Evaluate “Arms and the Man” as a Problem Play.
Arms And the Man is a notable literary work by George Bernard Shaw. A complete discussion of this literary work is given, which will help you enhance your literary skills and prepare for the exam. Read the Main texts, Key info, Summary, Themes, Characters, Literary devices, Quotations, Notes, and various study materials of Arms And the Man.
Answer
Evaluate “Arms and the Man” as a problem play.
A problem play is a type of drama that focuses on controversial social issues and aims to provoke thought and discussion. Problem plays often feature complex characters and challenge popular beliefs. G. B. Shaw’s (1856-1950) “Arms and the Man” (first produced in 1894) fits this description. Through humor and realistic characters, Shaw challenges popular romantic ideals about love, marriage, and war. He shows how unrealistic and hollow these ideas can be.
Critique of War: From the very beginning of the play, Shaw presents war as something far from glorious. Bluntschli, the Swiss professional soldier, immediately contrasts Raina’s romantic image of war. Raina is thrilled when she first hears about her fiancé, Sergius’s cavalry charge. Raina imagines it as a heroic and bold act. However, Bluntschli shatters this illusion by revealing the absurdity of the charge: Sergius led a cavalry charge against heavy machine guns. This charge was foolish and only succeeded because the enemy had the wrong ammunition.
Again, Bluntschli shatters the romantic ideals of patriotism and heroism by revealing that he is just a professional soldier. He says:
“I am a Swiss, fighting merely as a professional soldier. I joined Servia because it came first on the road from Switzerland.”
Shaw uses Bluntschli to show that war is less about noble acts of bravery and more about staying alive.
“Raina: Some soldiers, I know, are afraid of death.
The Man (Bluntschli): All of them, dear lady, all of them, believe me. It is our duty to live as long as we can.”
Soldiers are not necessarily heroic. Bluntschli reveals:
“Nine soldiers out of ten are born fools”
Sergius—A Ridiculous Figure: At the beginning, Sergius seems to embody the romantic ideal of a war hero, a brave man. However, gradually he is revealed as a ridiculous figure. Shaw mocks the idea of heroism in war through Sergius’s remark,
“Soldiering … is the coward’s art of attacking mercilessly when you are strong, and keeping out of harm’s way when you
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