Pygmalion, a romance play in five acts, is written by George Bernard Shaw and named after the Greek mythological figure. In ancient Greek mythology, Pygmalion fell in love with one of his sculptures, which then came to life. It is considered as a humane comedy about love and the English class system. Eliza Doolittle, fictional character, a flower girl who is transformed into a woman of poise and polish by Shaw in this play. According to playwright, character of Professor Henry Higgins was inspired by several British professors of phonetics.
The last scene in Act V ends with another confrontation between Higgins and Eliza. Higgins asks if Eliza is satisfied with the revenge she has brought thus far and if she will now come back, but she refuses. Higgins defends himself from Eliza’s earlier accusation by arguing that he treats everyone the same. Pygmalion was first produced in German in 1913 in Vienna. It was later on performed in England in 1914.
About the Author
George Bernard Shaw was an Irish playwright and critic. Before writing plays, he worked for years as a music and art critic, wrote book and theatre reviews, and was an active member of the Fabian Society. Later, even as he established himself as a prominent playwright, his writings and speeches made him a controversial public figure for much of his life. Widowers’ Houses was his first play in which he highlighted social and economic issues instead of romance and adopted the ironic comedic tone. He described his early plays as “unpleasant” because they forced the spectator to face unpleasant facts. He received the Nobel Prize in 1925.
Then Shaw wrote four “pleasant” plays, including Arms and the Man and Candida. His next plays include Caesar and Cleopatra and Man and Superman. Shaw used comedy to explore society’s foibles in Major Barbara, The Doctor’s Dilemma, and Pygmalion.
