145:
messenger is in fact the Inca in disguise. She offers to return the trick, by pretending to be the
Princess to find out what his intentions are. The Princess, who is very timid, agrees to let Ermyntrude take charge. Ermyntrude receives the "captain" with an air of great superiority. She is given a gift of a jewel, designed by the Inca, but she is horrified by its size. The Inca is impressed by the "Princess"'s grand manner and reveals his true identity. However, he says that he recognises Ermyntrude. He knows she is the Archdeacon's daughter, not the Princess. But she is so convincing as a princess that now he wishes to marry her himself. Unfortunately he already has a wife, so he suggests they should to convert to Islam so he can legally have another one. Ermyntrude says the Inca is far too poor for her, since his country is going bankrupt because of its foolish war. The Inca says that the war will result in his overthrow and the creation of a republic, but this will not be a problem as he will be elected as "super-president" of the republic. He then says how surprised he is by the popularity of the war in his homeland. He used to rely for popularity on his contributions to art, literature and science, but he was ignored. Now the mass killing in the war leads to cheering crowds. Despite being turned down for marriage, the Inca offers to take Ermyntrude on a drive round the town. She accepts, but emphasises that she will "refuse any incorrect proposals" he makes to her.
28:
188:
hearts in our mouths. Many were so horribly afraid of him that they could not forgive me for not being afraid of him: I seemed to be trifling heartlessly with a deadly peril....Now that this is all over, and the upshot of the fighting has shown that we could quite well have afforded to laugh at the doomed Inca, I am in another difficulty. I may be supposed to be hitting Caesar when he is down. That is why I preface the play with this reminder that when it was written he was not down."
192:
because his patients can no longer pay him. The Inca is both a deceiver and deceived, not only by
Ermyntrude, but by his own vanity. The play satirises his narcissistic belief that he is an artist, especially in description of the jewellery he gives to Ermyntrude, in which the rim represents a "telephone cable laid by his majesty across the Shipskeel canal" and the pin is "a model in miniature of the sword of
187:
In the preface to the published version, written after the war, Shaw wrote, "I must remind the reader that this playlet was written when its principal character, far from being a fallen foe and virtually a prisoner in our victorious hands, was still the Caesar whose legions we were resisting with our
191:
Critic John
Anthony Bertolini says that the play "emphasizes images of disguise and impersonation" as "the sign of Shaw's self-consciousness about the art of playwrighting". All of the characters disguise their true identity. Even the waiter is really an eminent doctor, reduced to work as a waiter
144:
In a hotel sitting room the
Princess is met by the hotel manager. Ermyntrude, now dressed very plainly gets the job as her lady's maid. Captain Duval, a messenger from the "Inca of Perusalem" appears with news that Inca wants one of his sons to marry the Princess. Ermyntrude realises that the
140:
In a prologue, a character called
Ermyntrude says that (though she is the widow of a millionaire) she is now poor, and living on a small income from her father. He is the Archdeacon; he has told her to take a job as a lady's maid, meet another millionaire, and marry back into money.
169:
as the Inca. The play was originally presented without Shaw's name attached. The author was described as "a member of the Royal
Society of Literature". The original reviewers did not apparently suspect that Shaw was the author. After its publication,
847:
788:
813:
802:
822:
781:
628:
103:. The plot appears at first to be a fairy-tale like story about a fantastical "Inca", but it eventually becomes obvious that the Inca is Kaiser
299:
970:
916:
565:
772:
950:
726:
684:
325:
317:
960:
663:
418:
607:
460:
334:
292:
955:
895:
677:
200:
in German), the kingdom from which
Imperial Germany emerged and which was still commonly used as a synonym for it.
488:
902:
474:
467:
397:
537:
795:
523:
285:
158:
154:
56:
439:
411:
362:
446:
871:
502:
390:
965:
854:
733:
698:
196:." The fictional country of "Perusalem" puns on Peru, the home of the actual "Inca", and Prussia (
923:
425:
220:, Volume 4 of Correspondence of Bernard Shaw, University of Toronto Press, 2002, pp. xvii-xxxiv.
705:
509:
840:
593:
530:
104:
909:
712:
635:
8:
945:
656:
348:
308:
100:
38:
272:
180:: "O'Flaherty V.C. is a brilliant but serious piece of work--a jewel of a one-act play.
754:
621:
579:
383:
176:
761:
747:
691:
642:
404:
162:
886:
876:
740:
614:
558:
551:
544:
432:
369:
193:
481:
355:
174:
wrote in her diary that it was not as good as Shaw's earlier play about the war,
27:
670:
649:
572:
495:
376:
341:
939:
891:
719:
453:
171:
881:
600:
166:
516:
96:
277:
82:
848:
The
Intelligent Woman's Guide to Socialism and Capitalism
823:
The
Adventures of the Black Girl in Her Search for God
92:
The Inca of
Perusalem, An Almost Historical Comedietta
74:
An Inca meets the impoverished widow of a millionaire
244:Dictionary to the Plays and Novels of Bernard Shaw
629:A Glimpse of the Domesticity of Franklyn Barnabas
937:
95:(1915) is a comic one-act play written during
293:
233:, Longmans, Green and Co, London, 1952, p.70.
