Witty masterpiece combines high comedy with social commentary in deflating romantic misconceptions of love and warfare. First produced in 1894, Arms and the Man is one of the most acted and studied of Shaw's plays. It is reprinted here from an authoritative early edition, complete with Shaw's preface to Volume II of Plays: Pleasant and Unpleasant.
Here's a sample of other books in this Dover category
The School for Scandal by Richard Brinsley Sheridan A theater classic, often called the best comedy of manners in English, is a delightful play that brilliantly skewers the affectation and pretentiousness of aristocratic Londoners of the 1770s.
Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare Great tragedy based on Plutarch's account of the lives of Brutus, Julius Caesar and Mark Antony. Evil plotting, ringing oratory, high tragedy with Shakespeare's incomparable insight, dramatic power. Explanatory footnotes.
The Playboy of the Western World and Riders to the Sea by J. M. Synge Two lyrical, beautifully crafted dramas set among the folk of the Aran Islands and western Irish coastlands. Reprinted from authoritative editions, complete with Synge's preface to The Playboy of the Western World. New introductory Note.
The Way of the World by William Congreve Greatest of all Restoration comedies depicts the scheming of a nest of shallow, deceitful aristocrats to prevent two lovers from marrying. Delicious verbal battles of the sexes, exceptional depths of feeling and sensitivity.
Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw A success on the stage, a popular film and a musical hit (My Fair Lady), this brilliantly written play, with its irresistible theme of the emerging butterfly, is one of the most acclaimed comedies in the English language.
Don Juan in Hell: From Man and Superman by George Bernard Shaw This dream episode from Man and Superman forms a play within the play, consisting of a dramatic reading in which the Devil himself comments on heaven and hell, good and evil, and human purpose.
The Father by August Strindberg Highly emotional study of marital upheaval and a no-holds-barred struggle between man and woman. One of the most gripping psychological dramas of modern theater. Biographical Note.
Ten Plays by Anton Chekhov The Sea Gull, Uncle Vanya, The Three Sisters, The Cherry Orchard, and Ivanov, plus 5 one-act comedies: The Anniversary, An Unwilling Martyr, The Wedding, The Bear, and The Proposal.