Arms and the Man

An extremely humorous play, Arms and the Man was written by one of Ireland's most famous playwrights. George Bernard was born in Dublin in 1856. Before becoming a playwright he wrote music and literary criticism. Shaw used his writing to attack social problems such as education, marriage, religion, government, health care, and class privilege. Shaw was particularly conscious of the exploitation of the working class. Arms and the Man tells the story of an overmedicated pompous Judge named Fred Willard. This kangaroo court contains foreign affairs, love, and bigotry. The defendant has the key to peace between Israel and Palestine, but his plans will fail unless he can get court to adjourn.