Arms and the ManIn the opening scene of Arms and the Man, which establishes the play's embattled Balkan setting, young Raina learns of her suitor's heroic exploits in combat. She rhapsodizes that it is "a glorious world for women who can see its glory and men who can act its romance!" Soon, however, such romantic falsifications of love and warfare are brilliantly and at times hilariously unmasked in a comedy that reveals George Bernard Shaw at his best as an acute social observer and witty provocateur. First produced on the London stage in 1894, Arms and the Man continues to be among the most performed of Shaw’s plays around the world. The play is reprinted in its entirety here from an authoritative British edition, and is complete with Shaw's stimulating preface to Volume II of Plays: Pleasant and Unpleasant. |
Common terms and phrases
Arthur Conan Doyle balcony Balkan blue closet Bob Blaisdell Bulgarian cant Captain Bluntschli Catherine comes Charles Dickens chest of drawers chocolate cream soldier coat coffee dare dear young lady didnt doesnt door drama Edited by Bob Edited by James eyes father fight Frederick Douglass gentleman GERARD MANLEY HOPKINS gracious young lady hand havnt head Henry Wadsworth Longfellow hero horses isnt James Daley keep kill kiss laugh levas Louka madam Major Saranoff managers marry mean Miss Raina mistress mother Nicola goes officer OLAUDAH EQUIANO ottoman PETKOFF Philippopolis pistol plays POEMS Raina looks Raina returns RAINA rising regiments romantic salver SERGIUS servant Servian shew shutters sits sleep sorry stable yard stand steps stops story stove sure Swiss tell theatre theyre thing throws told turns Vincent Millay window wouldnt youll youve