Critical Analysis of ‘Arms and the Man’ by G.B Shaw with special reference to the language and relevance of the piece
Presented by:
Name: MALOBIKA SEN
Semester: III
Roll No
Section:
“The world is not such an innocent place as we used to think, Petkoff.”
(Act III, p. 67)
Table of Contents:
1. Introduction; The Subject matter of the Play ……………………….…………………3
2. Background of ‘Arms & the Man’……………………………………………………………. 5
3. Analysis of the Style and Language of the Play……………………………………….. 6
4. Relevance of the Play……………………………...…………………………………… 7
5. Bibliography…………………………………………………………………………… 8
Introduction: The Subject matter of the Play1
The play begins in the bedroom of Raina Petkoff in a Bulgarian town in 1885, during the Serbo-Bulgarian War. As the play opens, Catherine Petkoff and her daughter, Raina, have just heard that the Bulgarians have scored a tremendous victory in a cavalry charge led by Raina's fiancé, Major Sergius Saranoff, who is in the same regiment as Raina's father, Major Paul Petkoff. Raina is so impressed with the noble deeds of her fiancé that she fears that she might never be able to live up to his nobility. At this very moment, the maid, Louka, rushes in with the news that the Serbs are being chased through the streets and that it is necessary to lock up the house and all of the windows. Raina promises to do so later, and Louka leaves. But as Raina is reading in bed, shots are heard, there is a noise at the balcony window, and a bedraggled enemy soldier with a gun appears and threatens to kill her if she makes a sound. After the soldier and Raina exchange some words, Louka calls from outside the door; she says that several soldiers want to search the house and investigate a report that an enemy Serbian soldier was seen climbing her balcony. When Raina hears the news, she turns to the soldier. He says that he is prepared to die, but he certainly plans to kill a few Bulgarian soldiers in her bedroom before he dies. Thus, Raina impetuously decides to hide him. The soldiers investigate, find no one, and leave. Raina then calls the man out from
Name: MALOBIKA SEN
Semester: III
Roll No
Section:
“The world is not such an innocent place as we used to think, Petkoff.”
(Act III, p. 67)
Table of Contents:
1. Introduction; The Subject matter of the Play ……………………….…………………3
2. Background of ‘Arms & the Man’……………………………………………………………. 5
3. Analysis of the Style and Language of the Play……………………………………….. 6
4. Relevance of the Play……………………………...…………………………………… 7
5. Bibliography…………………………………………………………………………… 8
Introduction: The Subject matter of the Play1
The play begins in the bedroom of Raina Petkoff in a Bulgarian town in 1885, during the Serbo-Bulgarian War. As the play opens, Catherine Petkoff and her daughter, Raina, have just heard that the Bulgarians have scored a tremendous victory in a cavalry charge led by Raina's fiancé, Major Sergius Saranoff, who is in the same regiment as Raina's father, Major Paul Petkoff. Raina is so impressed with the noble deeds of her fiancé that she fears that she might never be able to live up to his nobility. At this very moment, the maid, Louka, rushes in with the news that the Serbs are being chased through the streets and that it is necessary to lock up the house and all of the windows. Raina promises to do so later, and Louka leaves. But as Raina is reading in bed, shots are heard, there is a noise at the balcony window, and a bedraggled enemy soldier with a gun appears and threatens to kill her if she makes a sound. After the soldier and Raina exchange some words, Louka calls from outside the door; she says that several soldiers want to search the house and investigate a report that an enemy Serbian soldier was seen climbing her balcony. When Raina hears the news, she turns to the soldier. He says that he is prepared to die, but he certainly plans to kill a few Bulgarian soldiers in her bedroom before he dies. Thus, Raina impetuously decides to hide him. The soldiers investigate, find no one, and leave. Raina then calls the man out from
Bibliography: Books: 1. G.B Shaw ‘Arms and the Man’ 2. T. F. Evans ‘George Bernard Shaw: The Critical Heritage’ Articles and Websites: 1. Leonard Dudley and Ulrich Witt ‘Arms and the Man:World War I and the Rise of the Welfare State’ KYKLOS, Vol. 57 – 2004 – Fasc. 4, 475–504 < http://telematica.politicas.unam.mx/biblioteca/archivos/040105077.pdf> last accessed on 12th march 2013 2. Gary Sloan, ‘George Bernard Shaw: Mystic or Atheist?’ last accessed on 17th March 2013 3. Shaun Knapp, ‘The Fabian Socialist Window: A View into the Heart of the New World Order Agenda’ < http://www.awakeandarise.org/article/FabianWindow.htm> last accessed on 17th March 2013 4. Richard Nordquist, ‘Why Law Is Indispensable, by George Bernard Shaw’< http://www.oldmagazinearticles.com/anti-war_George_Bernard_Shaw_against_WW1_pdf> last accessed on 17th March 2013