Man And Superman

If Man and Superman is a drama of ideas, what do you think Shaw is trying to say in terms of philosophy? How does Jack uphold or fail to uphold those philosophical ideals?

If you were producing the play today, what do you think would still be relevant to an audience? What didn’t age well and might deserve changing?

Research the social and political climate of England in the early 1900s. How does the state of the country and its citizens at this time inform the play?

Consider the dream sequence in the third act, also known as “Don Juan in Hell.” If you were producing the play, would you cut it? Why or why not? What do you think it has to offer as a play produced on its own?

In the dream sequence, Jack, Ann, Ramsden, and Mendoza play Don Juan, Dona Ana, the Statue, and the Devil respectively. Why do you think Shaw made those choices? How do those choices help to round out the characters?

Do you think Shaw’s portrayal and discussion of women and their role in marriage is empowering or misogynistic? Why? Be specific and use examples from the text.

How does the play define masculinity and idealized masculinity? How do different types of masculinity manifest throughout the play?

What is the significance of the title of the play? How do the ideas of “man” and “superman” manifest in the play? What do you think the play says overall about these ideas?