THE MYTH OF PYGMALION
This story was told by the Roman poet Ovid in a book called Metamorphoses. Pygmalion was a prince of Cyprus, a hater of women, and a very talented sculptor. Resolving that he would never marry, Pygmalion created a marble statue of a woman so beautiful that no living woman approached her allure. Pygmalion called his statue Galatea, which means “sleeping love”. Infatuated with his own creation, he clothed the statue and gave it gifts of jewels and flowers. He kept it on a bed of the softest blankets and pillows, where it looked so alive that he could hardly believe it wasn’t human. The festival of Aphrodite, goddess of love, was approaching. This festival was highly celebrated in Cyprus, and Pygmalion decided to visit the altar of the goddess and make a request. He brought gifts to please Aphrodite and asked her to give him a wife who was just like his statue. In response, Aphrodite caused the flame on the altar to flare up three times into the air. After Pygmalion left the altar, Aphrodite decided to visit Galatea. She went to Pygmalion’s home, and was very please to discover that Galatea resembled herself. To reward Pygmalion for his creation, she brought Galatea to life. When Pygmalion discovered that Galatea was alive, he decided to marry her. Their marriage was blessed with a daughter, Paphos. Pygmalion and Galatea brought gifts to the altar of Aphrodite every year. They were rewarded with a long and happy marriage.
This story was told by the Roman poet Ovid in a book called Metamorphoses. Pygmalion was a prince of Cyprus, a hater of women, and a very talented sculptor. Resolving that he would never marry, Pygmalion created a marble statue of a woman so beautiful that no living woman approached her allure. Pygmalion called his statue Galatea, which means “sleeping love”. Infatuated with his own creation, he clothed the statue and gave it gifts of jewels and flowers. He kept it on a bed of the softest blankets and pillows, where it looked so alive that he could hardly believe it wasn’t human. The festival of Aphrodite, goddess of love, was approaching. This festival was highly celebrated in Cyprus, and Pygmalion decided to visit the altar of the goddess and make a request. He brought gifts to please Aphrodite and asked her to give him a wife who was just like his statue. In response, Aphrodite caused the flame on the altar to flare up three times into the air. After Pygmalion left the altar, Aphrodite decided to visit Galatea. She went to Pygmalion’s home, and was very please to discover that Galatea resembled herself. To reward Pygmalion for his creation, she brought Galatea to life. When Pygmalion discovered that Galatea was alive, he decided to marry her. Their marriage was blessed with a daughter, Paphos. Pygmalion and Galatea brought gifts to the altar of Aphrodite every year. They were rewarded with a long and happy marriage.
Readings!
The Central Theme of Education in Shaw's Pygmalion
Visions and Revisions of the End of Pygmalion
Example Student Essay
Sample 8 Nominated text: Pygmalion – George Bernard Shaw Written at the end of the Victorian era, Shaw’s play Pygmalion scrutinises the arbitrary nature of class in 20th century England. Ironically reworking Ovid’s Myth, Shaw provides a commentary on the superior and often misogynistic attitudes that exacerbated a social divide.
Instead of transforming Liza from a ‘flower girl’ to a ‘duchess’, Higgins’ ‘experiment’ allows a naive working class girl to become an autonomous woman. Higgins’ ‘job’ was successful in changing the superficial aspects of Liza, but unable to alter her personality. Liza’s sense of autonomy is evident in her initial protests ‘I got my feelings same as anyone else’ and she is adamant that ‘[she has] as good a right … as anyone else’. Her more articulate and astute realisations of Higgins’ insensitivity and inability to see the ‘trouble it would make for [her]’ confirm Liza’s everpresent sense of individuality. When viewed through a feminist lens Pygmalion endorses equality for women in society. Predominantly raised by his single mother, Shaw was disappointed by misogynistic attitudes in society of the time. Shaw often employs minor characters as a mouthpiece for his own views and attitudes. Mrs Pearce and Mrs Higgins are aware, experienced and autonomous females who are sympathetic to Liza’s situation and advocate for Higgins to ‘look ahead a little’ to the implications of his ‘experiment’. Higgins’ preoccupation with Liza’s ‘voice and appearance’ is criticised by Liza herself, as she protests that her ‘soul’ cannot be kept and replicated with a ‘gramophone’ and ‘photographs’.
