The English Theatre of Hamburg

Established 1976

presents

CANDIDA
a Comedy Classic

by Bernard Shaw

Premiere on 19 February, 2015

Preview Performances at reduced prices on 16, 17 and 18 February
Performances Tuesday to Saturday at 19.30 Hours
Matinee Performances at 11.00 Hours on Tuesdays and
Fridays beginning 24 February

The English Theatre of Hamburg

Lerchenfeld 14, 22081 Hamburg
U-Bahn Mundsburg
Telephone: 22 77 089
www.englishtheatre.de

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 The English Theatre of Hamburg
Established in 1976

Dear Teachers and Friends,

The English Theatre will premiere the British classic CANDIDA by Bernard Shaw on 19
February, 2015, with the usual preview performances at reduced prices on 16, 17, and 18
February. Bookings for this popular comedy have already started. See the cover of this study
guide for dates and times of performances. The text of the play may be obtained at
theatre@samuelfrench-london.co.uk or www.amazon.com
***************************************************************************
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Bernard Shaw (1856 – 1950) was one of the most popular and provocative playwrights of the
twentieth century. Born and educated in Dublin, he soon went to London, where he tried his
hand at writing novels. None of them were published, his explanation being that his style was
a hundred and fifty years behind the times and his ideas a hundred and fifty years ahead of
them. Later, as theatre critic for The Saturday Review, he strongly opposed the “art for art's
sake” movement, declaring his purpose to be “art for life's sake”. During his career he also
spoke and wrote tracts on behalf of the Socialist movement in Britain. Influenced by the plays
of Henrik Ibsen, Shaw turned to playwriting, and between the years 1892 and 1940 wrote fifty
plays, establishing himself as the foremost dramatist of his day. The plays took a critical look
at such things as war, medical ethics, marriage and the position of women in society. The
author was damned for presenting social propaganda in the theatre, but he was also greatly
praised for doing it in a brilliant and entertaining manner. In addition to CANDIDA, some of
Bernard Shaw's better known plays are MRS WARREN'S PROFESSION, ARMS AND
THE MAN, MAJOR BARBARA, MAN AND SUPERMAN, HEARTBREAK HOUSE,
SAINT JOAN and THE DOCTOR'S DILEMMA. Many of his plays have been filmed, the
most famous being the musical version of his PYGMALIONcalled MY FAIR LADY……….

ABOUT THE PLAY

Bernard Shaw had two categories for his plays, those that were “pleasant” and those that were
“unpleasant”. CANDIDA he put among the pleasant ones, and it is easy to see why. A box
office hit in its time (1904), this British classic continues to be one of Shaw's most popular
plays. It deals with a young poet, Eugene Marchbanks, who falls madly in love with Candida,
the wife of a respected pastor in London. Eugene is horrified by what he considers to be the
mundane life that Candida is forced to lead with her husband, the Reverend James Morell.
Eugene confronts Morell, declaring his love for Candida and claiming that the pastor does not
deserve such a charming, magnificent wife. What follows is a marriage in crisis, as the
couple's comfortable life begins to fall apart, and Candida is forced by the two men to choose
between them. Along the way, Shaw makes some witty observations about love, the
institution of marriage, the treatment of women in society and the age-old problem of having
to choose between the ideal and the practical. Although more than a hundred years have
passed since people first saw the play, the story still rings true and the jokes are still as funny
as ever.

