Heartbreak House by George Bernard Shaw
Heartbreak House is a play by George Bernard Shaw, first performed in 1920. It is set in the early 20th century, in the English countryside, and follows the lives of the eccentric and wealthy Captain Shotover and his family. The play begins with the arrival of a young woman, Ellie Dunn, who has been invited to stay with the Shotovers. She is soon joined by a variety of other guests, including the charming and mysterious Hector Hushabye, the wealthy businessman Boss Mangan, and the mysterious and dangerous figure of the Russian anarchist, Professor Ratchett. The guests soon find themselves in the midst of a heated debate about the state of the world, and the need for change. As the play progresses, the characters’ relationships become increasingly complex, and the play culminates in a dramatic climax. Heartbreak House is a powerful and thought-provoking play, exploring themes of love, death, and the need for social change. It is a classic of modern drama, and remains one of Shaw’s most popular works.
By George Bernard Shaw · First published 1919 · Genre: Drama, Comedy, Romance · 4 chapters · 47,743 words
First lines
Where Heartbreak House Stands
What this Textopian page supports
Heartbreak House is listed on Textopian as a play by George Bernard Shaw, dated 1919 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: 1919 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Drama, Comedy, Romance, Tragedy
- Length: 47,743 words
- Structure: 4 chapters, 1,654 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)
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- Work identity for Heartbreak House by George Bernard Shaw
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
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Genres
- Drama — Heartbreak House is a play written by George Bernard Shaw in the early 20th century. It is a comedy-drama that follows the lives of a group of people living in a house in the English countryside. The play is full of witty dialogue and explores themes of love, death, and the human condition.
- Comedy — Heartbreak House is a comedic play that follows the lives of a group of people living in a house in the English countryside. The play is full of witty dialogue and explores themes of love, death, and the human condition in a humorous way.
- Romance — Heartbreak House is a play that follows the lives of a group of people living in a house in the English countryside. The play explores themes of love and romance, as the characters grapple with their feelings for one another.
- Tragedy — Heartbreak House is a play that follows the lives of a group of people living in a house in the English countryside. The play explores themes of death and tragedy, as the characters grapple with the inevitability of mortality.
Tags
1914-1918 · 20th century · Drama · England · Social life and customs · Upper class · World War · burglar · business · captain · chair · door