Arms and the Man

• Comment on the title of the drama ‘Arms and the Man’.

Or Comment on the sources of the drama ‘Arms and the Man’.

Ans: Bernard Shaw borrowed the title from the opening line of Virgil’s great epic Aeneid, which reads as follows: “Arma virumque cano", meaning “Of arms and the man I sing”. Shaw’s obvious purpose was to satirise and puncture the inflated balloons—the romantic ideas about war and love.

• What is “drama of ideas”? Would you classify ‘Arms and the Man’ as a drama of ideas?

Or, Is ‘Arms and the Man’ a problem play?
Or, is ‘Arms and the Man’ a radicalist propaganda?

Ans: A drama of ideas or a problem play concerns itself with the problems of life—the maladies of society. The dramatist presents those vividly before the audience/readers with a view to bringing about radical changes in the real situation. Arms and the Man can definitely be classified as a drama of ideas since it deal s with the undesirable presentation of the romantic concept of love and war.

• Do you consider Bluntschli a Shavian hero/an anti-hero/numeric hero/anti-romantic hero?

Ans: Bernard Shaw deliberately created Bluntschli as an anti-hero or unheroic hero, who exposes the false romantic ideas of love and war. He brings all the characters round back to the practical problems of life, doing which, he shows that he is truly heroic in the sense that happiness actually lies in that. He is radically rational and logical in his actions and views about life.

• Character of Sergius: a foil to Bluntschli/a Byronic hero/romantic fool/romantic idiot.

Ans: G. B. Shaw created Saranoff Sergius as a romantic type made famous by the craze of Byronism in Europe, as a foil to Bluntschli in an obvious attempt to expose the hollowness of the conception of love and war, which, the character of the former believes to live by. Shaw shows that, in reality, Sergius is a romantic fool, a coward, full of contradictions. In spite of his higher love for Raina, he flirts with a maid-servant louka. In practical affairs, he fails utterly.

• Character of Raina:

Ans: Shaw presents Raina as a young girl with as head full of false conceptions of love and war. But very quickly she learns the truth as she comes in contact with Bluntschli whom she rightly chooses as her husband free from all the illusions. But above all, Shaw endows her with all the attributes of a woman, of a mother, which Shaw later on necessary for the creation of Superman.

• Character of Louka:

Ans: From the very beginning Louka knows her worth and judges all other characters correctly. With her physical charm, practical calculations and feminine tricks, she succeeds in winning over Sergius who in the beginning looked upon her as a mere maid at his disposal for flirting. Ultimately she boldly stands upright against the whole family to save her honour and win her object, Sergius.

• Character of Nicola:

Ans: Louka flirtingly describes Nicola as a man with the “soul of a servant”. It is true that he is of servile nature; yet Bluntschli describes him as the “ablest man in Bulgaria”. He is free all the illusions. He leads his life calculating for specific purpose of achieving his financial freedom. Above all, he knows himself and others very well.

• Raina: Some soldiers are afraid to die.

The Man: All of them...It is our duty to live as long as we can.
Compare and contrast the views of the speakers.
Or, Why does the man say that “It is our duty to live as long as we can”?
Or, How does Bluntschli counter the views of Raina?

Ans: Raina, under the influence of her romantic conception of heroism, mocks at Bluntschli. She thinks as he was afraid to die, he escaped from the field. Bluntschli, an experienced soldier, tells her that everybody is afraid to die, and that no soldier should sacrifice a precious possession as life for a false conviction in heroism.

• “You can tell the young ones by their wildness...The Old ones come bunched up under the numbers and guard”

Who is the speaker? Why does he say all these?
Ans: Prepare the answer yourself.

• I thought you might have remembered the great scene where Ernani flying...an old Castilion noble”.

Who is the speaker? How does she find similarity between the conditions of Ernani and Bluntschli?

Ans: In the opera Ernani by the Italian composer G. Verdi, the hero Ernani runs away from his enemies and takes refuge in the castle of his rival in love, Ruy Yomet, who refuses to hand over him to his enemies. Raina thinks that Bluntschli’s taking refuge in Petkoff’s house is comparable with that of Ernani.

• Character of Catherine:

Ans: Catherine, a housewife of over forty years, is a typical fashionable ragging wife, who, in spite of her false romantic conceptions of love, war, patriotism and aristocracy, bears some secrets with herself. She is also a typically concerned mother, whose aim in life is now to marry her daughter off to a rich aristocratic groom.

• Character of Major Petkoff:

Ans: Petkoff is a typical husband about fifty. His life in the military has made him a coarse and proud man who can easily be duped by the women at home. He proves to be an affectionate husband and father.

• “What a man! Is he a man!”

Who said this and about whom? Why did he say so?

Ans: After his engagement with Raina is made final, Bluntschli gives necessary instructions for sending off the infantry of Timok division. He requests Sergius not to get married until he returns and he promises to arrive “punctually at five in the evening on Tuesday fortnight.” Sergius is amazed at his businesslike attitude and almost superhuman efficiency. That is why he says this about him.

