PhD Degree Awarded to Mr. Zayed Al-Mudhaffar in English Literature

Mr. Zayed Hussein Saleh Ali Al-Mudhaffar ‎was awarded a PhD degree in English Literature for his dissertation titled: Change and Heroism in George Bernard Shaw’s Plays‎, which was submitted to the Department of English Language, Faculty of Arts and Humanities – Sana’a University. The dissertation defense was held on Wednesday, 15 Ramadan 1447 Hijri, corresponding to March 4, 2026.

The PhD Viva-Voce Committee, which was formed based on a resolution issued by the Graduate Studies and Scientific Research Council, consisted of the following:

The dissertation aimed to:

• Examine Shaw’s redefinition of the concept of heroism by analyzing how characters ‎such as Joan, Eliza, and Bluntschli embody courage through realism, rationality, ‎and social responsibility rather than traditional ideals of glory, mysticism, or ‎‎

• Investigate the theme of change, whether personal, social, or institutional, as ‎dramatized in the selected plays, highlighting how Shaw used transformation as a ‎tool to critique existing systems and propose alternative models of progress.‎

• Explore the relationship between Shaw’s dramatic vision and his ideological ‎commitments to socialism, feminism, anti-romanticism, and anti-imperialism, ‎demonstrating how these ideologies intersect in his redefinition of heroism.‎

• Employ a comparative analytical framework that places the plays Saint Joan, ‎Pygmalion, and Arms and the Man within a unified intellectual context ‎reflecting Shaw’s dramatic philosophy.‎

• Assess the contemporary relevance of Shaw’s vision of heroism and change by ‎connecting his dramatic critiques with modern debates on gender equality, ‎militarism, institutional authority, and cultural reform.‎

The study yielded several key findings summarized as follows:

• Shaw dismantled traditional heroic models based on romantic illusions, military valor, and religious asceticism, establishing a modern concept that can be described as “pragmatic heroism.”

• Through analysis of Arms and the Man, Pygmalion, and Saint Joan, Shaw redefined courage as a commitment to rationality, honesty, and social responsibility.

• The study demonstrated how Shaw used the transformations of his protagonists—such as Captain Bluntschli’s professional realism, Eliza Doolittle’s female self-determination, and Joan of Arc’s rational challenge to authority—as catalysts for broader personal and societal change.

• The dissertation concluded that Shaw’s “drama of ideas” functions as a platform for intellectual awakening, offering conceptual models for addressing modern conflicts related to nationalism, gender inequality, and institutional corruption.

In light of these findings, the researcher recommended the following:‎

• Encouraging further studies exploring Shaw’s broader dramatic works, as the present ‎research focused on only three plays.‎

• Investigating the performance history of Shaw’s plays, since this study concentrated ‎primarily on the literary text rather than theatrical performance.‎

• Conducting research exploring additional dimensions of Shaw’s drama, such as ‎religion or science, beyond the feminist, socialist, and anti-imperialist themes ‎emphasized in this study.‎

• Undertaking comparative studies between Shaw and contemporaries such as Henrik Ibsen or ‎Bertolt Brecht, or examining his works within post-colonial frameworks to highlight the global ‎resonance of his anti-imperialist vision.

The dissertation defense was attended by a number of academics, researchers, and specialists, students, colleagues, and the researcher’s family.

A video from the Viva-Voce