The Devil's Disciple
A comic play by George Bernard Shaw set during The American Revolution, which tells of the title character, Richard Dudgeon, and his opposite, the Rev. Anthony Andersen, and the events which follow when British soldiers come to arrest Andersen for treason and Dudgeon takes his place. A further element is how Andersen's wife, Judith, rapidly goes from loathing Dudgeon to falling in love with him.
Tropes used in The Devil's Disciple include:
- Affably Evil / Anti-Villain: General Burgoyne
- Easy Evangelism: Dudgeon is able to bring Judith and Anthony Andersen around to his viewpoint in record time.
- Hourglass Plot: Dudgeon and Andersen switch places to a great extent over the course of the play, and Andersen even wants to further this by giving his wife to Dudgeon and demanding that Dudgeon join the clergy.
- I Ate What?: Subverted in the film version. After eating a bowl of soup, General Burgoyne asks one of his men what was in it. Clearly expecting this reaction, the soldier admits that it was rattlesnake. General Burgoyne doesn't even miss a beat before pronouncing it delicious.
- Nice to the Waiter: Richard is the only person in his family who is kind to the family servant Essie. He comes across as better than the Andersens, who, while nicer to Essie, are also highly patronizing.
- Satan Is Good: Not precisely, but Richard calls himself a friend of Satan and is the most noble character in the play.
- Upper Class Wit: General Burgoyne