth in which an animal has a critical role in the events of the story.

His play Androcles and the Lion is based on one of the famous myths in which an animal plays a




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vital role. The lion is one of the critical characters in the plays in which it changes the direction

of the events. At the beginning, it appears to suffer from pain caused by a thorn stuck in his paw.

However, at the end of the play, its requited mercy and rejection to hurt Androcles and his

friends lead the king and others to convert to Christianity. Moreover, Shaw introduces a serpent

as a character in his play Back to Methuselah. Unlike other animals, the ability to speak

characterizes his serpent. The Serpent introduces itself, as “I am old. I am the old serpent, older

than Adam, older than Eve”, and then, it reveals that there has been another creature before

Adam and Eve. She says, “I remember Lilith, who came before Adam and Eve.” (B. Shaw, Back

to Methuselah: A Metabilogical Pentateuch : 8 )

To sum up, Shaw makes use of classic myths in different ways. Traditionally, he borrows some

myths along with their contents, themes and main characters to be the centre of his plays.

However, he modifies these myths to suit his era by talking about issues related to his era such as

education and the torment of non-believers. On the other hand, Shaw entitles his plays after the

myths that he has applied. In addition, he uses some ancient expressions that include some

references to some myths and some mythical heroes. Moreover, he discusses the concept and

features of the superman that have some allusions in classic myths.

References:

Artman, David Carle. " Bernard Shaw‟s Superman." 21 March 1993. David Artman Designs. 28

January 2013 <http://davidartman.com/tag/shaw>.

Brown, Larry A. Wagner, Nietzsche, Shaw: Prophets of the Superman. 28 january 2015

<http://larryavisbrown.homestead.com/files/ring/Wagner_Nietzsche_Shaw.htm>.

Karan, Kashi Kumar. Bernard Shaw and the Concept of Superman. New Delhi: Vani Prakashan,

1989.

Manser, Martin H. The Facts On File Dictionary Of Allusions. Ed. David H. Pickering. New

York: Facts on File, 2009.

Mills, Crystal. The Development of the Superman in Shaw and Shelly. 14 November 2006. 28

January 2013 <http://www.crystalmills.ca/index.html>.

Morford, Mark P. O. and Robert J. Lenardon. Classical Mythology. Oxford: Oxford University

Pressm Inc., 2003.




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Murty, M. Ram. Indian Philosophy: An Introduction. Toronto, Oranio: Broadview Press, 2013.

Philips, Bernard and David Christner. Revolution in the social Sciences: Beyond Control Freaks,

conformity, and Tunnel Vision. Plymouth: Lexington , 2012.

Shaw, Bernard. Androcles and the Lion. A Fable play. London: Constable Company Ltd., 1921.

—. Back to Methuselah: A Metabilogical Pentateuch. New York: Brentano's, 1921.

Shaw, George Bernard. Man and Superman" A Comedy and a Philosophy. Pennsylvania: The

Pennsylvania State University Press, 2003.

Singh, D. K. The Idea of the Superman in the Plays of G.B. Shaw. New Delhi: Atlanatic

Publishers and Distributors , 1994.

Westfahl, Gray, ed. The Greenwood Encyclopedia of Science Fiction and Fantacy: Themes,

Works and Wonders. Vol. 2. Westport: Greenwood Publishing Group; Inc., 2005.

DEDICATION:

To you whom I love,

To you whom I respect,

I dedicate this humble work.

Ali Alhaidari

Mythical Allusions in Shaw's Major Works: An Interpretation

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