• What is the kind of morality G. B. Shaw wants to propagate through the play?

Ans: Shaw believes that moral ideals are reflections of past social needs. Modern man has outgrown such needs and therefore the ideals of the past will cause unhappiness. What produces the most good and happiness should be regarded as moral. Such natural morality cannot be systematised into rules.

• What does Shaw mean by ‘Byronism’ in the play?

Ans: Lord Byron, an English poet, the author of Child Harold’s Pilgrimage and Don Juan revolted against the conventional society of the day, against hypocrisy and oppression. Sergius’s Byronism is shown in his contempt for everything to do with caution, prudence, commerce and middleclass. He is moody, aristocratic and has an exaggerated sense of humour and also in his sensual fickleness. He has also like Byron a confused mixture of various personalities.

• “Soldiering is the coward’s art of attacking mercilessly when you are strong and keeping out of harm’s way when you are weak” Who says this? Why does he think so? Is he honest about his claims?
  

Ans: Sergius accidentally won a battle in an unscientific and impractical manner. That is why he was not promoted to higher rank. To protest against this, he tells Catherine that he gave up the job. Now he intends to use his accidental victory to prove his heroism, which, in reality, is false.

• “If pity is akin to love, gratitude is akin to other thing.”

Why does the speaker say this? What does he mean by the ‘the other thing’?

Ans: As Raina charges Bluntschli of his ingratitude and betrayal of faith by making the incident public, he answers that if pity leads to love, gratitude leads to hatred.

• “You are a romantic idiot”

Who says this? Is her opinion justified?
Or, How does Shaw prove his theory that it is the woman who chases and chooses the man in the play?

Ans: in spite of his vast experience Bluntschli commits a mistake regarding the exact age of Raina. This enrages Raina. She succeeds in showing that he has not been able to know all woman. On the other hand, Raina knows all about him perfectly and has marked him and has been pursuing him for a long time. In fact, as a woman she outsmarts Captain Bluntschli.

• Is the play solely a satire on love and heroism? Justify.

Ans: Shaw’s play’s is not limited to a demonstration of the utility of rational behaviour. If so, Raina would not have saved Bluntschli or Bluntschli would not have returned to the Petkoffs. Certainly there is romance and bravery enough in the play. Shaw is not criticising love, impulse, generosity or bravery; he is showing the foolishness of acting by false systems of behaviour.

• What did Bluntschli say about the old and new soldier?

Ans: Bluntschli informs Raina quite unexpectedly and contrary to her romantic conceptions of heroism that experienced and practical soldiers know that food is more valuable in the battlefield than ammunition. He also means to say that old soldiers act from sagacity and prescience, while the young ones conduct themselves foolishly and sometime recklessly.

• “This is a better weapon than a revolver”.

Who is the speaker and what is the ‘better weapon’?

Ans: According Bluntschli, Raina cloak is the better weapon that a revolver because without it, Raina will not be able to dress herself properly and that will prevent her from permitting Bulgarians to enter her room. So he will be safe as long as he has her cloak with him.

1. (For Broad Discussion on Bluntschli, click here)
   
2. Character of Sergius: a foil to Bluntschli/a Byronic hero/romantic fool/romantic idiot.>>Click here for Broad Discussion
   
3. Character of Raina>>Click here for Broad Discussion
4. Character of Louka>>Click here for Broad Discussion
5. Charactr of Nicola>>Click here for Broad Discussion

Questions for Exercise

1. Why does Shaw call it an “anti-sentimental comedy”?
2. What is Bluntschli’s view on war?
3. How does Raina define ‘higher’ love?
4. How does Sergius reciprocate Raina’s higher love?
5. Why does Raina address Bluntschli as “a chocolate cream soldier”?
6. What dramatic function does Major Petcoff’s coat play in the drama?
7. What dramatic purpose does Raina’s photograph fulfil in the play?
8. In Arms and the Man who is the ‘man’ and how are arms related to the man?
9. How does Sergius express his adverse criticism of warfare?
   
10. "Nine soldiers out of ten are fools.” Who says this and when? What does the speaker want to mean?
11. Comment on the play as a popular comedy.
12. Comment on the theme of the play.

SSC Mock Test Paper II

Full marks 20 x 2 = 40

Duration: 1 hour
Answer all the questions:

1. How does the poet describe the loss of Lucy?

2. ”Fair as a star when only one / Is shining in the sky.” – Bring out the significance of the comparison.

3. How will Nature be both “law and impulse” to Lucy?

4. “How soon my Lucy’s race was run”. Give the meaning of this line.

5. “A slumber did my spirit seal”. – What is meant by ‘slumber’ here? What was its impact on the mind of the poet?

6. “ ‘O Mercy!’ to myself I cried.” – How would you account for such an emotional outburst?

7. “What fond and wayward thoughts will slide / Into a lover’s head!”—What thought is referred to here? Why is it called “fond and wayward”?

8. “ I would rather be / A pagan suckled in a creed outworn”. Explain the significance of these lines.

