Mrs Dudgeon “spitefully” comments that her husband Timothy’s brother Peter “deserved it, if ever a man did.” We are told later that she in fact was in love with Peter. Possibly Shaw in intending that we notice that she is not very forgiving and “good” Christians are supposed to be forgiving.
Being a parson, one would consider Anderson to be shocked at this blurted response, but instead his reply is put forward “gently.” He then changes, turning “grave”, when talking of a subject, which clearly distresses him a bit, telling her of Richard (her eldest son’s) presence at the execution.
Mrs Dudgeon turns “disagreeably” surprised then vindictive, talking of her own son as a “wicked, dissolute, godless-”, then asking with “evident dread” if Timothy saw him. This shows she is bitter and not loving at all. She is “greatly relieved” when told her “good” husband didn’t see her “bad” son. Although she then “sneers” when told he was greatly touched and impressed by his brother’s awful death. Although she is a “good” Christian, she seems to feel no remorse at all for her brother in laws death.
Anderson, being the real good Christian, loses his calmness for the first time, breaking off “to demand with some indignation.” He then tells her of Richard’s “wicked message” saying he would stand by his “wicked” uncle, standing against his “good” parents, in this world and the next
Shaw is showing that Anderson, the supposedly more religious one, states that it is not in their hands, when Mrs Dudgeon, the “good” Christian, says that Richard will be punished for it, in both worlds. “…The wicked shall be punished.”
While Anderson praises Timothy, “Richard’s earthly father has been merciful to him…” Mrs Dudgeon forgets herself, “Richard’s earthly father was a softheaded-”, bringing out the shock in Anderson, bringing him to exclaim.
We are shown that now the parson has shown his surprise, Mrs Dudgeon collects herself “with a touch of shame,” “…trying to conciliate him.” When asked of the will, Mrs Dudgeon, “all her fears returning” is unable to finish her sentence. This is showing her total greed as she goes “white with intense rage”, giving a whole spiel about all the money being hers in the first place. Her husband has just died and Shaw is showing that Christians forgive and think good things of people who have passed away, and all Mrs Dudgeon can think about is her money and property.
But then, finally, we see a possible different side to her, as she admits “my heart belonged, not to Timothy, but to that poor wretched brother of his…aye, to Peter Dudgeon.” She then confesses that she was made to marry a “Godfearing mad – as he thought.” The most truth and possible pain comes out in the line “what else but that discipline had made me the woman I am?” She is bitter and not “good” and that is the realization and the question she asks herself, deep deep down. Shaw is showing that she contains a lot inside her. The contrast that is showing is that Anderson has nothing to hide.
She turns from him “brooding over her wrongs…”her bitterness is shown most clear when asked of the absence of his influence on her. “When you married for love. Now you are answered.”
In this part of the scene, I think Shaw is showing that although Anderson had an “altogether secular authority” and “…perhaps a little apologetically conscious of getting on better with it than a sound Presbyterian ought,” he is a good mad and knows what is “good” and “bad.”
Mrs Dudgeon however, is a “good” woman but is bitter and enclosed in her pain of being forced in a marriage to a man she did not love, and she doesn’t know anything about right and wrong. That is the main difference. “Yes: I am answered.”
