Pygmalion (Greek myth)

Eliza visits Higgins to ask for speech lessons to improve her accent and manner of speaking so she can get a job as a shop assistant. She wants to elevate her social status and believes that Higgins' expertise in phonetics can help her achieve that goal.

Liza demonstrates politeness, self-respect, and a sense of pride when she approaches Higgins. Despite her humble upbringing, she displays a desire to better herself through education and refinement. Her willingness to seek help and improve her station in life shows her ambition and determination.

True love conquers all obstacles. (My interpretation)

Pgymalion, as the Greek myth goes, was a young sculptor of great promise. His statues were very lifelike, especially one depicting a beautiful young woman. Pgymalion called the statue Galetea and fell in love with it. The gods, taking pity on the young man and impressed by the sincerity of his love, made the statue come to life and return Pgymalion's love. The play "Pgymalion" is about a professor who educates a socially-deprived young woman, turning her into a sophisticated debutante, thereby, in his view, turning a "stone" into a "real woman."

In "Pygmalion," Higgins views Freddy as a lovestruck and naive individual. He sees him as infatuated with Eliza and lacking the self-assuredness and independence that Higgins values. However, Higgins also underestimates Freddy's capabilities and potential for growth.

Eliza undergoes a significant transformation in "Pygmalion" from a poor flower girl with a thick Cockney accent to a refined and articulate lady through the efforts of Professor Henry Higgins. This change reflects her growth in self-confidence and social mobility, though she also faces uncertainty about her identity and her place in society as a result. Ultimately, the play explores themes of social class, identity, and the impact of language and education on a person's opportunities and relationships.

As in the mythical figure Pygmalion? If so his weakness was that in his quest for perfection (aka the woman he sculpted, who was so perfect and beautiful he fell in love with her) he overlooked inner beauty, and instead only looked at outer beauty. When he pleaded to the gods to bring his sculpture to life (and they granted it to him) the woman turned out to not be perfect - which created dissatisfaction. Therefore Pygmalions shallow view of perfection in itself was flawed - deeming beauty as what constitutes perfection.

In Pygmalion, the fact that the protagonist says "By George, she's done it!" shows his surprise and realization that Eliza has successfully passed as a refined lady during a social event. It highlights his amazement at her transformation and the success of his experiment in teaching her proper manners and speech.

Eliza is made to conform at Professor Higgins' home through strict rules and expectations on her behavior, speech, and appearance. She is expected to follow his instructions without question and adapt to his standards of cleanliness and decorum. Higgins uses his authority to mold her into a proper lady according to his own definitions.

In "Pygmalion," feminism is portrayed through the character of Eliza Doolittle, who challenges traditional gender roles and expectations by seeking to better herself and assert her own agency. Eliza's transformation from a poor flower girl to a confident and independent woman highlights the themes of class struggle and women's empowerment in a patriarchal society. However, some critics argue that the play ultimately reinforces stereotypes and limitations placed on women.

In the Greek myth of Pygmalion, he falls in love with a statue he sculpted because he is disillusioned with the women in his society. His love for the statue, Galatea, is a reflection of his desire for an ideal and unattainable love.

In "Pygmalion," a Marxist perspective would focus on themes such as social class, economic inequality, and the exploitation of the working class. The character of Eliza Doolittle represents the lower class who is treated as a commodity to be transformed into a member of the upper class by Professor Higgins. The play critiques the idea that social mobility is achievable through speech and manners alone, highlighting the systemic barriers faced by those in lower social strata.

Pygmalion Point in India was renamed as Lal Bahadur Shastri Point in honor of the former Prime Minister of India.

George Bernard Shaw's style in "Pygmalion" can be characterized as witty, satirical, and didactic. He uses clever wordplay, sharp wit, and social commentary to challenge societal norms and conventions of his time. Shaw's writing often features strong character development, vivid dialogue, and a focus on the themes of class, identity, and language.

Pygmalion ends with a somewhat open-ended conclusion. Eliza leaves Higgins, asserting her independence, and it is unclear whether they will reunite. The audience is left to speculate on the future of their relationship.

In Act 3 of Pygmalion, Clara views Eliza as a social equal but criticizes her for not adopting the proper manners of a lady despite her improved speech. Clara is impressed by Eliza's transformation in speech, but feels that she still lacks the refinement and sophistication befitting a lady.

True love conquers all obstacles. (My interpretation)

The crisis of Pygmalion arises when Pygmalion falls in love with his own creation, the statue of Galatea, and wishes for her to be a real woman. This challenges societal norms and raises questions about the nature of beauty, desire, and the power of art to bring about transformation.

In George Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion, the central female character, Eliza Doolittle, undergoes a transformation from a poor flower girl into a refined lady through the efforts of Professor Henry Higgins. Eliza's journey highlights themes of class struggle, independence, and identity. Shaw uses Eliza's character to challenge societal norms and stereotypes related to gender and social mobility.

The point of view of "Pygmalion" is primarily told from a third-person omniscient perspective, allowing readers insight into the thoughts and feelings of various characters. This narrative style enables a deeper understanding of the characters and their motivations throughout the story.

True love conquers all obstacles. (My interpretation)

In George Bernard Shaw's play "Pygmalion," Henry Higgins and Colonel Pickering are both phonetics experts. Pickering serves as a foil to Higgins, providing a more gentle and polite demeanor in contrast to Higgins's brusque and abrasive nature. He also helps facilitate Eliza's transformation, acting as a supportive and nurturing figure throughout the story.

Pygmalion is the Greek myth about an artist who decided to carve a modal of the 'perfect woman', ie; the most beautiful woman in the world, based on the goddess Aphrodite. The story says that when she was finished, she was so beautiful that he fell in love with her, despite the face that she wasn't a real person. He eventually became so obsessed with her that he didn't eat or sleep and only sat and stared at her untill he began to waste away. At the end, Aphrodite (Goddess of love) took pity on him and gifted the sculpture with life so that he could be with her.

I suppose there are a number of themes in this story. The most prominent is the concept of the "Male Gaze", the idea that his love for her is a purely physical attraction and that her personality etc.. don't matter. She is to him the epitome of beauty, wanted only for the satisfaction of base desires.

I like to come at it from the angle of, his desire for her controlled him, without her he would have died from his own longing. If she had left him when she became human, he would have lived with a broken heart. It was also a female character that had the power to give him what he wanted, ie; bring the statue to life. I think that this story is more about how women have a hold over man because they are controlled purely by their base desires.

Hope that helped,

Nixon.

In George Bernard Shaw's play "Pygmalion," Eliza Doolittle does not marry anyone. The play ends ambiguously with Eliza leaving Henry Higgins, the phonetics professor who had transformed her, indicating a potential future romantic relationship between them.

While "Pygmalion" by George Bernard Shaw may explore themes related to gender and class dynamics, it is not typically considered a feminist play. The focus is more on the transformation of the protagonist Eliza Doolittle through her interactions with Henry Higgins, rather than advocating for feminist ideals. Additionally, some critics argue that the portrayal of Eliza reinforces patriarchal norms.