Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw | Summary & Analysis

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Professor Bill Yarrow of Joliet Junior College provides an in-depth analysis of the plot, characters, symbols, themes, and motifs of George Bernard Shaw's play Pygmalion.
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In his touchstone problem play Pygmalion, George Bernard Shaw addresses both classism and sexism with prescient wit and compassion.
Linguist Henry Higgins encounters common flower girl Eliza Doolittle, whose Cockney accent identifies her as a member of the working class. He makes a bet with colleague Colonel Pickering that he can transform her from "guttersnipe" to "high-class lady" in the span of a few months.
He sets about the task with enthusiasm, though not without warnings from his mother, who frets about the girl's fate once the experiment is over. Oblivious to Eliza's feelings and fortunes, he ultimately succeeds in his initial goal but predictably fails to consider where this leaves Eliza.
Rich in observations about how appearance and language dictate class relationships, the play clearly sides with the intrepid Eliza as she endures Higgins' patronizing tutelage and emerges a lady, though with her street smarts intact.
Did you know? The title, Pygmalion, refers to a Greek character in Ovid's poem Metamorphoses who sculpts a woman so perfect that he falls in love with her. With the intervention of the goddess Venus, she comes to life.
Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw is considered one of the most successful early 20th century writers, and Pygmalion was first performed in 1913. Shaw brought a new, realistic style of drama to theater that took aim-with wit and sincerity-at controversial social topics.
The film adaptation My Fair Lady, starring Rex Harrison and Audrey Hepburn, won eight Academy Awards.
The play contains many powerful themes, including transformation, as Eliza goes from poor flower girl to strong lady, and language, as Eliza breaks through class barriers by learning the language of the upper class. Other themes include appearance and identity, as clothes and language change Eliza’s appearance but make it necessary for her to find her inner strength. Important symbols include slippers, the flower shop, and the mirror.
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[@robfriedrich2822]

Higgins was not so different from Eliza's family, the only difference is language and prosperity and clothing. But when the housekeeper have to say "Please doesn't use the blood-word in front of Eliza, please don't go to breakfast in pajamas and dressing gown, don't put the sauce pan onto the tablecloth" and Eliza notices, that the bet never would have worked without Pickering, who is a real Gentleman. It's a miracle, that Higgins' customers doesn't find his manners offensive. Especially, when mother Higgins has to say to Henry "Don't sit on the table". Shaw added a epilogue to the manuscript, that isn't part of the play, but describes, how the story ends. He wasn't happy about the happy end, when Eliza returns to Higgins and was also annoyed by the first film, where Eliza told the Ensford-Hills, that she is a flower girl, her dad a dustman, because Higgins reproached her, to become also like the other high class people. Ok, in the original was the sentence "I tell in announcement, how I was transformed and offer the same for 1,000 £"

[@theartofcoco]

Thank you so much for this analysis!! It has really helped me a lot and I'm sure it has for others who have viewed this video as well.

[@senodija2621]

Thank you sooo much ,that helps me as a teacher.

[@dAvID-zh3sj]

lol it helps me as a student. My teacher decided to give us a book review on this book

[@zaynabmh786]

Thank you so much for this analysis! It helped a lot

[@mariasukhomlinova2304]

Was about to watch this for AP lit and then I realized this is literally "My Fair Lady" - 1964 with Audrey Hepburn. Love the movie and love love love the play even more because of it! "Just you wait Enry Iggins, just you wait!"

[@laurakotzur2439]

Thanks a lot for uploading!

[@rahulrathod1688]

Perfect analysis!

[@olhameleshko4923]

The video is great!)Thank you very much!

[@kayleekat7532]

This was very helpful thank you

[@mushkan8]

This is an amazing and informative video . Encouraging u to do more...💥❤way to go. A request for look back in anger please.

[@iidannaaa4956]

You guys are the best

[@Noahbusbyj]

Thank you this helps a lot 😁

[@oscarrosales9270]

this history was amazing thanks to share that

[@mahamuniyappan3841]

Simply superb sir ❤❤❤

[@NikList]

excellent. thank you.

[@lucast170]

Wow this really helped me a lot. Thank u very much

[@MrCounsel]

Read the part about real independence in the play. Great stuff. Justice Blackmun used it in his speech at De Paul Univ.

[@kavyarajendrakumar7953]

Thankyou!! :)

[@noodlecat2368]

Your teaching is great. Thank you

[@englishliterature00]

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[@gabrielatverdikova7086]

Thank you!!!!!!!!!!!

[@amalia-adina7583]

Great analysis! Please make a presentation of Caesar and Cleopatra by G. B. Shaw as well.

[@englishliterature00]

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[@iflakhursheed8980]

Thank you soo mch sir

[@tivaxx]

tomorrow I have final and this is one of the plays that our teacher might ask. Other ones are Beggars Opera, Volpone and Enemy of the People. Hope I will pass

[@mikeyconn4450]

Watching this before my finals on this Play and pride and prejudice

[@amritaroy3222]

Thankyou

[@oficiallymeran4612]

I watch this video before reading the play....😂😂😂😂

[@nadimasabri4389]

So I’m I 😂

[@iqrashah8255]

Same here

[@mithu7157]

Why does the animation show Pickering as a humpy old man ?😂

[@p.s.1642]

Thanks, it is great.

[@englishliterature00]

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[@omima1003]

حلو تفيدنا الحمد لله

[@atul23__13]

To good

[@Hadrianus01]

What about Karpathy?

[@rahulrathod1688]

Who's that?

[@rinisharini1436]

🙏🇮🇳Thank you sir

[@SOULRELIEF22]

Since Eden, mankind, for the most part has wanted to be free of our Creator! If we reject the LORD, we accept the devil. ALL who accept the devil, into HELL with him will be their final destination. Woe