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of the Don Juan play are dilapidated past use： for instance； Don
Juan's supernatural antagonist hurled those who refuse to repent
into lakes of burning brimstone； there to be tormented by devils
with horns and tails。 Of that antagonist； and of that conception
of repentance； how much is left that could be used in a play by
me dedicated to you？ On the other hand； those forces of middle
class public opinion which hardly existed for a Spanish nobleman
in the days of the first Don Juan； are now triumphant everywhere。
Civilized society is one huge bourgeoisie： no nobleman dares now
shock his greengrocer。 The women； 〃marchesane； principesse；
cameriere； cittadine〃 and all； are become equally dangerous： the
sex is aggressive； powerful： when women are wronged they do not
group themselves pathetically to sing 〃Protegga il giusto
cielo〃： they grasp formidable legal and social weapons； and
retaliate。 Political parties are wrecked and public careers
undone by a single indiscretion。 A man had better have all the
statues in London to supper with him； ugly as they are； than be
brought to the bar of the Nonconformist Conscience by Donna
Elvira。 Excommunication has become almost as serious a business
as it was in the X century。
As a result； Man is no longer； like Don Juan； victor in the duel
of sex。 Whether he has ever really been may be doubted： at all
events the enormous superiority of Woman's natural position in
this matter is telling with greater and greater force。 As to
pulling the Nonconformist Conscience by the beard as Don Juan
plucked the beard of the Commandant's statue in the convent of
San Francisco； that is out of the question nowadays： prudence and
good manners alike forbid it to a hero with any mind。 Besides； it
is Don Juan's own beard that is in danger of plucking。 Far from
relapsing into hypocrisy； as Sganarelle feared； he has
unexpectedly discovered a moral in his immorality。 The growing
recognition of his new point of view is heaping responsibility on
him。 His former jests he has had to take as seriously as I have
had to take some of the jests of Mr W。 S。 Gilbert。 His
scepticism； once his least tolerated quality； has now triumphed
so completely that he can no longer assert himself by witty
negations； and must； to save himself from cipherdom； find an
affirmative position。 His thousand and three affairs of
gallantry； after becoming； at most； two immature intrigues
leading to sordid and prolonged complications and humiliations；
have been discarded altogether as unworthy of his philosophic
dignity and compromising to his newly acknowledged position as
the founder of a school。 Instead of pretending to read Ovid he
does actually read Schopenhaur and Nietzsche； studies
Westermarck； and is concerned for the future of the race instead
of for the freedom of his own instincts。 Thus his profligacy and
his dare…devil airs have gone the way of his sword and mandoline
into the rag shop of anachronisms and superstitions。 In fact； he
is now more Hamlet than Don Juan； for though the lines put into
the actor's mouth to indicate to the pit that Hamlet is a
philosopher are for the most part mere harmonious platitude
which； with a little debasement of the word…music； would be
properer to Pecksniff； yet if you separate the real hero；
inarticulate and unintelligible to himself except in flashes of
inspiration； from the performer who has to talk at any cost
through five acts； and if you also do what you must always do in
Shakespear's tragedies： that is； dissect out the absurd
sensational incidents and physical violences of the borrowed
story from the genuine Shakespearian tissue； you will get a true
Promethean foe of the gods； whose instinctive attitude towards
women much resembles that to which Don Juan is now driven。 From
this point of view Hamlet was a developed Don Juan whom
Shakespear palmed off as a reputable man just as he palmed poor
Macbeth off as a murderer。 To…day the palming off is no longer
necessary （at least on your plane and mine） because Don Juanism
is no longer misunderstood as mere Casanovism。 Don Juan himself
is almost ascetic in his desire to avoid that misunderstanding；
and so my attempt to bring him up to date by launching him as a
modern Englishman into a modern English environment has produced
a figure superficially quite unlike the hero of Mozart。
And yet I have not the heart to disappoint you wholly of another
glimpse of the Mozartian dissoluto punito and his antagonist the
statue。 I feel sure you would like to know more of that statue
to draw him out when he is off duty； so to speak。 To gratify you；
I have resorted to the trick of the strolling theatrical manager
who advertizes the pantomime of Sinbad the Sailor with a stock of
second…hand picture posters designed for Ali Baba。 He simply
thrusts a few oil jars into the valley of diamonds； and so
fulfils the promise held out by the hoardings to the public eye。
I have adapted this simple device to our occasion by thrusting
into my perfectly modern three…act play a totally extraneous act
in which my hero； enchanted by the air of the Sierra； has a dream
in which his Mozartian ancestor appears and philosophizes at
great length in a Shavio…Socratic dialogue with the lady； the
statue； and the devil。
But this pleasantry is not the essence of the play。 Over this
essence I have no control。 You propound a certain social
substance； sexual attraction to wit； for dramatic distillation；
and I distil it for you。 I do not adulterate the product with
aphrodisiacs nor dilute it with romance and water； for I am
merely executing your commission； not producing a popular play
for the market。 You must therefore （unless； like most wise men；
you read the play first and the preface afterwards） prepare
yourself to face a trumpery story of modern London life； a life
in which； as you know； the ordinary man's main business is to get
means to keep up the position and habits of a gentleman； and the
ordinary woman's business is to get married。 In 9；999 cases out
of 10；000； you can count on their doing nothing； whether noble
or base； that conflicts with these ends； and that assurance is
what you rely on as their religion； their morality； their
principles； their patriotism； their reputation； their honor and
so forth。
On the whole； this is a sensible and satisfactory foundation for
society。 Money means nourishment and marriage means children； and
that men should put nourishment first and women children first
is； broadly speaking； the law of Nature and not the dictate of
personal ambition。 The secret of the prosaic man's success； such
as it is； is the simplicity with which he pursues these ends： the
secret of the artistic man's failure； such as that is； is the
versatility with which he strays in all directions after
secondary ideals。 The artist is either a poet or a scallawag： as
poet； he cannot see； as the prosaic man does； that chivalry is at
bottom only romantic suicide： as scallawag； he cannot see that it
does not pay to spunge and beg and lie and brag and neglect his
person。 Therefore do not misunderstand my plain statement of the
fundamental constitution of London society as an Irishman's