Venus heard his prays and made her come alive. The perfectly carved statue, later named Galatea, transforms into a living human being under the hands of her sculptor. The phonetician professor Henry Higgins makes a bet with his friend colonel Pickering, to transform the Cockney flower girl Eliza Doolittle into a duchess in just a few months. He teaches her to speak and act like a lady, and in six months time Eliza is taken for a princess at an embassy ball.
Shaw made his Galatea a modern working-class girl who talks back at her creator, and his Pygmalion is a snob who refuses to fall in love with the woman he claims to have created. Pickering and Henry Higgins have no idea about the situation they are putting Eliza or themselves into.
The first act introduces many characters that represent various social-class positions of the British society. For example, Higgins, Pickering, Mrs. Higgins and Freddy can be categorized as high class characters in the play. Pierce is a housekeeper and she belongs to upper middle class. Finally, Eliza and her father Alfred Dolittle represent low middle class. When we observe utterances of the flower girl, the first few reflect numerous features of Cockney English to depict her social standing.
The different behaviors of the first and class group are noticeable. Pickering as a gentleman is too friendly and gentle and has no pain, just like Higgins, though, he is much freer in speech and action. The character of Higgins, it can be said, fits the stereotype of the greedy, manipulative bourgeois who exploits the working class in order to fulfill his own ends.
He does not care about other feelings or thoughts which is one of the most obvious behaviors of the high class. Well, when I've done with her, we can throw her back into the gutter; and then it will be her own business again; so that's all right..
For Higgins, what happens to Eliza after Higgins has won his bet is of no concern to him. Thus because he regards Eliza only as either a commodity or a worker only to be used to fulfill his designs, Higgins is a classic example of ruthless bourgeois. Though he is not that much ruthless as he shall be. About you, not about me. If you come back I shall treat you just as I have always treated you.
I can't change my nature; and I don't intend to change my manners. My manners are exactly the same as Colonel Pickering's. That's not true. He treats a flower girl as if she was a duchess. And I treat a duchess as if she was a flower girl. Pierce refers to his rude nature, the curses he uses all the time, the mess he makes and leaves everywhere and he never shows any emotion to what others may think of him.
You're no gentleman, you're not, to talk of such things. I'm a good girl, I am; and I know what the like of you are, I do. He asks her to have self respect and do not seek it in the others behaviors. He appreciates when Eliza throws the slipper at his face instead of acting like a dog.
I think a good deal more of you for throwing them in my face. No use slaving for me and then saying you want to be cared for: Who cares for a slave? The appearance in the play is a big deal.
The way Eliza is dressed up shows her class not the way she talks. For example, in the race horse scene she is not talking in a good way but nobody thinks she is from the low class part of society as she is dressed up well.
She has no idea about the difference of other languages which an upper class person usually knows French at least. Every body is impressed by her beauty, the way she dresses, the way she walks, the way she dances. But when we turn our attention to the flower girl Eliza , we find other kinds of clothes. Instead of wearing a luxurious evening dress, the flower girl just wears a little sailor hat of black straw that has long been exposed to the dust and soot of London, a shoddy black coat, a brown skirt with a coarse apron, and old boots which are much the worse for wear.
Moreoever, it is because of the matter of clothes that she experiences a bad treatment from Henry who exceedingly dislikes seeing the clothes she is wearing when she comes to his house at the first time. Apart from the assessment and personal interest of everyone, it seems advisable to try and evaluate every literary or artistic work in the context in which it occurs.
At this point, it is appropriate to know the myth of "Pygmalion" itself and therefore offer a version of it on the basis of what the Latin poet Ovid tells us in his Metamorphoses, in Book X, lines — Pygmalion was a wise and good king of the island of Cyprus, was also a priest and an extraordinary sculptor.
For a long time searched for wife the most beautiful and perfect woman of Greece without finding anywhere. Moreover, disgusted by the vices and bad behavior of some women who shamelessly prostituted the beauty of your body, decided to live alone, without a companion to his bed, and dedicate forever to sculpt beautiful statues.
One day, he decided with his extraordinary art sculpt the body of a woman out of ivory white as snow in the image and likeness of the goddess Venus.
Finish the job and finding more perfect than if he had the nature, fell in love with that beautiful woman's body, which he named Galatea.
It seemed the ivory statue of a young woman living truth to get up and speak sweet words. Pygmalion's heart lit each day more and more love for Galatea, which caressed and kissed and clasped in his arms. He thought even in his delirium she back him kisses and answer their sentences in love.
Meanwhile had come the day of the feast of Venus, the patroness of Cyprus. The Pygmalion priest sacrificed on the altar of the goddess some skin white young calves carrying the head and horns adorned with colorful ribbons and sheets of gold and incense burned and spread its sweet smelling smoke in the temple. With a timid voice whispered the king, priest and sculptor, at the altar:.
When Pygmalion returned home, came to the statue and gave it a gentle kiss. He fell asleep and seemed in dreams that ivory body did not return the freezing cold inert ivory but was lukewarm. Bring near his mouth again and touch its chest with his trembling hands. Ivory abandons its hardness, is softened and yields to finger pressure. Wake up startled and fearful and unbelieving and amazed again and again touches the silent body and with caresses infuses warmth and life.
Now it is a living body, your flexible muscles give motion to its members, the blood runs through your veins which have a pulse and pink dyed his face. Pygmalion is directed with respectful words of thanks to Venus and the goddess of love appears suddenly, splendid and bright and affable replies:.
Here the queen and wife who have sought. Love her forever, defend her from the poor and share with her your happiness. Thus Galatea became a real woman and Pygmalion got the desire so eagerly pursued.
0コメント