Question

In the play Candida, Shaw presents Candida as an unconventional woman. Discuss.

Answer 1

In George Bernard Shaw’s Candida, the protagonist is a “New Woman” who defies the rigid gender roles of the Victorian era. She is unconventional not because she abandons her home, but because of the intellectual and moral power she exercises within it.

1. Reversal of the “Protector” Role: In Victorian society, the husband was the “strong” protector and the wife the “weaker vessel.” Candida completely flips this. In the final scene, she reveals that her husband, Morell, is truly weak and dependent on her for his confidence and success. She describes herself as his mother and sisters combined, showing that she is the actual pillar of the household.
2. Control over Her Own Destiny (The Auction): Candida’s most unconventional moment is the “auction” she initiates. By forcing Morell and Marchbanks to “bid” for her, she:
   
   • Refuses to be a passive prize won in a duel.
   • Asserts her right to choose her partner based on her own judgment.
   • Treats her marriage as a conscious choice rather than a legal or religious obligation.
3. Practicality vs. Romantic Idealism: Unlike the typical “angel in the house,” Candida is grounded and unsentimental. She is seen peeling onions, filling lamps, and scrubbing floors. She mocks Marchbanks’ poetic fantasies about her, showing that she values the “prose” of life (domestic reality) over the “poetry” of romantic escapism.
4. Maternal Rather than Subservient Love: Her love for Morell is maternal rather than submissive. She stays with him not because she is “obedient,” but because she recognizes his need for her is greater than Marchbanks’. This shifts the marriage from a power hierarchy to a partnership based on her providing emotional charity.