CANDIDA
DISCUSS THE ROLE OF EUGENE MARCHBANKS IN CANDIDA - CANDIDA
NOTES
Eugene Marchbanks is a socially
awkward eighteen-year-old poet
and nobleman who falls in love
with the beautiful Candida.
Unfortunately for him, Candida is
already married to Reverend
James Morell, who is a Christian
Socialist clergyman. Morell and
Candida take Marchbanks under
their wing after Morell found the
young man "sleeping on the
Embankment." The married
couple clearly love each other,
but Marchbanks convinces
himself that Candida dislikes her
husband and their marriage and
would choose him over Morell if
given the chance.
At first, when Marchbanks
declares his love for Candida,
Morell laughs and says that
everybody loves his wife and that
Marchbanks' case is nothing
special. As Marchbanks goes on
to insist that Candida secretly
despises her husband, Morell
takes his insulting outbursts more
seriously and begins to get
angry.
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NOTEASED
BY G BERNARD SHAW
EUGENE MARCHBANKS
ROMANTIC POET • IMPRACTICAL • DON JUAN
Candida- by George Bernard Shaw is a typically Shavian paradoxical play in which the initial expectations of the
audience are undermined. Eugene Marchbanks is a typical Romantic poet, rather in the mode of Shelley or Byron.
He is still quite young, only 18, the nephew of an earl, and absurdly impractical on the surface. He also immediately
falls in love with Candida, wife to Reverend James Morell, who appears a typical admirable Victorian, successful,
energetic, popular, and active in philanthropy.
Eugene initially appears a sort of Don Juan figure or typical young Romantic hero, effeminate and charming, in
contrast with the muscular Christianity of Morrell. Eugene assumes that Candida will end up falling in love with
him because of her feminine (maternal, nurturing) instincts which will lead her to want to take care of him. The
paradoxical part of his character is revealed as Shaw has Candida choose Morrell because Morrell is actually the
weaker of the two men, lacking the clear and distinct sense of self and purpose that Eugene has gained from his
devotion to poetry and belief in himself as a writer. Eugene learns from Candida to appreciate his own strength
and to see his own impracticality and artistic nature as strengths rather than weaknesses.
Eugene Marchbanks fulfils the role of the anti-macho hero in the Play 'Candida' by George Bernard Shaw. He
almost plays the part of acting as a foil to her husband, showing who, in reality, is the neediest. Eugene looks like
the quintessential English Romantic poet with his eighteen year old youthful looks, needy endearing manner,
poetic and literary interests and apparently sensitive and vulnerable personality - he cannot even seem to look
after himself, being found sleeping rough and brought in out of the cold by Morel. At first this appeals to Morel's
wife - until she realises that it is her own husband who is the needier. Eugene's role is to bring her to this realisation.
He is not the 'weakest' after all - his vulnerable appearance belies a confidence in his own talents - and shows up
her husband's lack of them.
CANDIDA - EUGENE VS EUGENE - MORELL