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Man and Superman - Definition and Overview |
| Related Words: Atlas, Briareus, Cyclops, Goliath, Hercules, Polyphemus, Samson, Tarzan, Titan, Bully, Colossus, Giant, Gorilla, Stalwart |
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Man and Superman is a 1902 play in four acts by George Bernard Shaw. Although it can be performed as a light comedy of manners, Shaw intended it to be something much deeper than that, as can be seen by the play's very title. This title comes from Nietzsche's philosophical ideas about the "Superman."
The plot centers around John Tanner, author of "The Revolutionist's Handbook and Pocket Companion" and a confirmed bachelor, and the lovely Ann's persistent efforts to make him marry her. Ann is referred to as "The Life Force" and represents Shaw's view that in every culture, it's the women who force the men to marry them, rather than the men taking the initiative.
In performance, the long third act of the play is often cut. Referred to as "Don Juan in Hell," it consists of a philosophical debate between Don Juan (played by the same actor who plays John Tanner), and the Devil (Mendoza, a Spaniard), with Doña Ana (Ann) and the Statue of Ana's father (Roebuck Ramsden, an aged friend of Tanner's) looking on.
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