Ever since its 1905 premiere on the London stage, Bernard Shaw's controversial drama Major Barbara has proved puzzling to audiences and critics alike. More than a century later there is still wide critical disagreement about the play's meaning and the ideas embodied within it. Sidney Albert's groundbreaking new b o ok provides a daring and novel reading of this work. By tracing the extensive connections between Shaw's play and two canonical ancient Greek texts-Plato's Republic and EuripidesÆs Bacchae-Albert reveals deeper dimensions of the drama.