9. Who is a Maenad? Why does Shelley mention her in Ode to the West Wind?

10. What is a ‘dirge’? Why is the West Wind called the “dirge of the dying year?

11. Give an example of past perfect continuous tense.

12. Give the meanings of the phrasal verbs:
i. Hold over……………..
ii. Lay by ……………………….
iii. Make away………………..
iv. Come of……………………….

13. Change the voice of the following sentences:
i) He likes people to call him ‘sir’.
ii) Honey tastes sweet.
iii) Rice sells cheap.
iv) He hoped to win the match.
v) One should keep one’s promise.

14. What is an essay? What type of an essay is Dream Children?

15. “With thy clear keen joyance/ Langour cannot be”. Where do these line occur? What is the meaning of the word ‘langour’ here?

16. What is the name of Lamb’s grandmother in Dream Children? How does Lamb present her in the essay?

17. Explain the expression “love’s sad satiety”.

18. How does Ulysses present Ithaca in the poem Ulysses?

19. Rewrite the following sentence correctly and explain the reason: The Career Coaching and Counseling Centre of this college offers many opportunities, like meeting knowledgeable persons, reading useful books and obtain information about public careers.

20. Suppose a student of class vi stammers while reading English, but while reading Bengali he does not. Now how will you guide him to pronounce English correctly?

(Answer the questions and send the answers to us for an evaluation and get feedback)

G.B. Saw’s Freedom

Criticism

G.B. Saw’s Freedom actually is one of the series of radio talks delivered in 1935 on the B.B.C. As it was intended for the larger circles in their capacity as listeners, the lecture seems to be free from theoretical jargons. But Shaw can be very much deceptive in what he says. For, behind his homour lies the satire of the contemporary social condition. Not only that, his simple talk was actually a denunciation of the conventional and capitalist view of freedom. Politically Shaw conformed to democratic socialism, a variant of Marxism, according to which the society should try to reach the socialist political condition gradually by the democratic means. The concept of freedom, which Shaw satirises, was the fundamental principle of Enlightenment, and he does so because in a capitalist society, according to the Marxian view, freedom of the individual can never be realised.
Shaw begins the essay with the proposition that a person can be called completely free in such a condition, in which he will be able to “ do what he likes, when he likes, and where he likes, or do nothing at all if he prefers it”. He firmly denies the possibility of the existence of such a person as human beings are all slaves to nature:
“…we must all sleep for one third of our lifetime__ wash and dress and undress__ we must spend a couple of hours eating and drinking__ we must spend nearly as much in getting about from one place to place.”
From this funny yet inexorable condition of human life, Shaw very cleverly moves on to the fact that some of the “natural jobs” can be placed on others’ shoulders:
“What you do to a horse or a bee, you can do to a man or woman or child…sort”.
With this Shaw, however, comes to the immediate social and political condition of the time, in which the concept of freedom __ derived from the grand idealistic project of the Enlightenment, and nationalistic bias produced by the First World War __ was being glorified and used by the upper class as a means to achieving their self-interests. According to Shaw the farce of the democratic system in a capitalist state lies in the fact that “most actual governments…enforce your slavery and call it freedom”. But the citizens of the state continue to be duped by the system instead of rising to protest. Shaw terms this unequal relationship “the unnatural slavery of man to man”.
Shaw points out an important difference between the “natural slavery of man to Nature and the unnatural slavery of man to man”. According to him, the first, though unavoidable, provides pleasure after its fulfilment; for instance, if nature forces us to drink, she makes drinking pleasant. The same is true of eating, drinking, sleeping and other activities. Shaw introduces this difference and cites examples more importantly to explain the evils of the former in more acute terms. He refers to few thinkers like Karl Marx and Thomas Moore, who denounced this slavery and tried to abolish it. At this point his explanation of the capitalist mechanism, that is, the means by which the system tries to dupe people and establish, legitimize and perpetuate itself approaches the ideological theories of Althusser and Gramsci. “Ideology represents”, Althusser tells us, “the imaginary relationship of individuals to their real condition of existence.” He points out that there are found a number of ideologies – namely, religious ideology, ethical ideology, legal ideology, political ideology – all of which operate invisibly in the superstructure. Shaw strikes at the very root when he says, “Naturally the master class, through its parliaments and schools and newspapers, makes the most desperate efforts to prevent us from realizing our slavery.” He explains historically how the British capitalist system has established itself by propagating the so-called glorious events as the Magna Charta, the defeat of the Spanish Armada and Napoleon. Then he explains how “ideological apparatuses”, to quote Althusser, manipulate the common mass to cast votes in favour of the capitalist leaders. What is more alarmingly effective, according to him, is the educational system, which operates in the superstructure and “ends in deluding the master class much more completely”.
Thus Shaw explains the difference between two kinds of slavery and conclusively tells the listeners/readers: “Wipe out from yours dreams of freedom the hope of being able to do as you please all the time.” For, according to him, people have to remain occupied doing the natural slavery for at least twelve hours a day, while their unnatural slavery is controlled and regulated by the legal and administrative system of the country.

(Contextual Q/A to be published soon.)