6. George Bernard Shaw entitles his play Pygmalion: A Romance in Five Acts. Is Pygmalion really a romance? Or is it a comedy? Shaw suggests the play is about language, while many critics interpret it as a satire with a socialist message. Consider the characteristics of romances, comedies, and satires, and cite specific evidence from the play to support your answer. Argue for one of these interpretations.
It is often debated among critics on whether the play Pygmalion is a comedy or a romance. However, I firmly believe that Pygmalion is a play that is meant to be satirical and convey the message of George Bernard Shaw's socialist agenda. Satire means using the devices of humor and exaggeration to criticize people's stupidity. This is exactly what Shaw uses to expose the frivolity of the class systems.
At the time that the play was written by George Bernard Shaw, he was very unhappy with the class systems in place in Victorian London. This is evidently shown in the play by Shaw's use of satire and irony to expose the folly within the rigid class system. With the use of humorous situations and dialogue, the play can come off as a comedy at first glance. However, when doing a deeper analyse on the different themes that are evident in the play, it becomes overwhelmingly clear that it is a satire. Society is being overwhelmingly criticized in very subtle ways, such as being disguised as irony, "LIZA: What call a woman with that strength in her have to die of influenza? What become of her new straw hat that should have come to me? Somebody pinched it; and what I say is, them as pinched it done her in. MRS EYNSFORD HILL: What does doing her in mean? HIGGINS: Oh, that's the new small talk. To do a person in means to kill them(Shaw77)." This is an example of irony because Higgins is saying that low class slang term is the 'newest thing' and the Hills are ignorant enough to believe him. This is implying that the upper class cannot differentiate between social classes, and in quite a humorous and ironic way.
Pygmalion can most certainly be classified as satirical as proven by humorous and ironic circumstances that have an underlying message. This underlying message as conveyed by George Bernard Shaw, is the superficiality of the class systems. This proves that the play cannot be a comedy or a romance, but a satire with a secret agenda.
It is often debated among critics on whether the play Pygmalion is a comedy or a romance. However, I firmly believe that Pygmalion is a play that is meant to be satirical and convey the message of George Bernard Shaw's socialist agenda. Satire means using the devices of humor and exaggeration to criticize people's stupidity. This is exactly what Shaw uses to expose the frivolity of the class systems.
At the time that the play was written by George Bernard Shaw, he was very unhappy with the class systems in place in Victorian London. This is evidently shown in the play by Shaw's use of satire and irony to expose the folly within the rigid class system. With the use of humorous situations and dialogue, the play can come off as a comedy at first glance. However, when doing a deeper analyse on the different themes that are evident in the play, it becomes overwhelmingly clear that it is a satire. Society is being overwhelmingly criticized in very subtle ways, such as being disguised as irony, "LIZA: What call a woman with that strength in her have to die of influenza? What become of her new straw hat that should have come to me? Somebody pinched it; and what I say is, them as pinched it done her in. MRS EYNSFORD HILL: What does doing her in mean? HIGGINS: Oh, that's the new small talk. To do a person in means to kill them(Shaw77)." This is an example of irony because Higgins is saying that low class slang term is the 'newest thing' and the Hills are ignorant enough to believe him. This is implying that the upper class cannot differentiate between social classes, and in quite a humorous and ironic way.
Pygmalion can most certainly be classified as satirical as proven by humorous and ironic circumstances that have an underlying message. This underlying message as conveyed by George Bernard Shaw, is the superficiality of the class systems. This proves that the play cannot be a comedy or a romance, but a satire with a secret agenda.