Critiquing War and Power in Arms and the Man and the Leader: A Reading in Political Satire

This study explores the political dimension in two plays from different cultural contexts, Arms and the Man by Bernard Shaw and The Leader by Mustafa Moharam. Both plays belong to a tradition of satirical theatre that critiques war and authority, not through direct confrontation but through irony. The research adopts postmodern theory as a framework to understand the relationship between representation, satire, and the deconstruction of power symbols. The study focuses on the portrayal of war in Shaw’s play and political authority in Moharram’s, analyzing key characters such as the soldier Bluntschli and the actor who becomes a leader. It argues that satire is used to undermine notions of heroism, leadership, and prestige, exposing the falseness of official discourse. The methodology follows comparative textual analysis, incorporating historical and cultural context. The study proposes that political satire is no longer merely entertainment, but a subtle form of resistance that questions submission and promotes public awareness. It aims to fill a critical gap by comparing two plays rarely studied together and offering a contemporary political reading of both.