246:, A. & C. Black, London, 1929, pp.52-3.
148:
300:
286:
26:
917:SHAW: The Annual of Bernard Shaw Studies
242:Broad, C. Lewis & Broad, Violet M.,
307:
938:
257:The Playwrighting Self of Bernard Shaw
685:The Simpleton of the Unexpected Isles
281:
664:How These Doctors Love One Another!
153:The play was first produced at the
13:
727:In Good King Charles's Golden Days
236:
231:Beatrice Webb's Diaries, 1912–1924
14:
982:
971:Cultural depictions of Wilhelm II
608:Annajanska, the Bolshevik Empress
461:Passion, Poison, and Petrifaction
266:
872:Charlotte Payne-Townshend (wife)
489:The Shewing-Up of Blanco Posnet
419:Captain Brassbound's Conversion
903:George Bernard Shaw: His Plays
475:The Interlude at the Playhouse
249:
223:
218:Bernard Shaw and Barry Jackson
210:
1:
259:, SIU Press, 1991, pp.155-57.
203:
110:
951:Plays by George Bernard Shaw
524:The Dark Lady of the Sonnets
155:Birmingham Repertory Theatre
57:Birmingham Repertory Theatre
7:
10:
987:
961:Plays based on real people
447:How He Lied to Her Husband
864:
832:
812:
796:Cashel Byron's Profession
771:
503:The Fascinating Foundling
324:
315:
78:
70:
62:
52:
44:
34:
25:
20:
855:Quintessence of Ibsenism
734:The British Party System
440:John Bull's Other Island
363:Mrs. Warren's Profession
255:John Anthony Bertolini,
149:Production and reception
956:Plays about World War I
924:Twain and Shaw Do Lunch
426:The Admirable Bashville
229:Margaret I. Cole (ed),
184:is poor in comparison"
135:
789:Love Among the Artists
706:Arthur and the Acetone
538:Androcles and the Lion
510:The Glimpse of Reality
273:Project Gutenberg text
841:The Perfect Wagnerite
803:An Unsocial Socialist
594:Augustus Does His Bit
587:The Inca of Perusalem
194:Henry the Birdcatcher
182:The Inca of Perusalem
157:in 1916, directed by
105:Wilhelm II of Germany
21:The Inca of Perusalem
910:Great Contemporaries
713:Cymbeline Refinished
468:The Doctor's Dilemma
412:Caesar and Cleopatra
398:The Devil's Disciple
657:Too True to Be Good
309:George Bernard Shaw
101:George Bernard Shaw
39:George Bernard Shaw
896:production history
755:Shakes versus Shav
622:Back to Methuselah
531:Fanny's First Play
391:You Never Can Tell
384:The Man of Destiny
165:as Ermyntrude and
933:
932:
762:Why She Would Not
748:Farfetched Fables
699:The Millionairess
692:The Six of Calais
636:Jitta's Atonement
163:Gertrude Kingston
88:
87:
63:Original language
978:
887:Shavian alphabet
741:Buoyant Billions
615:Heartbreak House
433:Man and Superman
370:Arms and the Man
349:Widowers' Houses
302:
295:
288:
279:
278:
260:
253:
247:
240:
234:
227:
221:
214:
30:
18:
17:
986:
985:
981:
980:
979:
977:
976:
975:
966:Satirical plays
936:
935:
934:
929:
860:
828:
808:
767:
580:O'Flaherty V.C.
566:Great Catherine
482:Getting Married
356:The Philanderer
320:
311:
306:
269:
264:
263:
254:
250:
241:
237:
228:
224:
216:Conolly, L.W.,
215:
211:
206:
177:O'Flaherty V.C.
