Pygmalion by Bernard Shaw. Summary of the book.

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Pygmalion by Bernard Shaw

Pygmalion is a play written by Bernard Shaw in 1912. It tells the story of a professor of phonetics, Henry Higgins, who makes a bet that he can pass off a Cockney flower girl as a duchess at an ambassador’s garden party. The play examines the dynamics between upper and lower classes in Edwardian England, while also exploring themes of gender, identity, and class.

Plot Summary

The story begins with Eliza Doolittle, a young flower girl, being accosted in the street by Henry Higgins and Colonel Pickering. Higgins and Pickering make a bet that Higgins can turn Eliza into a lady that can pass for a duchess. Eliza agrees to come to Higgins’ house to learn how to speak properly.

Higgins and Pickering teach Eliza how to speak without her Cockney accent and train her in the mannerisms of upper-class society. Eliza eventually succeeds and is able to pass for a duchess at the ambassador’s garden party. After the party, Eliza realizes that she has become a tool for Higgins and Pickering to win their bet, and she leaves in a huff.

Higgins follows Eliza to her aunt’s house, where he meets her father and discovers that Eliza is more intelligent than he had initially thought. Higgins apologizes to Eliza and they reconcile. Eliza eventually returns to Higgins and Pickering, and they all attend the opera together. The play ends with Eliza deciding to stay with Higgins and Pickering rather than marrying the wealthy Freddy Eynsford-Hill.

Themes

The primary theme of Pygmalion is that of social class and the power dynamics between the upper and lower classes in Edwardian England. Higgins and Pickering’s bet shows how the upper classes view the lower classes as objects to be manipulated and used for their own ends. Eliza’s transformation from a Cockney flower girl to a duchess shows how the upper classes are able to impose their values upon the lower classes and mold them into their own ideal.

The play also explores themes of gender, identity, and class. Eliza’s transformation from a Cockney flower girl to a lady of the upper classes shows how women in Edwardian England were expected to conform to the values of the upper classes. Eliza’s struggles to fit in with the upper classes and be accepted as an equal to Higgins and Pickering also show how difficult it is for those of lower classes to break free of the expectations of their social class.

Curiosities and Interesting Facts

  • Pygmalion has been adapted for the screen several times. The play has been adapted for the screen several times, most notably in the 1964 film My Fair Lady, which won eight Academy Awards. The play has also been adapted into a musical, which has been performed in theaters around the world.
  • The play is based on a Greek myth. The play is based on the Greek myth of Pygmalion, in which a sculptor creates a statue of a woman and falls in love with it. The play draws parallels between the myth and Eliza’s transformation from a Cockney flower girl to a duchess.
  • Pygmalion was a critical and commercial success. The play was a critical and commercial success upon its debut, and it has remained popular over the years. Pygmalion is widely considered to be one of Shaw’s greatest works and is one of the most widely performed plays in theater.

FAQs

  • What is the plot of Pygmalion?
    The plot of Pygmalion follows Henry Higgins and Colonel Pickering as they make a bet to transform a Cockney flower girl, Eliza Doolittle, into a duchess. Eliza undergoes a transformation and is able to pass for a duchess at an ambassador’s garden party. After the party, Eliza discovers that she has been used as a tool to win the bet, and she leaves in a huff. Eliza eventually returns to Higgins and Pickering, and the play ends with Eliza deciding to stay with them rather than marry the wealthy Freddy Eynsford-Hill.
  • Who wrote Pygmalion?
    Pygmalion was written by Bernard Shaw in 1912.
  • What is the main theme of Pygmalion?
    The main theme of Pygmalion is the power dynamics between the upper and lower classes in Edwardian England. The play also explores themes of gender, identity, and class.
  • Has Pygmalion been adapted for the screen?
    Yes, Pygmalion has been adapted for the screen several times, most notably in the 1964 film My Fair Lady, which won eight Academy Awards. The play has also been adapted into a musical, which has been performed in theaters around the world.

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