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Conventional Preachers in Selected Plays of Henrik Ibsen and George Bernard Shaw

Received: 15 August 2022    Accepted: 22 September 2022    Published: 21 October 2022
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Abstract

Bernard Shaw’s fervent admiration of Henrik Ibsen is not only registered in the former’s “The Quintessence of Ibsenism” but is also identifiable in the identical thematic concerns of both playwrights. Although the two authors may differ in the tone and mood of their plays, they are unanimous on the fact that the world is in motion and old values and previous conceptions are adrift. By presenting Ibsen and Shaw as precursors of change from a world of conventional practices to a freer and flexible world where both the woman and the man can impact each in his or her own way, this research endeavour seeks to consider the playwrights as revolutionists with a positive agenda for humanity. In this sense, the study examines the two authors as 19th century iconoclasts and seeks to determine their religious philosophies as illustrated in their plays. From a feminist perspective, the paper entitled “Conventional Preachers in Selected Plays of Henrik Ibsen and George Bernard Shaw” examines how modes of conventional preaching conflict with the evolutionary religious ideas of both authors. In line with feminist theology, the study which attempts to counter arguments or practices that place women in inferior spiritual or moral positions is based on the hypothesis that the heroines of Ibsen and Shaw are rebels against established theological preachings. The research postulates that Ibsen and Shaw are highly critical of the hypocritical religious preachers of the Norwegian and Victorian societies. It focuses on how the authors used the stage in the late nineteenth century to deliver the Victorian and Norwegian societies from rigid conventions. According to the study, conventional preaching is anti-feminist and society needs a more vibrant and progressive religion as conceived by Ibsen and propagated by Shaw.

Published in International Journal of Literature and Arts (Volume 10, Issue 5)
DOI 10.11648/j.ijla.20221005.16
Page(s) 302-310
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Iconoclasts, Religious Philosophies, Conflict, Feminist, Conventional Preachers

References
[1] Ibsen, Henrik. The Pillars of Society in Ibsen’s Heddar Gabbler and other plays. Trans. Una Ellis. London: Penguin P, 1950.
[2] Ghosts the Play, A Critical Anthology. Ed. Eric Bentley. New York: Prentice Hall, 1951.
[3] A Doll's House. Dover ed. New York: Dover Publications, 1992.
[4] Shaw, G. Bernard. Major Barbara. Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1978.
[5] Saint Joan. Ed, Dan Laurence. Harmondsworth: UK, Penguin, 1986.
[6] Abbott, Anthony S. The Vital lie, Rreality and Illusion in Modern Drama. Tuscaloosa: Univ. of Alabama, 1989.
[7] Beauvoir, Simone. The Second Sex. New York: Vintage Books, 1989.
[8] Daly, Mary. Beyond God the Father: Toward a Philosophy of Women’s Liberation. Boston: Beacon Press, 1973.
[9] Finney, Gail. Ibsen and feminism. In: James McFarlane, ed. The Cambridge Companion to Ibsen. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1994.
[10] Kaasa, Harris. “Ibsen and the Theologians.” Scandinavian Studies, vol. 43, no. 4, 1971, pp. 356–84. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/40917180. Accessed 18 Jul. 2022.
[11] Templeton, Joan. Ibsen's Women. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1997.
[12] The Holy Bible, Authorized Version. Philadelphia: The National Publishing Company, 1975.
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  • APA Style

    Njong Divine. (2022). Conventional Preachers in Selected Plays of Henrik Ibsen and George Bernard Shaw. International Journal of Literature and Arts, 10(5), 302-310. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijla.20221005.16

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    ACS Style

    Njong Divine. Conventional Preachers in Selected Plays of Henrik Ibsen and George Bernard Shaw. Int. J. Lit. Arts 2022, 10(5), 302-310. doi: 10.11648/j.ijla.20221005.16

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    AMA Style

    Njong Divine. Conventional Preachers in Selected Plays of Henrik Ibsen and George Bernard Shaw. Int J Lit Arts. 2022;10(5):302-310. doi: 10.11648/j.ijla.20221005.16

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  • @article{10.11648/j.ijla.20221005.16,
      author = {Njong Divine},
      title = {Conventional Preachers in Selected Plays of Henrik Ibsen and George Bernard Shaw},
      journal = {International Journal of Literature and Arts},
      volume = {10},
      number = {5},
      pages = {302-310},
      doi = {10.11648/j.ijla.20221005.16},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijla.20221005.16},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijla.20221005.16},
      abstract = {Bernard Shaw’s fervent admiration of Henrik Ibsen is not only registered in the former’s “The Quintessence of Ibsenism” but is also identifiable in the identical thematic concerns of both playwrights. Although the two authors may differ in the tone and mood of their plays, they are unanimous on the fact that the world is in motion and old values and previous conceptions are adrift. By presenting Ibsen and Shaw as precursors of change from a world of conventional practices to a freer and flexible world where both the woman and the man can impact each in his or her own way, this research endeavour seeks to consider the playwrights as revolutionists with a positive agenda for humanity. In this sense, the study examines the two authors as 19th century iconoclasts and seeks to determine their religious philosophies as illustrated in their plays. From a feminist perspective, the paper entitled “Conventional Preachers in Selected Plays of Henrik Ibsen and George Bernard Shaw” examines how modes of conventional preaching conflict with the evolutionary religious ideas of both authors. In line with feminist theology, the study which attempts to counter arguments or practices that place women in inferior spiritual or moral positions is based on the hypothesis that the heroines of Ibsen and Shaw are rebels against established theological preachings. The research postulates that Ibsen and Shaw are highly critical of the hypocritical religious preachers of the Norwegian and Victorian societies. It focuses on how the authors used the stage in the late nineteenth century to deliver the Victorian and Norwegian societies from rigid conventions. According to the study, conventional preaching is anti-feminist and society needs a more vibrant and progressive religion as conceived by Ibsen and propagated by Shaw.},
     year = {2022}
    }
    

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Author Information
  • Higher Teacher Training College-Bertoua, The University of Bertoua, Bertoua, The Republic of Cameroon

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