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Summary Pygmalion. analysis by @ Juffou Ansie.For learner use only. Past papers used. Detailed ACT summaries R148,33
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Summary Pygmalion. analysis by @ Juffou Ansie.For learner use only. Past papers used. Detailed ACT summaries

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CONTENT 1. Detailed PLOT SUMMARIES 2. CHARACTERS 3. THEMES 4. STYLE 5. SYMBOLS 6. MOTIFS 7. Historical Context 8. EXTRACTS & ANALYSIS 9. ACT: SUMMARY AND ANALYSIS

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  • January 25, 2025
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Pygmalion
George Bernard Shaw




CONTENT
PLOT SUMMARIES 2
CHARACTERS 6
THEMES 9
STYLE 12
SYMBOLS 15
MOTIFS 16
Historical Context 18
EXTRACTS & ANALYSIS 19
ACT: SUMMARY AND ANALYSIS 31 - 41



@Juffrou_Ansie

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Pygmalion is a comedy about a phonetics expert who, as a kind of social experiment,
attempts to make a lady out of an uneducated Cockney flower-girl. Although not as
intellectually complex as some of the other plays in Shaw's "theatre of ideas," Pygmalion
nevertheless probes important questions about social
The main conflict between Liza
class, human behaviour, and relations between the
and Higgins in the play
sexes.
Pygmalion is Liza's frustration
PLOT SUMMARY with Higgins's selfishness and
his failure to consider the
In the play Pygmalion, the story begins with a chance
consequences of his actions.
encounter between Liza Doolittle, a flower seller, and
Henry Higgins, an expert in phonetics. Higgins becomes
fascinated with Liza's speech and offers to transform her into a duchess within three
months. Liza agrees to move into Higgins's home and undergo lessons to improve her
speech. However, as the experiment progresses, it becomes clear that Higgins and his
friend Pickering have not considered the consequences for Liza after the
transformation.
Liza's decision to leave Higgins
at the end of the play is
significant because it shows
Mrs. Higgins, Henry's mother, confronts him and
her newfound independence
Pickering about their lack of foresight. She points
and asserts that she will not
out that Liza will be left without income or the skills
continue taking care of his
to earn a living. Despite Mrs. Higgins's frustration,
household, emphasizing the
both men leave without considering the
importance of self-
consequences. In Act II, a party is held where Liza's
determination and standing
true identity is questioned by Nepommuck, a
up for oneself.
Hungarian interpreter. However, he ironically
accuses her of pretending to be Hungarian due to
her perfect English. Higgins successfully fools the guests, but feels unhappy about their
foolishness.




@Juffrou_Ansie

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In Act IV, tensions rise between Liza and Higgins. Liza
Mrs. Higgins contributes to the
becomes frustrated with Higgins's selfishness and
development of the plot in
demands to know what will happen to her. Higgins
Pygmalion by confronting
suggests marriage to a rich man as a solution, but Liza
Higgins and Pickering about
rejects this idea, asserting her independence. Their
their lack of foresight and
relationship deteriorates further when Liza encounters
scolding them for their careless
Freddy, who has been infatuated with her. They plan to
treatment of Liza, highlighting
seek advice from Mrs. Higgins and drive around all night.
the importance of considering
In Act V, Mrs. Higgins scolds Higgins and Pickering for
the consequences of one's
their careless treatment of Liza. Alfred Doolittle, Liza's
actions and treating others
father, enters dressed as a bridegroom and accuses
with respect.
Higgins of causing trouble. Liza announces her plans to
marry Freddy and support herself by teaching phonetics,
angering Higgins.




At the end of the play, Higgins still fails to learn his lesson and expects Liza to continue
taking care of his household. However, Liza asserts her newfound independence and
leaves him. The play highlights the importance of considering the consequences of
one's actions and treating others with respect, regardless of their social status.

___________________________________________________________

A Professor of Phonetics

In the preface to Pygmalion, George Bernard Shaw discusses the importance of
properly valuing and teaching the English language. He believes that one of the
reasons for its mishandling is the inconsistency between
word spelling and pronunciation. To address this issue, Shaw Through his play Pygmalion,
advocates for the involvement of phoneticians in reforming Shaw hopes to teach a
lesson and demonstrate
the English language. While he mentions several notable
that a transformation like
phoneticians, including Alexander Melville Bell, Alexander J. Eliza's is possible through
Ellis, and Tito Pagliardini, Shaw holds Henry Sweet in the scientific methods.



@Juffrou_Ansie

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highest regard. However, Sweet's lack of diplomacy hindered his ability to popularize
phonetics.

Shaw reveals that the character of Higgins in the play is loosely based on Sweet,
highlighting their shared traits. Although Sweet was not appreciated by his own country
and university, Oxford, he received recognition in Europe. Shaw acknowledges that
Sweet's disregard for social norms and discretion contributed to his lack of recognition.
Despite this, Shaw hopes that his play will shed light on the importance of phoneticians
and the valuable services they provide.

Furthermore, Shaw emphasizes the significance of proper training in dialects and
speech patterns. He believes that imitating a dialect without proper instruction is worse
than having an authentic coarse speech pattern. Through his play, Shaw aims to teach
a lesson and demonstrate that a transformation like Eliza's is possible through scientific
methods. He also sees literature as a means of instruction and hopes that Pygmalion will
have a positive impact on its readers, raising awareness about the role of phoneticians
and their contributions to language.

Overall, Shaw's preface to Pygmalion serves as a call to action for the proper
appreciation and teaching of the English language. By
Shaw holds Henry Sweet in
highlighting the work of phoneticians and drawing parallels
the highest regard among
the phoneticians he between the character of Higgins and Henry Sweet, Shaw
mentions. aims to captivate readers and encourage them to
recognize the importance of linguistic reform. Through his
play, Shaw seeks to inspire change and promote the
understanding that language can be transformed scientifically, ultimately leaving a
lasting impact on society.

• George Bernard Shaw discusses the importance of properly valuing and
teaching the English language in the preface to Pygmalion.
• Shaw advocates for the involvement of phoneticians in reforming the English
language.
• He highlights the work of Henry Sweet, a notable phonetician, but acknowledges
that Sweet's lack of diplomacy hindered his recognition.


@Juffrou_Ansie

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