Androcles and the Lion
Androcles and the Lion is a play by George Bernard Shaw, first performed in 1912. It is a retelling of the ancient fable of Androcles, a slave who is saved from death by a lion after removing a thorn from its paw. The play follows Androcles as he escapes from his Roman captors and finds refuge in a cave, where he meets the lion. After removing the thorn, the lion becomes Androcles' companion and protector. The two then travel together, encountering various characters along the way, including a Christian hermit, a Roman captain, and a group of Christian martyrs. The play is a comedy, but it also contains serious themes, such as the power of friendship, the importance of faith, and the dangers of religious persecution. In the end, Androcles and the lion are reunited and the play ends with a message of hope and redemption.
By George Bernard Shaw · First published 1912 · Genre: Comedy, Drama, Classical Literature · 3 chapters · 16,225 words
First lines
Evening. The end of three converging roads to Rome. Three triumphal arches span them where they debouch on a square at the gate of the city. Looking north through the arches one can see the campagna threaded by the three long dusty tracks. On the east and west sides of the square are long stone benches. An old beggar sits on the east side of the square, his bowl at his feet.
What this Textopian page supports
Androcles and the Lion is listed on Textopian as a play by George Bernard Shaw, dated 1912 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Play
- Author: George Bernard Shaw
- Date: 1912 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Comedy, Drama, Classical Literature, Satire
- Length: 16,225 words
- Structure: 3 chapters, 537 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for Androcles and the Lion by George Bernard Shaw
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
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Discussion starters
- What should a reader notice first when entering Androcles and the Lion?
- How does this play by George Bernard Shaw fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
- Where does Comedy first become important in the reading?
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Genres
- Comedy — The play is a comedic retelling of the ancient fable of Androcles and the Lion, which is a humorous story about a man and a lion.
- Drama — The play is a dramatic retelling of the ancient fable of Androcles and the Lion, which is a story with a moral lesson.
- Classical Literature — The play is a modern adaptation of the ancient fable of Androcles and the Lion, which is a classic story from Greek mythology.
- Satire — The play is a satirical retelling of the ancient fable of Androcles and the Lion, which is a story with a humorous and critical tone.
Tags
A Christian is Saved by His Devotion to an Animal · English drama (Comedy) · androcles · arena · box · boy · brother · caesar · captain · centurion · christian · christians