Dialectical Drama and the Ideal State: The Platonic Dimension of Shavian Dramaturgy and Political Theory

Shaw saw himself as a modern-day Socrates, shattering mindless conventions and ideals. But Shaw not only modeled himself on Plato’s leading character; he also modeled his dramaturgy, in part, on the Platonic dialogue, and it might be said that Plato influenced his style as much as any single playwright. Indeed, Shaw signals as much in the preface to Man and Superman when he calls the dream sequence a “Shavio-Socratic dialogue.” Going further, this article contends that Plato’s influence was equally powerful in the realm of political theory, and that Shaw saw the Fabians as a species of philosopher kings, such as Plato outlines in The Republic. The notion of designing an ideal society, such as Plato does in The Republic, was central to Shaw’s life’s work. This article argues and illustrates how Plato was perhaps the greatest single influence on Shaw’s political thinking as well as on his dramaturgical strategy.