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 Characters in CANDIDA in order of their appearance
The Reverend James Morell
A Christian Socialist and Church of England
clergyman. James is a good looking, charis-
matic, popular man, much in demand as a pub-
lic speaker. Although he does not appear vain,
he is unconsciously quite pleased with himself.
He considers himself happily married to his
wife Candida, whom he adores.
Proserpine (Prossy) Garnett
Prossy is a small and rather plain lower middle
class woman with a rather abrupt manner, who
works as Morell’s typist. She is unmarried but
secretly in love with Morell.
The Reverend Alexander (Lexy) Mill
A young curate with an Oxford education. He
is well-intentioned, enthusiastic and immature,
with a doglike devotion to Morell.
Mr Burgess
Candida’s father. He is a coarse, ignorant,
self-made man, pompous and pushy.
Successful in business, he respects only
money.
Candida
Married to the Reverend James Morell. Com-
bining the attractions of youth and mother-
hood, she is at the peak of her beauty. Candida
is likeable, charismatic, intelligent and confi-
dent.
Eugene Marchbanks
A young poet in love with Candida. He is at-
tractive and shy, painfully sensitive, rather
unworldly, but nevertheless possesses a sharp,
incisive mind. He is estranged from his aristo-
cratic parents.
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 Summary of Bernard Shaw’s
CANDIDA
………
ACT..I .…………………………
It is a fine morning in October, 1894. The
setting is a combination study and sitting-room
in St. Dominic’s parsonage in London. The
Reverend James Morell (Church of England) is
at work with his secretary Miss Proserpine
(Prossy) Garnett. They are trying to find time
in his busy schedule for another speaking
engagement; for in addition to being a popular
clergyman, Morell is in great demand as a
guest speaker. At the moment he is looking
forward to the arrival of his wife Candida on
the 11.45 train. She has taken their two boys
away on holiday and is about to return home
for a short time to pick up some additional
things for them.
Morell’s young curate, the Reverend Alexander
(Lexy) Mill, arrives for work, late as usual. He
informs Morell that Candida’s father, Mr
Burgess, is on his way to visit him. Clearly
annoyed, Morell goes out to greet his father-in-
law. As soon as he is gone, Prossy, who is
secretly in love with Morell, remarks that
Morell should not make a fool of himself by
constantly praising his wife. When Lexy
supports Morell for praising Candida, Prossy
accuses him of simply copying Morell’s
opinions and manner of expressing himself.
Mr Burgess comes into the study. He irritates
Prossy by pointing out how much younger
Morell’s former secretary was. She goes out,
bristling, to fetch her boss. Then Burgess
informs Lexy that he wishes to speak to Morell
in private. The curate leaves the office as
Morell enters. Morell and Burgess have not
spoken to each other for three years, not since
Burgess called Morell a fool for preaching
Socialism, and Morell called his father-in-law
a scoundrel for underpaying his employees.
Burgess assures Morell that he has reformed.
As proof of this, he claims that he has raised
his workers’ wages. Morell is overjoyed to
hear this. He is soon disappointed, however,
when he realizes that Burgess is renewing their
relationship in order to meet, through Morell,
influential people who can provide him with
commercial contracts.
Candida arrives home and is delighted that her
husband and father are communicating again.
She asks James to go out and help Eugene
Marchbanks with the luggage. Then she tells
her father that Eugene is a young poet, her
husband’s latest discovery, and that he has
been away with her helping with the children.
Burgess is unimpressed with what he hears
about the young man until he is told that
Marchbanks is the son of an Earl.
Morell returns with Marchbanks, who, upon
seeing a stranger (Burgess) in the room,
becomes shy and nervous. Burgess, however,
is keen on meeting the young aristocrat and he
forces Marchbanks to shake hands and make
small talk. After her father leaves, Candida
goes to check on the house, leaving her
husband and Marchbanks alone.
Morell invites Marchbanks to stay for lunch.
The young man declines, explaining that
Candida told him that her husband would want
to spend some time alone with her after her
absence. Morell therefore suggests that the
young poet take a walk in the park, write some
poetry, and come back in an hour or so. For he
is certain, he says, that a good friend like
Marchbanks could not possibly damage a
happy marriage such as his and Candida’s.
Marchbanks reacts wildly to Morell’s assertion.
He does not understand how the clergyman can
believe that Candida is happy in their marriage.
It is time, Marchbanks says, to force
everything out into the open. He announces
that he is in love with Candida and wants to
rescue her from the mundane life that she is
forced to lead with Morell. Morell gives the
young man a lecture on manners. Marchbanks
calls the clergyman a windbag and claims that
his charming wife, in reality, despises him in
her heart. At this, Morell grabs the young man
by the collar. Marchbanks becomes hysterical
and threatens to kill himself if Morell hits him.
After Morell lets him go, Marchbanks
challenges the clergyman to a fair contest for
Candida’s affections. But it should not be a
vulgar physical battle, he insists; it must be a
battle of ideas. Eugene vows once more to
rescue Candida from her slavery to the
clergyman’s ideas and dull way of life.
They are interrupted by Candida who wants to
know if Eugene is staying for lunch.
Surprisingly, Morell insists that he is, even
though the young man has deeply shaken
Morell’s confidence in himself and his
marriage. Marchbanks smiles and goes off with
Candida, declaring that he is the happiest of
men. “So was I – an hour ago,” says Morell.
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ACT II……………………………………..
It is later that afternoon. Prossy is annoyed that
Marchbanks has been fiddling with her
typewriter. She asks him sarcastically if he was
writing a love letter. This prompts the young
poet to make some provocative comments on
the subject of love that shock Prossy. Eugene
perceives that Prossy is secretly in love with
Morell and asks her if it is really possible for a
woman to love someone like him. When she
answers yes, he is miserable.
Burgess enters saying that he has come back to
keep the young aristocrat company. He again
irritates Prossy, this time by suggesting that she
is too low-class to socialize with Marchbanks.
She abruptly leaves the room calling Burgess a
“silly old fathead”. Candida’s father now takes
