The Inca of Perusalem: An Almost Historical Comedietta

by Bernard Shaw

"The Inca of Perusalem: An Almost Historical Comedietta" by Bernard Shaw is a comic one-act play written in 1915 during World War I. What begins as a fairytale about a fantastical "Inca" reveals itself as a satirical portrait of Kaiser Wilhelm II. Through disguises and deceptions, a clever woman named Ermyntrude confronts the vain ruler, mocking his artistic pretensions and his country's disastrous war. Shaw's daring comedy ridiculed Germany's leader while the conflict still raged.