Originally completed in 1893, but not performed until 1902, Mrs. Warren’s Profession is among the most noteworthy and socially significant of George Bernard Shaw’s plays. The four-act drama deals with the controversial subject of prostitution in an era when it was neither openly addressed nor adequately scrutinized. It further highlights the mitigating factors underlying the trade’s proliferation, and explores conflicting attitudes about social mobility and gender roles in late-Victorian society. Now performed routinely as a featured production of the playwright’s repertoire, it continues to be hailed among his most crucial works, cited as a precursor to more progressive trends in Western drama and seen as an important text in schools of liberal and critical thought.
The opening scenes of the first act centre on Vivie Warren, the daughter of Mrs. Kitty Warren, who has recently...
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Citation: Stuart, Daniel. "Mrs Warren's Profession". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 29 September 2023 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=3401, accessed 09 June 2026.]
