Candida (play)

"Candida", a comedy by playwright G. Bernard Shaw, was first published in 1898, as part of his "Plays Pleasant". The central characters are clergyman James Morell, his wife Candida and a youthful poet, Eugene Marchbanks, who tries to win Candida's affections. The play questions Victorian notions of love and marriage, asking what a woman really desires from her husband. The cleric is a Fabian Socialist, allowing Shaw—himself a Fabian—to weave political issues, current at the time, into the story.

Between 1904 and 1907 The Royal Court Theatre staged several of George Bernard Shaw plays, including "Candida".

Plot

The play is set in the northeast suburbs of London in October, and tells the story of Candida, the wife of a first-rate clergyman named James Mavor Morell. Morell is a popular Christian Socialist Reverend in the Church of England, yet Candida is responsible for much of his success. Candida returns home briefly from a trip to London with Eugene Marchbanks, a young poet who wants to rescue her from what he presumes to be a dull family life. Marchbanks is in love with Candida, and believes she deserves something more than just complacency from her husband. He considers her a divine lady and his love eternal. In his views, it is quite improper and humiliating for Candida to attend to petty household chores. Morrel thinks that Candida needs his care and protection but the real situation is quite the opposite. The character of Mr. Burgess, Candida's father, an unrepentent capitalist, adds humor to the play. Ultimately, Candida must choose between the two gentlemen, and she reasserts her preference for Morell, the "weaker of the two."

External links

*gutenberg|no=4023|name=Candida