159:John Drinkwater
151:
138:
113:
53:Place premiered
12:
11:
5:
984:
974:
973:
968:
963:
958:
953:
948:
931:
930:
928:
927:
920:
913:
906:
899:
889:
884:
879:
874:
868:
866:
862:
861:
859:
858:
851:
844:
836:
834:
830:
829:
827:
826:
818:
816:
810:
809:
807:
806:
799:
792:
785:
777:
775:
769:
768:
766:
765:
758:
751:
744:
737:
730:
723:
716:
709:
702:
695:
688:
681:
674:
671:Village Wooing
667:
660:
653:
650:The Apple Cart
646:
639:
632:
625:
618:
611:
604:
597:
590:
583:
576:
573:The Music Cure
569:
562:
555:
548:
541:
534:
527:
520:
513:
506:
499:
496:Press Cuttings
492:
485:
478:
471:
464:
457:
450:
443:
436:
429:
422:
415:
408:
401:
394:
387:
380:
373:
366:
359:
352:
345:
342:Un Petit Drame
338:
330:
328:
322:
321:
316:
313:
312:
305:
304:
297:
290:
282:
276:
275:
268:
267:External links
265:
262:
261:
248:
235:
222:
208:
207:
205:
202:
150:
147:
137:
134:
133:
132:
129:
126:
123:
120:
117:
112:
109:
86:
85:
80:
76:
75:
72:
68:
67:
64:
60:
59:
54:
50:
49:
48:7 October 1916
46:
45:Date premiered
42:
41:
36:
32:
31:
23:
22:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
983:
972:
969:
967:
964:
962:
959:
957:
954:
952:
949:
947:
944:
943:
941:
926:
925:
921:
919:
918:
914:
912:
911:
907:
905:
904:
900:
897:
893:
892:Shaw Festival
890:
888:
885:
883:
880:
878:
877:Shaw's Corner
875:
873:
870:
869:
867:
863:
857:
856:
852:
850:
849:
845:
843:
842:
838:
837:
835:
831:
825:
824:
820:
819:
817:
815:
814:Short stories
811:
805:
804:
800:
798:
797:
793:
791:
790:
786:
784:
783:
779:
778:
776:
774:
770:
764:
763:
759:
757:
756:
752:
750:
749:
745:
743:
742:
738:
736:
735:
731:
729:
728:
724:
722:
721:
717:
715:
714:
710:
708:
707:
703:
701:
700:
696:
694:
693:
689:
687:
686:
682:
680:
679:
675:
673:
672:
668:
666:
665:
661:
659:
658:
654:
652:
651:
647:
645:
644:
640:
638:
637:
633:
631:
630:
626:
624:
623:
619:
617:
616:
612:
610:
609:
605:
603:
602:
598:
596:
595:
591:
589:
588:
584:
582:
581:
577:
575:
574:
570:
568:
567:
563:
561:
560:
556:
554:
553:
552:Beauty's Duty
549:
547:
546:
542:
540:
539:
535:
533:
532:
528:
526:
525:
521:
519:
518:
514:
512:
511:
507:
505:
504:
500:
498:
497:
493:
491:
490:
486:
484:
483:
479:
477:
476:
472:
470:
469:
465:
463:
462:
458:
456:
455:
454:Major Barbara
451:
449:
448:
444:
442:
441:
437:
435:
434:
430:
428:
427:
423:
421:
420:
416:
414:
413:
409:
407:
406:
402:
400:
399:
395:
393:
392:
388:
386:
385:
381:
379:
378:
374:
372:
371:
367:
365:
364:
360:
358:
357:
353:
351:
350:
346:
344:
343:
339:
337:
336:
332:
331:
329:
327:
323:
319:
314:
310:
303:
298:
296:
291:
289:
284:
283:
280:
274:
271:
270:
258:
252:
245:
239:
232:
226:
219:
213:
209:
201:
199:
195:
189:
185:
183:
179:
178:
173:
172:Beatrice Webb
168:
164:
160:
156:
146:
142:
130:
127:
124:
121:
118:
115:
114:
108:
106:
102:
98:
94:
93:
84:
81:
77:
73:
69:
65:
61:
58:
55:
51:
47:
43:
40:
37:
33:
29:
24:
19:
16:
922:
915:
908:
901:
882:Shaw Theatre
853:
846:
839:
821:
801:
794:
787:
780:
760:
753:
746:
739:
732:
725:
718:
711:
704:
697:
690:
683:
678:On the Rocks
676:
669:
662:
655:
648:
641:
634:
627:
620:
613:
606:
601:Macbeth Skit
599:
592:
586:
585:
578:
571:
564:
557:
550:
543:
536:
529:
522:
515:
508:
501:
494:
487:
480:
473:
466:
459:
452:
445:
438:
431:
424:
417:
410:
403:
396:
389:
382:
375:
368:
361:
354:
347:
340:
335:Passion Play
333:
318:Bibliography
256:
251:
243:
238:
230:
225:
217:
212:
197:
190:
186:
181:
175:
167:Felix Aylmer
152:
143:
139:
91:
90:
89:
15:
833:Non-fiction
517:Misalliance
97:World War I
946:1915 plays
940:Categories
782:Immaturity
643:Saint Joan
405:The Gadfly
204:References
119:Ermyntrude
116:Archdeacon
111:Characters
35:Written by
559:Pygmalion
545:Overruled
198:Preussen
122:Princess
865:Related
377:Candida
161:, with
128:Manager
71:Subject
66:English
773:Novels
720:Geneva
131:Waiter
83:satire
326:Plays
79:Genre
136:Plot
125:Inca
99:by
942::
107:.
898:)
894:(
301:e
294:t
287:v
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.