Pragmatism And Anti-Romanticism In George Bernard Shaw's Arms And The Man
Pragmatism and Anti-romanticism in Arms and the Man
CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study
During 19th century, theater was entering so called Modern theater, one of the most important phases of its history. In this phase, theatre is divided into two parts: early and late. The early period was dominated by melodrama and Romanticism. Melodrama refers to a dramatic work that exaggerates plot and characters in order to appeal to the emotions. One of the figures who build this new type of drama is George Bernard Shaw. He wrote frankly and satirically on political and social topics such as class, war, feminism, and the Salvation Army, in plays such as Arms and the Man (1894), Major Barbara (1905), and, most famously, Pygmalion (1913)
George Bernard Shaw takes the title for this play from the opening life of Virgil 's epic poem the "Aeneid," written in 19 B.C., which begins with "Of arms and the man I sing." Virgil glorified war and the heroic feats of Aeneas on the battlefield. However, Shaw 's purpose in this play is to attack the romantic notion of war by presenting a more realistic depiction of war, devoid of the idea that such a death and destruction speaks to nobility. Still, "Arms and the Man" is not an anti-war drama, but rather a satirical assault on those who would glorify the horrors of war.
Love and war are two themes which are always regarded as societal ideals. Shaw‟s „Arms and the Man‟ is a pleasant and humorous attack on both. To Shaw, romance stands for
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