Question

The title "Pygmalion" is named after a figure from what source?

• A. A Victorian play
• B. Greek mythology
• C. A German folk tale
• D. Irish history

Answer 1

Answer:

B. Greek mythology

Understanding the Title "Pygmalion" by George Bernard Shaw

• The title "Pygmalion" for George Bernard Shaw's famous play is directly derived from a prominent myth in Greek Mythology. This connection is crucial for understanding the play's central themes.

The Greek Myth of Pygmalion

• Origin: The most detailed account of the Pygmalion myth appears in Ovid's Metamorphoses, a narrative poem by the Roman poet Ovid, written in Latin around 8 AD.
• The Sculptor: Pygmalion was a mythical king of Cyprus and a skilled sculptor. He was disillusioned with the real women of his time, whom he considered flawed.
• The Creation: He carved an exquisitely beautiful ivory statue of a woman, so perfect that he fell deeply in love with his own creation. This statue is often referred to as Galatea in later retellings, though Ovid's original poem does not explicitly name her.
• Divine Intervention: Pygmalion prayed to Aphrodite (the Greek goddess of love, beauty, pleasure, and procreation, known as Venus in Roman mythology) to bring his beloved statue to life.
• The Miracle: Aphrodite granted his wish, and the statue miraculously came alive, becoming a real woman whom Pygmalion married. This myth symbolizes the power of art, divine intervention, and the idealization of beauty.

Shaw's "Pygmalion" and its Connection to the Myth

• The Modern Pygmalion: In George Bernard Shaw's play, the role of Pygmalion is embodied by Professor Henry Higgins, a brilliant but eccentric phonetics professor.
• The "Sculpture": Higgins takes on the challenge of transforming Eliza Doolittle, a Cockney flower girl, into a refined lady by teaching her to speak 'proper' English and improving her manners. Her transformation is akin to the statue being brought to life.
• Themes: While the Greek myth focuses on ideal love and creation, Shaw's play uses the premise to explore critical themes such as social class, the power of language and phonetics, gender roles, identity, and the limitations of social mobility in Edwardian England.
• Shaw's Twist: Unlike the myth's romantic ending, Shaw questions the conventional happily-ever-after. Eliza, once 'created,' asserts her independence, challenging Higgins's control and showing the complex consequences of such a transformation.

Key Facts for Competitive Exams

• Author: George Bernard Shaw (Irish playwright and a co-founder of the London School of Economics).
• Year of First Performance: 1913.
• Nobel Prize: Shaw was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1925, primarily for his idealism and humanity combined with his stimulating satire.
• Adaptations: The play was famously adapted into the hugely successful Broadway musical "My Fair Lady" (1956) and subsequently a film (1964) starring Audrey Hepburn and Rex Harrison.
• Genre: Often considered a "problem play" or a "discussion play" due to its exploration of social issues and its open-ended conclusion regarding Eliza's future.
• Key Characters: Professor Henry Higgins, Eliza Doolittle, Colonel Pickering, Mrs. Higgins, Alfred Doolittle (Eliza's dustman father, a proponent of 'undeserving poverty').