The Philanderer
The Philanderer is a play written by George Bernard Shaw in 1893. It tells the story of Leonard Charteris, a wealthy young man who is engaged to be married but falls in love with another woman. The play explores themes of love, marriage, and morality in Victorian society.
By George Bernard Shaw · First published 1893 · Genre: Comedy, Satire, Drama · 4 chapters · 32,637 words
First lines
A lady and gentleman are making love to one another in the drawing-room of a flat in Ashly Gardens in the Victoria district of London. It is past ten at night. The walls are hung with theatrical engravings and photographs -- Kemble as Hamlet, Mrs. Siddons as Queen Katharine pleading in court, Macready as Werner (after Maclise), Sir Henry Irving as Richard III (after Long), Miss Ellen Terry, Mrs. Kendal, Miss Ada Rehan, Madame Sarah Bernhardt, Mr. Henry Arthur Jones, Mr. A. W. Pinero, Mr. Sydney Grundy, and so on, but not the Signora Duse or anyone connected with Ibsen. The room is not a perfect square, the right hand corner at the back being cut off diagonally by the doorway, and the opposite corner rounded by a turret window filled up with a stand of flowers surrounding a statue of Shakespear. The fireplace is on the right, with an armchair near it. A small round table, further forward on the same side, with a chair beside it, has a yellow-backed French novel lying open on it.
What this Textopian page supports
The Philanderer is listed on Textopian as a play by George Bernard Shaw, dated 1893 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: 1893 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Comedy, Satire, Drama, Romance, Social Critique
- Length: 32,637 words
- Structure: 4 chapters, 903 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Very Easy (5th Grade or below)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for The Philanderer by George Bernard Shaw
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
- Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph
Discussion starters
- What should a reader notice first when entering The Philanderer?
- 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 primarily a comedy, focusing on humorous situations and witty dialogue.
- Satire — It satirizes societal norms and the institution of marriage, critiquing contemporary attitudes.
- Drama — The play contains dramatic elements, exploring complex relationships and personal conflicts.
- Romance — Romantic entanglements and affairs are central to the plot, driving the narrative forward.
Tags
comedy · drama · romance · satire · theater · love · infidelity · social critique · Victorian era · gender roles · relationships · morality
Contents
- ACT I
- ACT II
- ACT III
- ACT IV