Study Of Bernard Show's Tragedy Saint Joan

Bernard Shaw obviously stayed as a great figure who renewed the English theater age afterShakespeare. In 1925, he was granted the Nobel Literature Prize which was attributed to his entireeffort and devote to drama. Saint Joan should be placed in an essential position in his drama as atragedy. This paper will discuss it from a perspective of tragedy.In a new age, the understanding of Shaw's Joan was differentiated from the past age because of thechanged and diverse context to define drama. So in the first chapter, definitions of drama are analyzedand an interpretation of tragedy is also provided to establish a coordinate for the following chapter.Since Shaw's Joan can be accepted by different ages, the drama itself should fulfill two conditions.One is the play bears some characteristic to match the changing ages, on the other hand, thesecharacteristic could be understood and felt by audience in these ages. Therefore, in chapter two, wecan see how Shaw set a new meaning system including the elements of patriotism, war, power andhumanity for Joan and twice ruin of her which can promote the tragedy ration and emotion.In the last chapter, it is concluded that the open system structure of the play help to the promotion ofthe tragedy ration and emotion. The calls from Joan which was presented at the ending of the play is toenlighten tragedy ration of human beings and tragedy emotion of humanity and harmonization.