Androcles and the Lion: A Fable Play, Definitive Text

"Androcles and the Lion" is a 1912 play written by George Bernard Shaw. "Androcles and the Lion" is Shaw's retelling of the tale of Androcles, a slave who is saved by the requited mercy of a lion. In the play, Shaw makes Androcles out to be one of many Christians being led to the Colosseum for torture. Characters in the play exemplify several themes and takes on both modern and supposed early Christianity, including cultural clash between Jesus' teachings and traditional Roman values.