PLOT SUMMARY Act I. The central event in the play-the story of Devadatta and Kapila- is based on a tale from the Vetalapanchavimshika, … George Bernard Shaw's Major Barbara Chapter Summary. [Dragging at the skirt] Come and tell me which one to take. BARBARA. They are by Profes-sor Gilbert Murray, whose English version of The Baccha came into our dramatic literature with all the impulsive power of an original work shortly before Major Barbara was be-gun. The climax of the play occurs at the end of the second Act when idealism must deal with reality. Kate is surprised, wonders how she should act when she meets this guest, and feels doubtful that they will get along after meeting each other in such a formal, arranged way. The Major Barbara Community Note includes chapter-by-chapter summary and analysis, character list, theme list, historical context, author biography and quizzes written by community members like you. The next day the family appears preparing for their visit to Undershaft's cannon works. The Euripidean verses in the second act of Major Barbara are not by me, or even directly by Euripides. The plot of Hayavadana comes from Kathasaritsagara, an ancient compilation of stories in Sanskrit. Summary Read a Plot Overview of the entire play or a scene by scene Summary and Analysis. Major Barbara. Summary. The Rhetoric of a Shavian Exposition: Act I of Major Barbara ROSANNE G. POTTER Critics of Shaw's plays, whether they have had generally negative or generally positive things to say about each playas a whole, have agreed on one subject: Shaw writes "faultless" first acts.' She is the daughter of Lady Britomart and her estranged husband, Andrew Undershaft, a rich industrialist and owner of a munitions factory. The young, idealistic daughter of Lady Britomart and Andrew Undershaft and the fiancée of Adolphous Cusins. I want a house in the village to live in with Dolly. At the first of the play, she is a committed member of the Salvation Army, believing in their philosophies and working in their shelter in West Ham, London. Her father tells her that he will … This Study Guide consists of approximately 51 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more - everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of Major Barbara. MAJOR BARBARA: FIRST AID TO CRITICS N.B. Act 1 begins in the library of a well-appointed house in London. "Charles Lomax, trying to console Barbara, makes an inopportune remark about there being "a certain amount of tosh about the Salvation Army." We put "help" in "quotes" because the super bossy and commanding Lady Britomart doesn't actually need any assistance in coming up with opinions, but for some reason she's making a big show of getting Stephen to weigh in. MAJOR BARBARA BERNARD SHAW ACT I It is after dinner on a January night, in the library in Lady Britomart Undershaft's house in Wilton Crescent. This act opens the next morning in Lady Britomart's library, and we are immediately astonished to see Major Barbara dressed not in her Salvation Army uniform but in an "ordinary fashionable dress. Major Barbara Summary As the play opens, a woman named Lady Britomart is trying to arrange the family finances with the "help" of her son, Stephen. Major Barbara, however, is confident that money will come because a Mrs. Baines, a high-ranking member of the Army, prayed for money last night, and her prayers are always answered, and, furthermore, Major Barbara announces that Mrs. Baines wants to meet Mr. Undershaft. A large and comfortable settee is in the middle of the room, upholstered in dark leather. Major Barbara opens with Lady Britomart in the library of her house in London, England, as her son Stephen, whom she has summoned, enters. This is the challenge which he confronts Major Barbara with; he challenges her to bring the Bill Walkers of the world to St. Perivale and give them physical security (freedom from want and hunger), and then, once the masses feel materially secure, Major Barbara can work to save their souls. This one-page guide includes a plot summary and brief analysis of Major Barbara … I want a house in the village to live in with Dolly. The Major Barbara Community Note includes chapter-by-chapter summary and analysis, character list, theme list, historical context, author biography and quizzes written by community members like you.