Shaw critises super middle class attitudes, as being potentially detrimental to society. Higgins’ insensitive behaviour, like ‘an impetuous baby’ represents the common disregard for the working class. His assumption to be able to ‘throw [Liza] back in the gutter’ because she doesn’t have ‘any feelings’ presents an ignorance of middle class status. Shaw employs symbols to represent the affectations of middle class luxury. Chocolate and taxis initially symbolise a coveted status for Liza. In her final confrontation with Higgins, she explains ‘what I did wasn’t for the chocolates and taxis’. The motif of Higgins’ slippers also serves a symbol of luxury, while critising his misogonistic attitudes that expect Liza to ‘fetch’ them. The desperation of the Eynsford Hills to retain the ‘new small talk' expresses the middle class focus on superficialities and status. Mocking the superiority of the middle class, Shaw critisises such attitudes as harmful to the ‘gulf’ in society. Shaw exposes the arbitrary nature of class through the juxtaposition of the various characters. The central irony is that Liza, a working class girl, has better manners than Higgins a middle class ‘gentleman’. The more perceptive behaviour of Pickering often contrasts that of Higgins, exposing the random nature of class divides. The Eynsford Hills’ aspiration to stay in the middleclass is exposed in their adoption of the ‘new small talk’ and Mrs Eynsford Hill’s disapproval of Liza’s ‘father [pouring] spirits down her throat like that’. The amalgamation of characters from different social classes allows contrast in their behaviour, thus revealing Shaw’s view that class definition is arbitrary and illogical.
Exposing the pitfalls of the old Victorian class system, Bernard Shaw’s play Pygmalion mocks the views and behaviour of such an illogical social structure. Shaw’s own disapproval of superiority and misogyny are also conveyed in the play, which subverts audiences’ expectations of typical attitudes of the Edwardian era.
Sample 8 Nominated text: Pygmalion – George Bernard Shaw Written at the end of the Victorian era, Shaw’s play Pygmalion scrutinises the arbitrary nature of class in 20th century England. Ironically reworking Ovid’s Myth, Shaw provides a commentary on the superior and often misogynistic attitudes that exacerbated a social divide.
Instead of transforming Liza from a ‘flower girl’ to a ‘duchess’, Higgins’ ‘experiment’ allows a naive working class girl to become an autonomous woman. Higgins’ ‘job’ was successful in changing the superficial aspects of Liza, but unable to alter her personality. Liza’s sense of autonomy is evident in her initial protests ‘I got my feelings same as anyone else’ and she is adamant that ‘[she has] as good a right … as anyone else’. Her more articulate and astute realisations of Higgins’ insensitivity and inability to see the ‘trouble it would make for [her]’ confirm Liza’s everpresent sense of individuality. When viewed through a feminist lens Pygmalion endorses equality for women in society. Predominantly raised by his single mother, Shaw was disappointed by misogynistic attitudes in society of the time. Shaw often employs minor characters as a mouthpiece for his own views and attitudes. Mrs Pearce and Mrs Higgins are aware, experienced and autonomous females who are sympathetic to Liza’s situation and advocate for Higgins to ‘look ahead a little’ to the implications of his ‘experiment’. Higgins’ preoccupation with Liza’s ‘voice and appearance’ is criticised by Liza herself, as she protests that her ‘soul’ cannot be kept and replicated with a ‘gramophone’ and ‘photographs’.
Shaw critises super middle class attitudes, as being potentially detrimental to society. Higgins’ insensitive behaviour, like ‘an impetuous baby’ represents the common disregard for the working class. His assumption to be able to ‘throw [Liza] back in the gutter’ because she doesn’t have ‘any feelings’ presents an ignorance of middle class status. Shaw employs symbols to represent the affectations of middle class luxury. Chocolate and taxis initially symbolise a coveted status for Liza. In her final confrontation with Higgins, she explains ‘what I did wasn’t for the chocolates and taxis’. The motif of Higgins’ slippers also serves a symbol of luxury, while critising his misogonistic attitudes that expect Liza to ‘fetch’ them. The desperation of the Eynsford Hills to retain the ‘new small talk' expresses the middle class focus on superficialities and status. Mocking the superiority of the middle class, Shaw critisises such attitudes as harmful to the ‘gulf’ in society. Shaw exposes the arbitrary nature of class through the juxtaposition of the various characters. The central irony is that Liza, a working class girl, has better manners than Higgins a middle class ‘gentleman’. The more perceptive behaviour of Pickering often contrasts that of Higgins, exposing the random nature of class divides. The Eynsford Hills’ aspiration to stay in the middleclass is exposed in their adoption of the ‘new small talk’ and Mrs Eynsford Hill’s disapproval of Liza’s ‘father [pouring] spirits down her throat like that’. The amalgamation of characters from different social classes allows contrast in their behaviour, thus revealing Shaw’s view that class definition is arbitrary and illogical.
Exposing the pitfalls of the old Victorian class system, Bernard Shaw’s play Pygmalion mocks the views and behaviour of such an illogical social structure. Shaw’s own disapproval of superiority and misogyny are also conveyed in the play, which subverts audiences’ expectations of typical attitudes of the Edwardian era.
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