Mrs. Dudgeon is one of the Puritans.

She is a very bad woman but „has never missed a

Sunday at church”. She chase away her own child „Silence your blasphemous tongue. I will
hear no more of this. Leave my house.” She told to Mr. Andersen that: „We are told that the
heart of man is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked. My heart belonged, not to
Timothy, but to that poor wretched brother of his that has just ended his days with a rope
round his neck—aye,to Peter Dudgeon. You know it.” „Mrs. Dudgeon’s face, even at its best,
is grimly trenched by the channels into which the barren forms and observances of a dead.”

The puritans in the play are false they pretend to be good people, pray and follow the rulls
of the God but in fact they forget how to be human.

At the opposite pole is Richard Dudgeon, a young man who is considered the black sheep of
the family and not only, the whole town thinks the same. He was grown up by his mean and
hypocrite mother, who consider about herself that she is pious. Richard is not a puritan but
he is more than this. He is seen as a devil by the others, because he promised in front of the
people that he will follow the devil until the end of his days. Paradoxally he is honest and
ready to help the others „but I knew from the first that the Devil was my natural master and
captain and friend. I saw that he was in the right, and that the world cringed to his
conqueror only through fear. I prayed secretly to him; and he comforted me, and saved me
from having my spirit broken in this house of children’s tears.” He tries to sacrify his own life
for the sake of Mr. Andersen.

The minister Andersen and his wife Judie are also puritans but in the end they realize that is
not fair to judge a person without knowing it. Andersen says about Richard: „ This foolish
young man [placing his hand on Richard’s shoulder] boasted himself the Devil’s Disciple; but
when the hour of trial came to him, he found that it was his destiny to suffer and be faithful
to the death”
The puritans in the play are represented by Mrs. Dudgeon who is seen as a godly woman,
but in fact what matters to her is keeping up appearances. „She is an elderly matron who has
worked hard and got nothing by it except dominion and detestation in her sordid home, and
an unquestioned reputation for piety and respectability among her neighbors, to whom
drink and debauchery are still so much more tempting than religion and rectitude, that they
conceive goodness simply as self-denial.” She treats her family very badly and casted out her
son Richard. Timothy, Richard’s father was the patriarch of the family but he died at the
beggining of the play after falling ill.

Richard Dudgeon is the man who proclaimd himself as the disciple of the devil, rejecting the
religion and the followers. He was born in a religious family and discovered that those who
follow the God’s rulls are those who make people suffer the most. He thinks if the Puritans
are judgemental and mean, the devil is the opposite. He is seen by the others as a danger
but in fact he is the heart of the play. He tries to sacrifies his life for Andersen.

Anthony Andersen who is the minister „a shrewd, genial, ready Presbyterian divine of about
50” and the Judith’s husband „is more than twenty years younger than her husband, though
she will never be as young as he in vitality”. They are puritans too.They judge Richard
without knowing it, only because of his beliefs. But in the end they find out the truth about
Richard.

Essie the youngest cousin of Richard is the only one who understands Richard, because he
treats her with love „Devil was my natural master and captain and friend. I saw that he was
in the right, and that the world cringed to his conqueror only through fear. I prayed secretly
to him; and he comforted me, and saved me from having my spirit broken in this house of
children’s tears.” He promised to her that as long as she will stay in his house she won’t cry
anymore.
Judith is the minister’s wife. She talks about Richard without knowing him „But he is a
smuggler; and he lives with gypsies; and he has no love for his mother and his family; and he
wrestles and plays games on Sunday instead of going to church.” She is a young and
beautiful girl. At the beggining she doesn’t want to talk with Richard. She thinks that

He conceived himself as "the devil's disciple," rejecting organized religion and remaining
stubbornly committed to self-determination.

Andersen il cheama pe Richard sa-l anunte de primejdia ce il asteapta. Judith marturiseste ca

il uraste si spera sa nu vina „He must know his danger. Oh, Tony, is it wrong to hate a
blasphemer and a villain? I do hate him! I can’t get him out of my mind: I know he will bring
harm with him. He insulted you: he insulted me: he insulted his mother”. When Richard
comes to their house she accepts to serve him the tea, but immediatly Chrisy comes to
announce that their mother is in a very bad condition and she wants to talk with the
minister. He leaves and

When the sergeant comes to arrest the minister, Richard says that he is the minister. He is
Andersen. „I may well be. I don’t know what to do. I don’t know what to do. [Tearing her

Dumnezeu îi îngăduie Doamnei Dudgeon să strângă avere, să fie zgârcită, să-şi blesteme
soţul pentru că nu i-a lăsat un testament care să îi convină, dar nu îi permite să fie bună cu
Essie, să fie om. Pe o poziţie contrară se situează Richard Dudgeon, care, judecându-l pe
Dumnezeu după slujitorii săi, se declară „ucenicul diavolului”.

Paradoxal, el e cinstit, generos şi gata de sacrificiu în numele omeniei. Dacă Dumnezeu apără
nedreptatea, atunci desigur diavolul e apărătorul dreptăţii. Astfel, pe fondul evenimentelor
istorice revoluţionare, al aventurilor prin care trec Richard şi pastorul Anderson, piesa
lansează un atac vehement la adresa puritanismului făţarnic, a minciunii şi a ipocriziei.

58 THE DEVIL’S DISCIPLE

hands away.] I must save him.”

RICHARD.No: my father died with out the consolations of the law.

