Through the three versions of Pygmalion, the original Ovid’s Pygmalion, Shaw's written play and the movie My Fair Lady, each share similarities and differences that help develop the plot. In Ovid's version, the symbolism derived was falling in love with one's own creation and self-obsession. Both the movie and play have similar connections to the myth and certain forms of archetypal criticism although the movie demonstrates this more through and interactions of the characters. Based on the events of My Fair Lady, the same archetype from the myth is portrayed. In the myth of Pygmalion, Pygmalion the main character did not have any fondness for the women any of the women in his town. He was “offended by the failings that nature gave the female …show more content…
Higgins and Eliza still sharing the archetypes of the teacher and student get into an argument. The argument starts with Higgins explaining that he does not specifically treat her poorly but treats everyone poorly. Higgins explains, “the question is not whether I treat rudely, but whether you ever heard me treat anyone else better,” (Shaw, 77). Eliza threatened to leave although Higgins explained that she has no money or skill besides speaking properly and proposes that she marry someone rich. Insulted, Eliza threatened to marry Freddy which deeply bothers Higgins because he feels that the idea is a waste of his work on specifically on someone like him. This particular detail shows how Higgins does value his creation and work of art not wanting it to be wasted. In the end, Eliza leaves and later ends up marrying Freddy who together opens a flower shop. Even though there is some similarity in the theme of loving one’s own creation, Shaw’s Pygmalion does not compare to the archetypes in the myth Ovid’s Pygmalion as the movie did. Moreover, both My Fair Lady and Pygmalion shared similar connections to the myth in Ovid’s Pygmalion as well as certain character archetypes through their endings. Some of the themes are more prominent in the ending of the movie as opposed to the play although both are able to emphasize the same
The society in which classical myths took place, the Greco-Roman society was a very patriarchal one. By taking a careful gander at female characters in Greco-Roman mythology one can see that the roles women played differ greatly from the roles they play today. The light that is cast upon females in classical myths shows us the views that society had about women at the time. In classical mythology women almost always play a certain type of character, that is to say the usual type of role that was always traditionally played by women in the past, the role of the domestic housewife who is in need of a man’s protection, women in myth also tended to have some unpleasant character traits such as vanity, a tendency to be deceitful, and a volatile personality. If one compares the type of roles that ladies played in the myths with the ones they play in today’s society the differences become glaringly obvious whilst the similarities seem to dwindle down. Clearly, and certainly fortunately, society’s views on women today have greatly changed.
The myth of Eurydice is a sad story in which two lovers are separated by death. After his love dies, Orpheus journeys into the underworld to retrieve her, but instead loses her for good. Playwright Sarah Ruhl takes the myth of Eurydice and attempts to transform this sad tale into a more light-hearted story. However, despite humorous lines and actions throughout the play, the melancholy situation of the actual tale overwhelms any comicality present. Although meant to be funny, Sarah Ruhl's “Eurydice” can be seen as a modernized tragedy about two lovers who are separated forever by a twist of fate.
In the opening of both the play and the novel we are introduced to the two main female characters which we see throughout both texts. The authors’ styles of writing effectively compare and contrast with one another, which enables the reader to see a distinct difference in characters, showing the constrictions that society has placed upon them.
Tragedy has been apart of human history since the dawning of civilization. Man has been plunged into terrible tragedies for ages. But not until the Greeks and prominent playwrights such as Sophocles did tragedy take on into its own on the stage. Out of this rebirth of tragedy came what has been considered, even by Aristotle himself, the greatest tragedy ever written, Oedipus the King. He delves into the human psyche: bringing forth the notion of predestination, a supposition desperately believed in by humans, betraying the fatal flaws of his hero and manifesting the suffering brought upon the hero by his tragic downfall. Though it was written more than a millennium ago, its basis and structure for tragedy has held strong, showing true in the modern tragedy of A Doll’s House. Written by Henrik Ibsen, it is a more down to earth tragedy on a level and situation that almost anyone can relate to. Though the heroine of the tragedy is almost no different than Oedipus, she has a form of personal nobility and pride that leads her to actions that eventually bring about her downfall. She suffers, she feels emotion. Both Oedipus the King and A Doll’s House set forth a range of human emotions that allows the audience to connect and feel for the tragedy, given to one to reflect upon human nature.
