Question

Why are the characters in "Pygmalion" seeking shelter at the beginning of the play?

• A. To escape a fire
• B. To hide from the police
• C. Due to a sudden thunderstorm
• D. To watch a street performance

Answer 1

Answer:

C. Due to a sudden thunderstorm

Pygmalion: The Opening Scene and Its Significance

• At the very beginning of George Bernard Shaw's play Pygmalion, a sudden and heavy rainstorm forces various characters to seek shelter. This crucial plot device brings together individuals from different social classes.
• The setting for this initial encounter is the portico of St. Paul's Church in Covent Garden, London. This location is a significant public space where diverse segments of society might converge.
• Among those seeking refuge are:
  • Eliza Doolittle, a poor flower girl with a strong Cockney accent.
  • Professor Henry Higgins, a phonetician who takes notes on her speech.
  • Colonel Pickering, another phonetician and a gentlemanly observer.
  • Mrs. Eynsford Hill, a middle-class lady, and her children, Clara and Freddy.
• The thunderstorm serves as a catalyst, creating the circumstances for Professor Higgins and Eliza Doolittle to meet. This chance encounter is fundamental to the entire plot, leading to Higgins's famous linguistic experiment.
• Shaw uses this opening scene to immediately highlight the themes of social class, language, and phonetics, which are central to the play. The way characters speak and react to the rain reveals aspects of their social standing.

Key Facts for Competitive Exams:

• Author: George Bernard Shaw (Nobel Prize in Literature, 1925).
• Premiere: Pygmalion first premiered in Vienna in 1913 and then in London in 1914.
• Genre: It is a comedy of manners and a social critique.
• Source of Inspiration: The play is loosely based on the ancient Greek myth of Pygmalion, a sculptor who falls in love with his own creation, Galatea. Shaw, however, transforms the myth into a commentary on social mobility and language.
• Major Themes: Pygmalion explores themes such as class distinction, social mobility, the power of language (phonetics), identity, and gender roles.
• Adaptation: The play was famously adapted into the highly successful Broadway musical (1956) and film (1964) My Fair Lady, starring Audrey Hepburn and Rex Harrison.
• Shaw's Purpose: Shaw used the play to challenge conventional notions of class and to demonstrate how language, particularly accent, can be a barrier or a pathway to social acceptance.