Briefly discuss on Man and Superman

Man and Superman, like Shaw's other comedies,  characterised by him as classical comedies, is a purpose comedy,  in which Shavian comic artistry and Shavian philosophy are perfectly intermingled. The play is a rich storehouse of serious Shavian thoughts, but such thoughts are expressed and dramatised in a light- hearted comic vein. 

Man and Superman is a dramatised philosophy-rather a Shavian philosophy-for more than one reason. It contains Shaw's views on practically every subject. He has given out here his views on happiness, love,marriage, sex, women, art, socialism, war, peace, morality and a host of other popular topics. He has not touched all such subject superficially.  He rather has some serious comments to make. His remarks are all striking, rather caustic. His lengthy Preface, rich in thought and content and Revolutionary Handbook are full of Shavian thoughts. What is more, in the ingeniously conceived Hell Scene of the play various subject are discussed, logically analysed and really original statements are made about them. 

The Philosophic aspect  of the play is most conspicuously struck in the Shavian treatment  of the theory  of Life Force. In fact,  Shaw's philosophy  of Life Force and creative  inspiration  constitute  the most striking  feature in the theme of Man and Superman. Shaw here tears asunder the romantic  veil on love and women  and exposes them in their hard and naked truth. Women are not so weak and helpless  as they are supposed  to be. The mother aspect of the women is specially emphasised in the play.  The sex of women is considered as a natural  contrivance for the perpetuation of the human race. Sexually , man is taken as woman's contrivance  for fulfilling  nature's plan of creation. Shaw's theory  is really astounding and singular. He represents women as possessing  the blind fury of creation that leads her to search for a man,  biologically most suitable  and when she finds such a man, she is most ruthless in her pursuit of him. It is through this biological  evolution  that Life Force operates. The Superman, the ideal man of the future , comes only through this process of evolution. It is the urge of Life Force that brings together man and women, most sexually suitable, for the creation of a better generation -the Superman. This is the contention of the theme of the play. 

This Shavian philosophy  is deep enough  and may seem quite dull and mechanical in a Conventional sermon.  But Shaw presents it in his play in a quite entertaining manner. This he does through his comic interludes and scenes , particularly  the comic love chase. Shaw's heroine  Ann runs after his hero Tanner, an unwilling male, who regards marriage  as a trap to ensnare a man and turn him into a proper bully and regular  bread-earner. He looks upon the woman as the spider and the man as the insect. Man instinctively runs after her, and this seems to be a quite  romantic theme.

Again, Shaw's characters, through they give out now and then his serious messages, never look dull. There is much of the comic pleasantry in them.  Both Tanner and Ann are comically enjoyable and the same thing may be said about other characters, including the Devil in the Hell Scene.

Man and Superman is a pleasant  illustration  of the dramatist's serious  thesis  about the process of evolution. The play is entertaining in its theme  of love and flash of wit and humour . At the same time, It is sufficiently thought-provoking. The play makes one both laugh and think.