RICHARD [seriously.] Because it’s true. I was brought up in the other service; but I
knewfromthefirstthatthe

ACT I 33

him my soul, and swore an oath that I would stand up for him in this world and stand by him
in the next. [Solemnly] That promise and that oath made a man of me. From this day this
house is his home; and no child shall cry init: thishearthishisaltar; andnosoulshall ever cower
over it in the dark evenings and be afraid. Now [turning forcibly on the rest]
whichofyougoodmenwilltakethischildand rescue her from the house of the devil?
RICHARD [turning threateningly on him.] Have a care, you. In an hour from this there will be
no law here but martial law. I passed the soldiers within six miles on my way here: before
noon Major Swindon’s gallows for rebels will be up in the market place. ANDERSON [calmly.]
What have we to fear from that, sir? RICHARD. More than you think. He hanged the wrong
man at Springtown: he thought Uncle Peter was respectable, because the Dudgeons had a
good name. But his next example will be the best man in the town to whom he can bring
home a rebellious word. Well, we’re all rebels; and you know it. ALL THE MEN [except
Anderson.] No, no,

34 THE DEVIL’S DISCIPLE

no!

RICHARD. Yes, you are. You haven’t damned King George up hill and down da leas I have; but
you’ve prayed for his defeat; and you, Anthony Anderson, have conducted the service, and
sold your family bible to buy a pairof pistols. Theymayn’thangme,perhaps; because the
moral effect of the Devil’s Disciple dancing on nothing wouldn’t help them. But a Minister!
[Judith, dismayed, clings to Anderson] or a lawyer! [Hawkins smiles like a man able to take
care of himself] or an upright horse-dealer! [Uncle Titus snarls at him in rags and terror] or a
reformed drunkard [Uncle William, utterly unnerved, moans and wobbles with fear] eh?
Would that show that King George meant business—ha? ANDERSON [perfectly self-
possessed.] Come, my dear: he is only trying to frighten you. There is no danger. [He takes
her out of the house. The rest crowd to the door to follow
him,exceptEssie,whoremainsnearRichard.] RICHARD [boisterously derisive.] Now then: how
many of you will stay with me; run uptheAmericanflagonthedevil’shouse; and make a fight
for freedom? [They scramble out, Christy among them, hustling one another in their haste.]
Ha ha! Long live the devil! [To Mrs. Dudgeon, who is following them] What mother! are you
off too? MRS. DUDGEON [deadly pale, with her hand on her heart as if she had received a
deathblow.] My curse on you! My dying curse! [She goes out.] RICHARD [calling after her.] It
will bring

ACT I 35
me luck. Ha ha ha! ESSIE [anxiously.] Mayn’t I stay? RICHARD [turning to her.] What! Have
they forgotten to save your soul in their anxiety about their own bodies? Oh yes: you may
stay. [He turns excitedly away again and shakes his fist after them. His left fist, also clenched,
hangs down. Essie seizes it and kisses it, her tears falling on it. He starts and looks at it.]
Tears! The devil’s baptism! [She falls on her knees, sobbing. He stoops
goodnaturedlytoraiseher,saying]Ohyes,youmay cry that way, Essie, if you like

On one hand, there are Puritans, represented by the minister and by elderly, pious Mrs.
Dudgeon. On the other, there’s Mrs. Dudgeon’s son Dick, who has become a local monster
by aligning himself with the Devil. His reason: Puritanical Christians are so judgmental and
unloving that the Devil, their greatest enemy, must be their spiritual opposite.

Crucially, Shaw makes Dick his hero. When the British come for the minister, the Devil’s
Disciple pretends to be the wanted man, making him the most selfless character in the play.
His choices keep driving the plot — involving onstage fighting, a damsel in distress and a
surprising revelation from Anderson — which means we constantly see a heretic bettering
his society. Since Dick’s morality emerges through action as much as words, his attack on
hypocrisy is even more authentic.

ANDERSON. Only that I should be glad to see him for a moment on a matter of importance
to himself; and that if he would look in here when he was passing he would be welcome.
JUDITH [aghast.] You asked that man to come here! ANDERSON. I did. JUDITH [sinking on the
seat and clasping her hands.] I hope he won’t come! Oh, I pray that he may not come!
ANDERSON. Why? Don’t you want him to be warned? JUDITH. He must know his danger. Oh,
Tony, is it wrong to hate a blasphemer and a villain? I do hate him! I can’t get him out of
mymind: Iknowhewillbringharmwithhim. He insulted you: he insulted me: he insulted his
mother.
ANDERSON[Laughing.] Well,well: never mind, pet. He’s a bad man; and you hate him as he
deserves. And you’re going to make the tea, aren’t you?

Vorbiti de crestinism cand spanzurati oamenii?

The major theme in this play is humanity along with selfrealisation and humility that provide
a moral support to strengthen the plot of the play. This play is about sacrifice and believing
in oneself for a pure bliss of godliness that preaches humanity rather than religion.

Shaw has exemplified in his play through Richard Dudgeon, the act of humanness to uproot
the indecency of narrow-mindedness and shrewd attitude in humans completely. Shaw’s
anti-puritan tendencies are embodied in Richard Dudgeon in The Devil’s Disciple. Since he
has been brought up in a puritan atmosphere, he mistakes this joyless hate for religion and
the service to God. But he goes to the extent of sacrificing his life for the sake of Mr.
Anderson. Eventually, as Anderson appears at the right time, Richard Dudgeon is freed from
the punishment. Mrs. Dudgeon exhibits her hardness by ill-treating Essie, whose father has
just been hanged for his rebellious activity. In the meantime Christy, her younger son, enters
and tries to silence his mother as he talks contemptuously 139 about Essie. Christy clumsily
breaks the news that his father has died while he was away from home to attend the
hanging of his brother as a rebel by the English. Both the brothers die: one as a rebellion and
the other a mournful death on his brother Peter, the father of Essie. R