"Mrs. Warren's Profession" and Moral Perspective

Paper Summary:

This paper analyzes Shaws play from an historical and moral perspective. The title of the play refers to Mrs Warren's profession of prostitution. It explains that in the late 1800's when the play was first produced, there was a lot of outcry and calls for its censorship. The plot of the play is explained and examined for what could have been considered offensive in nature. The paper shows how morals have developed and progressed and why the play is no longer considered "shocking."

From the Paper:

"From the time when it was written in 1893, George Bernard Shaw's Mrs. Warren's Profession was a problem for the playwright because of censorship. The profession alluded to in the title is prostitution, and Victorians did not like to admit publicly that such a thing existed, let alone allow a play to be performed in which the activity was in some sense celebrated. Modern reaction is very different from what Shaw's contemporaries would write when the play was finally performed in 1902. Early criticism focused more on the subject matter displayed than on the play as a piece of drama, while contemporary criticism turns this around and looks at the play as a play before considering any morality involved in talking about prostitution or treating it less than harshly."

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