Pygmalion - analysis
Pygmalion:
An analysis of Shaw’s comedic style
In this modern interpretation of the Greek tale about a sculptor who falls in love with his perfect female statue, Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw tells the story of two opposite people and their conflicting desires. In this play, Shaw criticizes the British class system and makes a statement towards his feminist views. Shaw also incorporates three types of comedy, and these are: old comedy, physical comedy and comedy of manners. Old comedy is characterized by its satirical tone. In this play we see it incorporated in Henry Higgins’ sarcastic wit. Already in the first act, Higgins tells Eliza the following when they have just met under the rain: “Yes, you squashed cabbage leaf, you disgrace to the noble architecture of these columns, you incarnate insult to the English language: I could pass you off as the Queen of Sheba. Can you believe that?” (Shaw 18). Higgins has no empathy whatsoever; he insults Eliza without even stopping to think about her feelings. In this same scene, when people talk to him, Higgins smugly tells them where they are from: “How did you come to be so far east? You were born in Lisson Grove” (Shaw 14). From this, we can clearly infer that Higgins considers himself superior, and only because he can speak English properly. Physical comedy is characterized by the use of the body to convey humor. Shaw is an author who is very methodical, descriptive, visual and specific in his stage directions, and it is thanks to these directions that we are able to notice the comedy represented by Higgins’ actions. In act two, when Eliza goes to Higgins’ house to ask him for speech lessons, Pickering asks Higgins if he is a man of good character, and these are the stage directions Shaw gives us about his behavior: “[dogmatically, lifting himself on his hands to the level of the piano, and sitting on it with a bounce]” (Shaw 37). Notice how he dramatically hops onto the piano. In act three, during the
An analysis of Shaw’s comedic style
In this modern interpretation of the Greek tale about a sculptor who falls in love with his perfect female statue, Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw tells the story of two opposite people and their conflicting desires. In this play, Shaw criticizes the British class system and makes a statement towards his feminist views. Shaw also incorporates three types of comedy, and these are: old comedy, physical comedy and comedy of manners. Old comedy is characterized by its satirical tone. In this play we see it incorporated in Henry Higgins’ sarcastic wit. Already in the first act, Higgins tells Eliza the following when they have just met under the rain: “Yes, you squashed cabbage leaf, you disgrace to the noble architecture of these columns, you incarnate insult to the English language: I could pass you off as the Queen of Sheba. Can you believe that?” (Shaw 18). Higgins has no empathy whatsoever; he insults Eliza without even stopping to think about her feelings. In this same scene, when people talk to him, Higgins smugly tells them where they are from: “How did you come to be so far east? You were born in Lisson Grove” (Shaw 14). From this, we can clearly infer that Higgins considers himself superior, and only because he can speak English properly. Physical comedy is characterized by the use of the body to convey humor. Shaw is an author who is very methodical, descriptive, visual and specific in his stage directions, and it is thanks to these directions that we are able to notice the comedy represented by Higgins’ actions. In act two, when Eliza goes to Higgins’ house to ask him for speech lessons, Pickering asks Higgins if he is a man of good character, and these are the stage directions Shaw gives us about his behavior: “[dogmatically, lifting himself on his hands to the level of the piano, and sitting on it with a bounce]” (Shaw 37). Notice how he dramatically hops onto the piano. In act three, during the
Cited: Shaw, George Bernard. Pygmalion. Revised ed. N.p.: Penguin Group (USA) Incorporated, 1/14/2003. Print.