Great Catherine

by George Bernard Shaw, William-Alan Landes

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Genres: Plays, Fiction, Classics, Drama

37 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 1997

About the author

George Bernard Shaw stands as one of the most prolific and influential intellectuals of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, a man whose literary output was matched only by his fervent commitment to social reform. Rising from a modest background in Dublin to become a global icon of letters, Shaw redefined the purpose of the stage, transforming it from a place of mere entertainment into a forum for rigorous intellectual debate and moral inquiry. His unique "Shavian" style—characterized by sharp-witted dialogue, paradoxical reasoning, and a relentless assault on Victorian hypocrisy—ensured that his voice resonated far beyond the footlights. As a playwright, critic, and philosopher, he remains a singular figure in history, being one of only two individuals to have been honored with both a Nobel Prize in Literature and an Academy Award. This rare crossover of high-art recognition and mainstream cinematic success speaks to his versatility and the enduring relevance of his narratives. His dramatic work, which includes over sixty plays, often tackled the most pressing issues of his day, from the rigid structures of the British class system to the complexities of gender roles and the ethical dilemmas of capitalism. In masterpieces like Pygmalion, he used the science of phonetics to demonstrate the artificiality of class distinctions, a theme that would later reach millions through the musical adaptation My Fair Lady. In Man and Superman, he delved into the philosophical concepts of the "Life Force" and the evolution of the human spirit, while Major Barbara forced audiences to confront the uncomfortable relationship between religious idealism and the industrial military complex. Beyond his theatrical achievements, Shaw was a foundational force in political thought, serving as a leading light of the Fabian Society. His advocacy for gradual socialist reform, rather than violent revolution, helped shape the trajectory of modern British politics and social welfare. He was instrumental in the creation of the London School of Economics, an institution that continues to influence global policy and economic theory. Shaw was also a formidable critic, whose reviews of music and drama set new standards for the profession, characterized by an uncompromising honesty and a deep knowledge of the arts. His personal lifestyle was as distinctive as his writing; a committed vegetarian, teetotaler, and non-smoker, he lived with a disciplined focus that allowed him to remain productive well into his ninth decade. He was a man of contradictions, often engaging in provocative public discourse that challenged the status quo, even when his views sparked intense controversy. His fascination with the "Superman" archetype and his occasional support for authoritarian figures reflected a complex, often elitist worldview that sought the betterment of humanity through radical intellectual evolution. Despite these complexities, his core mission was always rooted in a profound humanitarianism and a desire to expose the delusions that prevented society from progressing. He believed that the power of the written word could strip away the masks of respectability that hid social injustice, and his plays continue to be staged worldwide because the human foibles he satirized remain as prevalent today as they were during his lifetime. By blending humor with gravity and intellect with accessibility, Shaw created a body of work that serves as both a mirror and a compass for modern civilization. His legacy is not just in the scripts he left behind, but in the very way we think about the intersection of art, politics, and the individual’s responsibility to the collective good. He remains the quintessential public intellectual, a man who never feared to speak his mind or to demand that the world become a more rational and equitable place.

Reviews

[Realini Ionescu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great Catherine by George Bernard Shaw

The Amusing GB Shaw

- “I had a wonderful time, only not this time”



Who is really funny and witty…

Only not this time ( Groucho Marx sometimes joked, when leaving a party:

- “I had a wonderful time, only not this time”

In conclusion, I would say the same thing about the Great Catherine

- great play, only not this one

This seems a farce….

Or a parody, perhaps both?

Maugham writes in The Summing Up about Shaw.

Shaw benefited from a favorable timing

Young people were rebelling against the conservative, upper classes

And it happened that Shaw wrote about subjects that were Interesting and controversial, at exactly the right moment.

The Russians come out as barbarians and cruel, at least after a superficial reading. I did not like Great Catherine, so I gave it very little of my attention.

The intention is probably one of satire: magnifying some faults, we can laugh at them and learn to try and be different from what we see on stage.

Somerset Maugham mentions in his critique some of the qualities of George Bernard Shaw, who was a good writer, albeit not one of my favorites. And I think I can say that Maugham was not so fascinated by Shaw either.

Flogging is one of the punishments that are threatened, together with execution. Sometimes it may sound a bit funny. Like when the empress is said to want to kill the English man.

A woman comes after the noble English and is jealous:

- Did you see the empress

- She is a fine royalty

- How do you know!?

- I saw her

- How close were you?

- She is distinguished

- How close did you get to her- not a quotation, but words to that effect

A relationship seems to develop and Great Catherine seems to get fond of the emissary who had come all the way from Britain, only to become fascinated by Great Catherine.

But it all appeared rather silly to me. There is Drinking and abuse

The recent Downing of the Malayan plane and the subsequent disgusting behavior of the rebels have done nothing to increase my affection for the Russians, who, incredibly believe that the plane was shot by the Ukrainians, Putin is doing the right thing and their war in the Ukraine is just…an astonishing 82% of the Russian people feels that way. You can’t think in terms of:

- all these guys are like that, but when 82% think preposterous, outrageous things, it makes you shudder

How can you have a Great Catherine, Ivan or indeed anything with such a mentality?

Brain washing and communist propaganda, now replaced by a Kremlin lying media machine explain some of that. It is still terrifying to see such an incredible majority approving barbaric acts.

