Like several of Shaw's early plays,

– first produced in 1897 and published in his collection

in 1901 – takes an existing popular theatrical form, in this case melodrama, and adapts it to serve Shaw's dramatic purposes. In the preface to

he writes: “It does not contain a single even passably novel incident. Every old patron of the Adelphi [a theatre which specialized in melodrama] pit would […] recognize the reading of the will, the oppressed orphan finding a protector, the arrest, the heroic sacrifice, the court martial, the scaffold, the reprieve at the last moment, as he recognizes beefsteak pudding on the bill of fare at his restaurant.” As well as using the stock devices of melodrama, Shaw writes in the…

2105 words

Citation: Newton, Ken. "The Devil's Disciple". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 22 January 2003 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=1103, accessed 25 November 2024.]

• View recommended reading for this article