Discuss Shaw’s treatment of love, marriage, and war in the play Arms and the Man. 

Answer

Discuss Shaw’s treatment of love, marriage, and war in the play Arms and the Man. 

Or, Discuss “Arms and the Man” as a satire on foolish ideals about love and war. 

Or, how does the author deromanticize the popular fascination with war through the character Bluntschli? 

Or, Remark on Shaw’s approach towards love and marriage in his famous play Arms and the Man.  

Or, discover the problems of the play Arms and the Man. 

“Arms and the Man” (1894) is a famous drama by G. B. Shaw (1856 – 1950), where love, war, and marriage are practically discussed. Shaw has shown how the romance of war leads to the romance of love. He has criticized popular romantic false ideas regarding war, love, and marriage. He believes marriage is a necessary and desirable institution but not in the romantic notion of love only. He has proved all subjects lie ludicrously in this drama.

Raina’s Disillusionment: At the very outset of the play, we meet Raina living in a world where Sergius Sarnoff is the central figure. She considers herself in love with him. She has gathered her ideas of that passion from Byron, Puskin, and operas. She believes that what holds her and her fiancé together is ‘higher love’ and will lead them into a married life of never-ending happiness.

I shall never be unworthy my soul’s hero: never, never.

But her ideas about Sergius are shaken when she listens to the matter-of-fact from frank and lively Bluntschli. But even then, she believes that her lover is the romance hero. She receives him warmly when he returns from the war and calls him her hero and king.

Sergius’ Love for Louka: A few moments later, her vision changes when she sees Sergius shamelessly making love to Louka, who is Raina’s maid. The apostle of higher love falls from the pedestal where her imagination had placed him. Hence, she is unmoved when Sergius decides to Louka. She herself is ready to find happiness with Bluntschli. 

Disillusionment and Pretensions of Sergius after the War: The crowning point of the disillusionment is in Sergius himself. He returns from the war as a sadder but wiser man. He has been disillusioned. He puts it that the cavalry charge was his military reputation’s cradle and grave. He has sent his resignation and is not going to withdraw it. Raina has remained unconscious of this disillusionment effect on her fiancé for a long time. Interestingly, while Bluntschli’s story of the cavalry charge has partly shaken Raina’s faith in her romantic realism about war, Sergius seems quite sobered by his experience. He has realized that soldiering is:

The coward’s art of attacking mercilessly

when you are strong, and keeping out of harm’s way when you are weak.

Thus, Shaw has shown the war in the light of common sense – a matter of business and superior forces devoid of romance and heroism.

Sergius as Byronic: Sergius also finds the higher reaches of that passion realized in his romance with Raina. When he returns, he is ready to make love to the maid when his queen’s back is turned. Then, he chooses Louka as his life partner openly and with some conviction. Then, all his empty pretensions fade away, and he is ready to find sober, sure happiness in Louka’s company.

I am a brave man. My heart jumped like a woman’s at the first shot; but in the charge I found that I was brave.

Shaw’s Ideas of a Soldier: Bluntschli is Shaw’s idea of a soldier. He marches and fights like a real man with his stomach. Another thing being equal, he prefers life to death. Long fighting leaves his nerves on edge. He is uncontrollably sleepy after being awake for two nights. He eats cream chocolates, which Raina offers to him. Such an idea of a soldier is revolting to Raina, but it will be recognized as the reality by all who have been soldiers. Shaw philosophically evaluates the soldiers through Bluntschli in the following manner:

Nine soldiers out of ten are born fools.

In “Arms and the Man,” George Bernard Shaw uses wit, humour, and irony to dissect and criticize the prevailing attitudes toward love, marriage, and war in late 19th-century society. The play remains relevant for its timeless exploration of these themes and its ability to provoke thought and reflection on societal values.