Shaw was fond of the Soviet Union if I remember well and he had some strange public appearances. I have seen a documentary which included footage of Shaw and his presence felt awkward. He was funny and witty, for instance when saying about Hitler: “I have nothing much against Hitler, except to say that mankind would have been better if he wasn’t born”.

What I remember is too much of a showman and less of the wise, old man that I expected. But then he is Shaw and who am I?

[Bettie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Peter O'Toole as Capt. Charles Edstaston



Description (wiki): Great Catherine: Whom Glory Still Adores is a 1913 one-act play by Irish dramatist George Bernard Shaw. It was written between two of his other 1913 plays, Pygmalion and The Music Cure, and focuses on Captain Charles Edstaston, a very prim and proper British military attaché who, in 1776, is assigned to the Imperial Russian court in Saint Petersburg, during the 34-year (1762–1796) rule of Empress Catherine the Great, and brings his equally prim fiancée, Claire, with him. In the midst of court intrigue and palace politics, primarily instigated by Catherine's favored statesman and military leader, the drunken, ill-mannered, but crafty Prince Patiomkin, the imperiously commanding, yet concurrently, voraciously intimate Catherine toys with the naive arrival, questioning his rigid beliefs, leading him to drop his guarded mannerisms and, in the process, she also learns certain philosophical truths.

Watch Here

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

A delightful short play about the visit of a very proper English officer to the court of Catherine the Great. The latter engages in some amusing love play with the captain (whose fiancée is with him in St. Petersburg), then moves on to other things as her imperial prerogative dictates.

[Hesham Sheir · Rating 4 out of 5]

مسرحية كاترين العظمى للكاتب الإيرلندي جورج برنارد شو، كتبها عام 1913. وهي مسرحية قصيرة ولا تعد من مسرحيات شو الهامة. ويوضح شو في مقدمة المسرحية إنه لم يهدف أبدا من كتابة تلك المسرحية إلى التصوير التاريخى وانها "سوف تترك القارئ جاهلاً بالتاريخ الروسي مثلما يحتمل أن يكون حاله الآن قبل أن يقلب الصفحة"!

ورغم أن المسرحية بالفعل لا تقدم وقائع تاريخية ثابتة إلا أن أي عمل لشو لا يمكن أن يخرج منه القارئ مثلما دخل. ففي كل أعماله نرى معرفته الموسوعية تنساب بين السطور. لذلك فيمكنني أن أعدد قدرا لا بأس به من المعلومات التاريخية الدقيقة التي تساقطت من شو دون قصد بين سطور المسرحية.

ولكن أهم ما تعرضه المسرحية ليس التاريخ كما أكد شو ولكنها تعرض مقابلة ساخرة وثاقبة بين طبيعة الشخصية الإنجليزية الدقيقة المتقيدة بالتقاليد والشخصية الروسية العاطفية الفوضوية.
والمذهل هنا بحق أن شو، وهو الكاتب الغربي، قد تمكن بكفاءة وشفافية من سبر أغوار الشخصية الروسية وأبرز جوانب طالما طمستها تماماً الدعاية الغربية المضادة. ويقدم شو ذلك في إطار طريف بأسلوبه الساخر اللاذع المميز.

[Shom Biswas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this play on Gutenberg while watching an online performance of it (Link Here). A friend was performing !
The performances was very good indeed throughout (I will give it a 4), the play itself is ... uh.... not Shaw's best, let's say?

[Alethea_K · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,5*/5*

[Mac · Rating 4 out of 5]

Shaw's "Great Catherine" is a short play that depicts a meeting between Catherine the Great of Russia and an English soldier. There are some funny characters and moments. The most memorable thing for me was when Catherine tortures the poor Englishman... by tickling his feet. Overall, it brings to mind one of Andrew Sarris's damning-with-faint-praise categories in his "The American Cinema": "lightly likable."

[Dr.J.G. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Shaw is no worshiper of great persona of history, and The Great Catherine of Russia does not escape his caricature. She is shown here as a barbaric ruler of a barbaric huge powerful nation, charmed by sophistication of a mere lowly officer of the British embassy in her empire.

Every caricature has some truth distorted, and here the fact is Russia was and is a huge nation spreading from eastern one third of Europe to the very eastern edge of Asia, and as a matter of fact Alaska belongs to US only because the 99 year old lease was lost during the revolution. The great wilderness of Siberia would be a nation large enough to be among first ten if it were independent, and neighbouring Yakutia joins it in the large wilderness of deep heart of Russia. So the populace is varied, there are well over a dozen languages and many faiths. Uniting all this is no joke, and the greater of the Russian monarchs did it by commanding loyalty from their subjects as Catherine the Great did.

And yes, they did look to west for bringing some sophistication to the vast wilderness, and the court language was French, spoken even among themselves by the upper class, often at home as well. That their heart stays Russian can be no doubt, but they were no barbarians of this caricature, post Peter the Great who built St Petersburg.

[Rw · Rating 2 out of 5]

Shaw was such a magnificent writer, but in this play, I just didn't get the message. What was he trying to say in this very short play?

[Tinquerbelle]

Shaw, George Bernard
The Complete Bernard Shaw Plays

In compilation only.

[Rupertt Wind · Rating 3 out of 5]

Its okay.