Includes bibliographical references (p. 171-173) and index.

Saint Joan: the self as imagination / John A. Bertolini -- The Shavian inclusiveness / Jean Reynolds -- Parodying the £5 virgin: Bernard Shaw and the playing of Pygmalion / Celia Marshik -- Major Barbara / Stuart E. Baker -- Make war on war: a Shavian conundrum / Lagretta Tallent Lenker -- Shaw among the artists / Jan McDonald -- Shavian poetics: Shaw on form and content / Michael Goldman -- G. B. Shaw's Heartbreak house and Harold Pinter's The homecoming: comedies of implosion / Emil Roy.

George Bernard Shaw took to task the dramatic conventions of the late 19th century and dealt with issues that had previously been ignored, such as religion, economics, domestic conflict, and the role of women in society. Shaw's career as a playwright spanned more than 50 years, and his plays Major Barbara, Pygmalion, and Heartbreak House endure as popular classics. This new edition of critical essays delves into Shaw's literary legacy and features a chronology of his life, a bibliography, an index for reference, and an introduction from Yale literary scholar Harold Bloom.--From publisher description.