First Impressions in Bernard Shaw’s play The Devil’s Disciple Essay

Bernard Shaw’s play â€Å"The Devil’s Disciple† is set in 1777 when the American War of British Independence was at its height. Richard Dudgeon is the main character in this production and he begins as a ‘black sheep’ in a family of self-righteous puritans. Richard has entitled himself â€Å"The Devil’s Disciple†. In the first Act of the play, Richard’s father has died and this starts the reading of his will. During this scene we get a lot of the other characters views on Richard before we meet him. It seems that almost everyone apart from Essie (Richard’s cousin). Everyone finds it hard to talk about him as if it is against the rules, e.g. Judith Anderson says to Essie, â€Å"Dick Dudgeon! Essie: do you wish to be a really respectable and grateful girl, and to make a place for yourself here by steady and good conduct?† †Then you must never mention the name of Richard Dudgeon – never think even about him. He is a bad man†. This suggests that Judith believes even thinking about Richard could mean you were becoming a bad person yourself. However, we find out later that she has never actually met Richard Dudgeon, so is only saying this from what she has heard. Whilst Mrs Dudgeon and Mr Anderson are talking at the very beginning of the scene, Mrs Dudgeon also expresses her view of Richard. She says, â€Å"Let it be a warning to him. He may end that way himself, the wicked, dissolute, godless—â€Å" This shows us that he is even hated by his own mother. From all of the views shown in the early stages of the first act about Richard, we get the impression that he is a terrible person, with no respect or cares for anyone else. Even when we meet Richard, our opinions as an audience don’t change greatly, he shows himself as quite arrogant and sarcastic. How... ... a fool. Judith: Like a hero. I think that Shaw made us change our opinion of Richard in the context of the story that he is telling because it shows us how even the ‘worst’ people among us can change, or that these people are not so bad after all, just covering up their true selves until the time is right. Anderson (whilst talking to the British soldiers) says, â€Å"Sir: it is in the hour of trial that a man finds his true profession. This foolish young man [placing his hand on Richard's shoulder] boasted himself the Devil's Disciple, but when the hour of trial came to him, he found that it was his destiny to suffer and be faithful to the death. I thought myself a decent minister of the gospel of peace, but when the hour of trial came to me, I found that it was my destiny to be a man of action and that my place was amid the thunder of the captains and the shouting.†