She claimed that “A stallion fights to breed from his own daughter” along with similar instances with other animals, so wonder why mankind frowns upon incest (Ovid 106). Once the thought of having sex with her father stepped into her mind, “her passion was deaf” to the fact that it was sinful (Ovid 113). Her soul had been tainted, making it impossible to forget this idea and return to her previous self. Just as Myrrha was tainted with this passion for incest, Pygmalion was tainted with his need for perfection. Pygmalion was so obsessed with finding the “perfect body of a perfect woman” that he ultimately created a woman for himself (Ovid 135). Once the idea of flawlessness entered his mind, it stained his soul, driving him more and more mad as he was not able to forget about his perception of the perfect woman. Moreover, Erysichthon’s soul was also tainted, but with greed. His greediness and arrogance led him to cut down a sacred forest. In return for his despicable act, a nymph said to him “I curse you…[and] your punishment / Will come down on you with all its weight” (Ovid
“Romeo, Romeo, Wherefore art thou Romeo?” “We’re not in Kansas anymore!” These are two quotes that you have probably said or heard in your lifetime. But how could these two possibly be related? These stories are related because they are classics. The two classics Romeo and Juliet, written by William Shakespeare, and The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, written by F.L. Baum, are very similar in terms of present references and follow ups, timeless themes, and their wide audience appeals.
"You can take the girl out of the honky tonk, but you can’t take the honky tonk out of the girl.” To some this is a quote and to others it may remind them of a song, but no matter which it reminds a person of the meaning is the same: one may change a person, but they will always have that part of them deep down inside. In this play two men are appalled by how un-ladylike a young flower girl is. The men intrigue the flower girl, which then causes her to approach the men, and take them up on their offer to change her. Over time the men work on turning the flower girl into a true lady. In succeeding such a passion for love develops and causes issues between the lady and one of the men. The issues that were brought up show that even though Professor Higgins changed Eliza’s outward appearance in Pygmalion, he never could change her true character.
According to Askew “The central figure by which this…emotional ritualization occurs is…Madame Zachanassian and especially by her association with the Sphinx; for it is through this sphinx-like figure that all the major themes of the play are introduced…” (90) Claire is a powerful, rich woman that has the whole town under her control. She carefully watches the town from her balcony, and enjoys the chaos that she was able to cause as part of her revenge. “The Sphinx…was directly responsible for the miserable economic and social conditions in Thebes when Oedipus first arrived, just as Madam Zachanassian is directly responsible for the economic and social plight of the Gülleners…” (Askew 90) Dürrenmatt himself attributes to her elements and characteristics of a Greek goddess through the words of the teacher “Seeing stepping out of the train in her black robes made my hair stand on end. Like one of the Fates, like an avenging goddess. Her name should be Clotho, not Claire. I could well imagine her spinning the web of destiny.” (Dürrenmatt 21) Alfred Ill is a modern representation of a tragic hero. “Aristotle never loses sight of the fact that man is a morally responsible being…a being who has the ability to distinguish virtue from vice and to achieve the one or surrender to the other.” (Reeves 187) The constant
Through the years, countless film directors have adapted and recreated various novels and plays to make them ideal for the big-screen. In many cases, directors strive to keep their screenplay adaptations true to the original literature; however, viewers often find contrasts in certain areas of the film. George Bernard Shaw, author of the play Pygmalion, who had passed away prior to the production of My Fair Lady in 1964, therefore, he could not assist in the transition from play to musical. For this reason, director George Cukor has attempted to retain some similarities and also incorporate a few changes of his own. Although readers can discover numerous similarities between My Fair Lady and Pygmalion in certain aspects such as character interaction and the portrayal of social status, one can also detect several contradictions in the two plots, especially during the conclusion.
