G. B. Shaw's War Antipathy in Arms and the Man and Major Barbara

Abstract

This research paper deals with George Bernard Shaw's treatment of wars and their warmongers whose intention is to urge or attempt as much as they can to stir up war which largely culminates in death, destruction and all kinds of evil not to mention social diseases such as poverty, ignorance, starvation, prostitution and the like. In Arms and the Man and Major Barbara, Shaw expresses by his own ideas his real feelings of hatred and hostility when he pours his poignant criticism against capitalists and war makers, including weapon dealers, who encourage people to start or join a war to achieve their personal interests. The purpose of Shaw in writing his aforementioned plays is to show people the real ugly face of the wicked forces whose capitalistic and insatiable greed are so profound that they only aspire to personal power so that people can amend their wrong ideas of war fascination. Shaw's ideas represent a revolution against those warmongers who cannot silence him so that no peoples worldwide are denied their right to peace and a life free from fear.