Plot

Colonel Pickering bet Mr. Higgins,

a phonetic professor, that Eliza, the
lower-class flower girl, could be
changed into an upper-class duchess.
And the experiment was successful.
 History Background
1. Victorian, British Empire, Revival of
Drama
2. The Suffragettes
3. From Pygmalion in mythology to
Shaw’s Pygmalion
4. Darwin’s Theory
 History Background
1. Victorian, British Empire, Revival of
Drama
2. The Suffragettes
3. From Pygmalion in mythology to
Shaw’s Pygmalion
4. Darwin’s Theory
 History Background
1. Victorian, British Empire, Revival of
Drama
2. The Suffragettes
3. From Pygmalion in mythology to
Shaw’s Pygmalion
4. Darwin’s Theory
 History Background
1. Victorian, British Empire, Revival of
Drama
2. The Suffragettes
3. From Pygmalion in mythology to
Shaw’s Pygmalion
4. Darwin’s Theory
 History Background
or y O f Br itain
1. The Hist
• Victorian Era
- British Empire: existence of colonial
- Industrial Revolution : wealth and

educated middle class

• Revival of drama
 History Background
ragette s
T he S uff
2.
• Suffrage = the right to vote in political
election
• The movement of middle class
women
• In 1928, they achieved suffrage on the
same terms as men.
• Women were inferior to men.
 History Background
in’s Th eor y
3. Darw
• Natural Selection
• Only the superior members can survive.
• How will Eliza survive?
 History Background
S h aw ’s PYGM ALIO N
A LIA N in my th ology to
4. PYGM
In Mythology
• Pygmalion created Galatea, the
beautiful female sculpture.
• He was in love with his own work, NOT
with Galatea herself.
In Shaw’s Pygmalion
• Pygmalion = Professor Higgins
• Galatea = Eliza Doolittle
Author
GEORGE
BERNARD
SHAW
(1856-1950)

• A Socialist
• Dramatist
• Intellectual and

emotional
Charact
ers ELIZA
DOOLITTLE
• A cockney
flower girl
• Liza
• Low class
Characte
rs ELIZA
DOOLITTLE
• A cockney
flower girl
• Liza
• Low class
Characte
v
rs PROFESSOR
HIGGINS
• Phonetic prof.
• Upper class
• Proud of his ab
ility.
Characte
rs COLONEL
PICKERING
• Higgins’ friend
• Linguistic
• Worked in
India
• Upper class
Characte
rs
MRS. PEARCE

• Higgins’
housekeeper
• Higgins’
experiment
• Low class
Characte
rs
MRS. PEARCE

• Higgins’
housekeeper
• Higgins’
experiment
• Low class
Characte
rs FREDDY
EYNSFORD HILL
• Loves Eliza
• Middle class
Characte
rs ALFRED
DOOLITTLE
• Eliza’s Father
• Low class
Characte
rs MRS.
EYNSFORDHIL
• Freddy’s
mother
• Middle class
Characte
rs
MRS. HIGGINS

• Higgins’ mother
• Upper class
• Protect Eliza
 Summar
y

ACT I : Introduce Liza, a lower-class flower girl

 Summar
y

ACT II : Professor Higgins and Pickering

 Summar
y

ACT II : A bet between Higgins and Pickering

 Summar
y

ACT II : The transformation

 Summar
y

ACT III : The 1st test of Eliza met the Eynsfordhills

 Summar
y

ACT III : The 2nd Test for Eliza at the ball room
 Summar
y

ACT III : Everyone thought she was a real princess

 Summar
y

ACT IV : The conflict between Eliza & Higgins

 Summar
y

ACT IV : Eliza escaped from Professor Higgins

 Summar
y

ACT V : Eliza shows her dependence marrying

Freddy
Theme
1. Classes in British society
2. Gentility and Manner
3. Gender solidarity or antagonism
Theme
1. Classes in British society
2. Gentility and Manner
3. Gender solidarity or antagonism
Theme
1. Classes in British society
2. Gentility and Manner
3. Gender solidarity or antagonism
 Theme v
r iti s h so c iety
B
1. Classes in
• Servant Class : Mrs. Pearce
• Lower Class : Eliza
• Upper Class : Higgins, Pickering
• Class structures are rigid
(unchangeable)
• Social hierarchy: unavoidable in
reality in Britain
 Theme v
and M ann er
1. Gentility
• Higgins (upper class) treated Eliza
badly
• Colonel Pickering treated Eliza well
• Eliza thanked Pickering for teaching
her manner
• Eliza give no thank to Higgins for
teaching her upper-class language
 Theme v
i s m
nt a g on
e nd e r s ol i darity or a
1. G
• Same gender helps each other
Ex. Eliza & Mrs. Higgins
Mrs. Pearce & Eliza
• Different genders have troubled
relationship
Ex. Mrs. Higgins & Mr. Higgins
Mrs. Pearce & Mr. Higgins
Questionv
Are social classes
very important?
S! NO!
YE
Thank you
THANK
YOU
Mua
h