the opportunity to warn Eugene about the
danger of Morell’s progressive social ideas. In
his opinion, his son-in-law is, and always has
been, mad.
Morell comes in and says that his wife will
join them after she has filled the lamps.
Marchbanks is horrified that Candida should
have to dirty her beautiful hands with such a
task. When she appears, he offers to do all the
menial work in the house for her and says that
he longs for a world where she would never
have to scrub the floor again. Morell points out
that such a world would contain only lazy,
selfish people. Candida, however, is amused by
Eugene’s poetic nature and scolds her husband
for putting down the young man’s romantic
vision of the world. Burgess, who has been
listening carefully to Eugene’s views, now
suspects he may be as mad as Morell.
Prossy enters with a telegram for Morell. He
goes out immediately, presumably to respond
to it. Candida then takes Marchbanks up on his
offer to help her in the household. She pulls the
young man off to the kitchen to slice onions
for her. Burgess is appalled by the way his
daughter is treating an aristocrat. Convinced
that the whole house has gone mad, he goes
out for a walk. Morell returns and good-
naturedly asks Prossy why she called his
father-in-law a silly old fathead. She
mistakenly interprets the question as criticism
of her behaviour, and runs from the room,
sobbing. Bewildered by her action, Morell sits
down at his desk to work on a sermon.
Candida enters. Seeing how tired her husband
looks, she asks him to stop working and talk to
her for a while. The people in his congregation,
she says playfully, are not really interested in
his sermons anyway. They come to church
because it is respectable to do so, not because
his Christian Socialism impresses them. The
women come, she says, because they, like
Prossy, are in love with him. Morell is shocked
by Candida’s cynicism. She then tells him she
is worried about Eugene because she suspects
that he is about to fall in love with her. Her hint
that she might be willing to put aside her
morals in Eugene’s case, appals Morell. She
laughs at her husband’s stern reaction and asks
him to trust her love for him. When she tries
to kiss him, he backs away and orders her not
to touch him. Burgess and Marchbanks enter.
They sense the tension between Morell and
Candida, but she makes light of the matter,
explaining that James is merely upset because
he cannot tolerate ideas that contradict his own.
Lexy Mill comes in. Having heard that Morell
has declined an invitation to speak to the Guild
of St. Matthew that evening, the curate urges
his boss to change his mind. After more
encouragement from Candida, Morell asks
Prossy to telegraph the Guild that he is coming.
Burgess decides to go along too upon learning
that a member of the City Council will be there.
When Candida suggests that they all attend her
husband’s lecture, Morell strongly objects. He
insists that she and Marchbanks stay home.
They do not enjoy his sermonizing anyway, he
says, and he wants to show the young man that
he is not afraid to leave him alone with his
wife. Marchbanks is clearly impressed by
Morell’s courage.
ACT III…………………………..……….
It is past ten in the evening. Candida and
Marchbanks are sitting by the fireplace. He is
reading poetry to her. Aware that she is not
listening to him, he stops reading and
apologizes for boring her. She admits that there
are limits to her appetite for poetry and says
she prefers to talk to him. He wants to know if
he is permitted to say wicked things to her. No,
she answers, but he may say anything he truly
feels. Eugene settles himself on the floor and
puts his head against her knee. All he feels at
the moment, he says, is the need to repeat her
name a thousand times.
Morell enters the room and takes in the scene
at once. Candida rises and asks her husband
how his lecture went. Morell replies that he
never spoke better. She then goes out to talk to
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the maid. Seeing that Morell is upset, Eugene the one who needs her most. Morell lowers his
assures him that nothing happened between head, believing that he has lost. But Eugene
him and Candida. He was simply enjoying knows immediately that it is Morell who has
being in love when Morell came in, he won. When Candida confirms that it is her
explains. husband she has chosen, Morell is bewildered.
Candida explains. James, she says, has always
Candida returns. Sensing that her husband is
been loved by everyone, and would fall apart
depressed, she scolds Eugene for annoying him.
without it. Eugene, on the other hand, has been
Hurt by her words, the young man apologizes
lonely, disliked and misunderstood; and, as a
and is about to leave as Burgess, Lexy and
result, has learned to do without love. James is,
Prossy enter. They congratulate Morell on his
therefore, the weaker of the two because he
excellent speech to the guild. Prossy is
needs her more than Marchbanks does.
disappointed, however, that she could not
record everything that he said in shorthand. Morell, full of gratitude and emotion,
Morell asks Lexy to see Prossy safely home, confesses that Candida is right about him. As
and Candida sees her father out. his wife, she makes him feel like he is master
in his home by spoiling and loving him like his
When Candida returns, Morell announces that
mother and sisters always did. He is, in fact,
Eugene is, in fact, in love with her, and that
Candida’s little boy. Eugene is appalled by this
they have agreed she must now decide which
notion of marriage and tells Candida that he
of them she belongs to. Candida is stunned by
could never allow her to mother and sister him.
the arrogance and presumption of the two men.
That .kind of . happiness. he does .not want, he
She always believed she belonged to herself,
says. Disappointed that she has not had the
she tells them. But, since in their eyes this is
courage to choose him, he starts to leave. Her
clearly not the case, she angrily insists that
voice stops him. She reminds him of the
they each bid for her, like one does at an
difference in their ages. He brushes this aside
auction. She demands that they both tell her
as having no importance. She says goodbye
what they have to offer for her affection.
and kisses him on the forehead. He runs out
Morell offers his strength, honesty and ability
into the night convinced that he is freer and
to support her. Eugene says he can only offer
stronger than either of them. Candida turns to
his weakness, loneliness and heart’s need.
Morell and they embrace.
Candida considers the offers and tells them that
she will give herself to the weaker of the two,

