| Author |
Shaw, Bernard, 1856-1950 |
| Title |
Augustus Does His Bit: A True-to-Life Farce
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| Note |
Reading ease score: 77.5 (7th grade). Fairly easy to read.
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| Credits |
Produced by Eve Sobol, and David Widger
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| Summary |
"Augustus Does His Bit: A True-to-Life Farce" by George Bernard Shaw is a comedic play written during the early 20th century, specifically in the context of World War I. The story satirizes the absurdity of British bureaucracy and the misguided patriotism of its upper-class leaders, centered on the character of Lord Augustus Highcastle, who epitomizes a well-meaning but incompetent official. The play humorously explores themes of duty, sacrifice, and the inefficiencies that arise in times of war. The narrative unfolds in the Town Hall of a fictional place called Little Pifflington, where Lord Augustus intends to rally local support for the war effort. He interacts with a bumbling clerk, Beamish, who is frustrated by the government's inefficiencies. The plot thickens with the entrance of an attractive lady who poses as a spy, attempting to steal a list of vital military information from Augustus. Through witty dialogue and farcical situations, the play highlights the disconnect between the ruling class and the reality of ordinary citizens during wartime, ultimately exposing the comical incompetence present in those who claim to lead the nation. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
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| Language |
English |
| LoC Class |
PR: Language and Literatures: English literature
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| Subject |
English drama (Comedy)
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| Subject |
World War, 1914-1918 -- Great Britain -- Drama
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| Category |
Text |
| EBook-No. |
3487 |
| Release Date |
Oct 1, 2002 |
| Most Recently Updated |
Dec 14, 2012 |
| Copyright Status |
Public domain in the USA. |
| Downloads |
255 downloads in the last 30 days. |
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