Fighting and winning for yourself is a great accomplishment when facing people that look down on you. These two pieces of work express the lives of girls who are trying to be strong for themselves while most of the time managing to do the wrong thing. They both have the same kind of rebellious side that makes them both extremely similar. Although times are hard they never fail to lose hope and accomplish what they are looking for. The background of each work is completely different, however, the similarities between the characters and their environment create a situation to compare them. In the graphic memoir, Persepolis, by Marjane Satrapi and the play, Antigone, by Sophocles the characters Antigone and Marji both act foolishly and courageously
“Manners are the happy way of doing things” according to Ralph Waldo Emerson. According to Emerson people use manners as a front to make themselves look better. Inherently, this will lead to a contradiction of the front and the reality. One such man who is most concerned with manners is the protagonist of Shaw’s Pygmalion, Professor Henry Higgins. Higgins is a man who displays contradictions within his character. He is in the business of teaching proper manners, although lacks them himself. In addition, Higgins is an intelligent man, and yet he is ignorant of the feelings of those around him. Another apparent contradiction is that Higgins’ outer charm serves to hide his bullying nature. He manipulates Eliza and others around him to serve his own purposes, without any regard for her feelings.
By naming his drama "Pygmalion," Shaw reminds people of the ancient Pygmalion Myth. Pygmalion, a sculptor, makes a beautiful statue and falls in love with his own creation. He prays that life may be granted to it. The gods give him his wish. The statue becomes a living girl named Galatea. In Shaw's play, Eliza, the heroine, is transformed from a flower girl into a graceful lady. This change is like that of a stone into a statue of perfect beauty. But just as Pygmalion can only create the statue while never being able to give life to it, Higgins creates a beautiful object out of crude raw materials, but the last great gift of a living soul is more than he has power to give by himself. The god that transforms Eliza into an independent woman lies within Eliza herself. It is Eliza's evocation of her self-consciousness and her sense of self-respect and dignity that transform her completely.
Bernard Shaw's play, entitled Pygmalion, transcends the nature of drama as a medium to be utilized for sheer entertainment value. Shaw's play powerfully comments on the capacity for the individual to overcome the boundaries established by systems of class and gender. Dominant assumptions and expectations may essentially prevent an individual from becoming socially mobile within a seemingly rigid hierarchical social structure. However, Liza, the protagonist utilizes language as the tool which enables the her to escape the confines of the lower class and to be regarded as a human of a certain degree of worth within society. As Liza transforms from flower girl to duchess, the audience is witness to the many ways that an individual can be dehumanised through the socialisation process. Issues of both class and gender arise from the tensions within the play that surround the interactions between Higgins and Liza and the viewer is able to openly question the values that exist within a society that judges the character of a person on the basis of wealth and education.
Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw is a play that shows a great change in the character Eliza Doolittle. As Eliza lives in poverty, she sells flowers to earn her living. Eliza does not have an education. This shows through the way that she does not have the proper way of speaking. This happens through when Eliza is speaking to the other characters when she meets, then when she is still at a low level of poverty in her life.
In the book, myth and in real life, the men aspire for traits in women that they could never have or aren’t worthy of. In the myth, the beauty of the goddess Aphrodite enchanted Pygmalion. And it was this enchantment that made him make the sculpture of her. In the book, Higgins wanted Eliza’s strength. In a weird way, he got what he wanted when she finally stood up to him. In real life, all men want traits in women that we think will suit our needs. We want to marry a woman that can meet all of our desires. Men from all different times and walks of life, dream of the woman that they want, but can never have. Perfection is unattainable, even in the stories passed down from generation to generation.