"Shaw's plays are the price we pay for Shaw's prefaces"

James Agate's quip, "Shaw's plays are the price we spend for Shaw's prefaces", encapsulates a spirited yet sharp review of George Bernard Shaw's literary work, specifically concentrating on the vibrant relationship in between his plays and the extensive prefaces he penned. To unpack this statement, it's vital to understand both the character of Shaw's plays and the nature of his beginnings.

George Bernard Shaw, among the most prominent playwrights of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, was understood not just for his phase works but likewise for the substantial and often intriguing beginnings that accompanied them. These beginnings were not simple introductions; they extended into essays filled with Shaw's personal views on society, politics, philosophy, and art. Oftentimes, the beginnings were longer than the plays themselves, teeming with his typically sharp wit and critical insights.

Agate's remark underscores a dual truth: the indisputable value and intellectual wealth discovered within Shaw's prefaces and the understanding that his plays, while considerable, were nearly secondary or a 'cost' sustained to access the more considerable material of the prefaces. It's a recommendation of Shaw's prowess as a thinker and author, recommending that the real treasure lies within his prefatory notes where his concepts are laid bare with vitality and clarity.

Nevertheless, to concern Shaw's plays as simply the 'rate' suggests a subtle undervaluation of his remarkable works. Shaw's plays stay prominent for their mix of comedy, drama, and social commentary. Yet, Agate's remark might be interpreted as indicating that, while entertaining and provocative, they act as cars to provide the more extensive and revealing discussions found in the beginnings.

In essence, James Agate captures the dual legacy of Shaw: his capability to provoke idea both through discussion on phase and discursive prose. Hence, the audience, drawn by his plays, eventually gets to a wider intellectual engagement embodied by his beginnings. Agate's quote, for that reason, highlights the interaction in between art and commentary in Shaw's oeuvre, recommending that the latter might consist of the truly extensive contributions.