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 Multiple Choice Exercise

1. James Morell is a popular (a. politician, b. actor, c. pastor).

2. Prossy, Morell’s secretary, complains that he makes a fool of himself by praising his (a.
wife, b. father-in-law, c. children) too much.
3. Prossy is secretly in love with (a. Burgess, b. Morell, c. Lexy).
4. Burgess is impressed with Eugene Marchbanks because the young poet is (a. idealistic,
b. an aristocrat, c. a Christian Socialist).
5. Marchbanks surprises Morell by announcing that he is in love with (a. Prossy, b. the
maid, c. Candida).
6. Marchbanks wants to rescue Candida from the way of life and ideas of her (a. friends, b.
parents, c. husband).
7. Burgess thinks everybody in the Morell household is (a. impolite, b. mad, c. wonderful).
8. Morell and Marchbanks decide that Candida must (a. choose between them, b. go on
holiday, c. hire another maid).
9. Candida stays with her husband because he (a. is more intelligent than Marchbanks, b.
understands her better, c. is weaker and needs her more).
10. At the end of the play Marchbanks is convinced that he is (a. stronger and freer, b.
more practical, c. more religious ) than Morell and Candida.

Answer Key:
1. c, 2. a, 3. b, 4. b, 5. c, 6. c, 7. b, 8. a, 9.c, 10. a

Interpretative Exercise

1. Explain why Candida chooses her husband and not Marchbanks. Do you think she has
made the right decision? Is the reason she gives for her choice a good one?
2. What is it about Candida’s marriage to Morell that Marchbanks rejects? Do you think he
is stronger and freer than they are?
3. Bernard Shaw believed that wives control their husbands by spoiling them and turning
them into little boys. Is this true regarding the marriages you have observed?

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