Androcles and the Lion (Shavian: ·𐑨𐑯𐑛𐑮𐑩𐑒𐑤𐑰𐑟 𐑯 𐑞 𐑤𐑲𐑩𐑯) is a 1912 play written by George Bernard Shaw.

The play is Shaw's retelling of the tale of Androcles, a slave who is saved by the requiting mercy of a lion.

Characters in the play exemplify several themes and takes on both modern and supposed early Christianity, including the cultural clash between Jesus' teachings and traditional Roman values.

Androcles, a fugitive Christian tailor, accompanied by his nagging wife, is on the run from his Roman persecutors.

Androcles sees that the cause of the animal's distress is a large thorn embedded in its paw, which he draws out while soothing the lion in baby language.

But the lion that is supposed to kill him turns out to be the one that Androcles saved, and the two dance around the arena to the delight of the crowd.

In summary, Shaw states that Jesus was a benevolent genius (in areas ranging from moral to social to economic) who eventually bought into popular ideas of his divinity and impending martyrdom.

The play was written at a time when the Christian Church was an important influence on society and there was strong pressure on non-believers in public life.

[1] During the 2017 Season with Tim Carrol as artistic director, the Shaw Festival produced a radically different interpretation with a large amount of audience participation.