Write the explanation of the play "Arms And The Man". (Part-1)

Write the explanation of the play “Arms And The Man”. (Part-1)

Ans.

EXPLANATIONS

(1) He defied our Russian commanders-acted without orders-led a charge on his own responsibility-headed it himself-was the first man to sweep through their guns. Can’t you see it, Raina: our gallant splendid Bulgarians with their swords and eyes flashing, thundering down like an avalanche and scattering the wretched Serbs and their dandified Austrain officers like chaff.

(Act I)

Reference : This is an extract from the speech of Catherine in Bernard Shaw’s famous play, Arms and the Man. It occurs near after the start of the play.

Context: Overjoyed Mrs. Catherine Petkoff, the mother of Raina, comes to inform her daughters that her betrothed Major Saranoff Sergius, has won a splendid victory in the battle of Slivnitza, fought between the Serbs and the Bulgarians in 1882. With pride she asks Raina to imagine for herself the scene of the great battle with her future husband as its hero.

Explanation : Catherine tells Raina that Sergius, her lover, did not care for the instructions of the Russian officers of his regiment. With extraordinary courage he led a cavalry charge on his sole responsibility. He made a cavalry attack on the gunners of the Serbs. He took the greatest risk and rushed through the guns of Serbs without caring for any danger to himself. Catherine asks her daughter to imagine all this and much more too. She further says that the brave Bulgarians carried glittering sharp swords in their hand. Their eyes were glistening with rage, emitting fire. They swept down upon the enemy like the huge mass of the snow rolling down with a deafening sound and spelling disaster to whatever comes in its way. This attack proved too heavy for the Serbians. And their fashionable Austrian officers got scattered like husks of corn blown away by a blast of strong wind.

Note: (i) Cavalry Charge- An attack of horsemen.

(ii) Avalanche- A huge mass of snow and ice, flowing down a mountain side and carrying all before it.

(iii) Chaff husk separated from corn, and so blown easily away by the wind.

(2) Our ideas of what Sergius would do. Our Patriotism. Our heroic ideals. I sometimes used to doubt whether they were anything but dreams. Oh, what faithless little creatures girls are! When I buckled on Sergius’s sword, he looked so noble: it was treason to think of disillusion or humiliation or failure.

(Act I)

Reference: These words have been spoken by Raina.

Context: Raina is happy to hear from her mother about the great victory of Sergius, on the battle field. But at the same time she feels guilty of thinking in terms of disillusionment, and she gives expression to such a repentance while talking with her mother Catherine.

Explanation: Catherine asks her daughter the meaning of ‘ideas’. She tells her that by their ideas she meant their ideas of the heroism of Sergius in the battle field. She meant Sergius love of the country that inspired him to perform the heroic deeds on the battle field. She says that sometimes she thought that Sergius would not be able to prove his bravery on the battle field, and all his ideas about bravery were as unreal as the dreams. But now she realizes that she was wrong. She exclaims that girls are very faithless little creatures. After this she recollects those moments when Sergius was going on war. She had tied his sword on his belt, and at the time, he looked very noble and heroic. Thus, she feels guilty and says that it was her great disloyalty that she thought of disillusionment or insult or failure of Sergius. Because Sergius has proved his heroism by his cavalry charge.

Note: (i) Our heroic ideals-Our idea that Sergius is a hero and will do brave deeds of heroism in the war.

(ii) In these lines Raina’s too much sensitive nature is reflected well.

(3) Well, it came into my head just as he was holding me in his arms and looking into my eyes, that perhaps we only had our heroic ideas because we are so fond of reading Byron and Pushkin, and because we were so delighted with the opera that season at Bucharest. Real life is so seldom like that indeed never, as far as I knew it then.

(Act I)

Reference: These lines have been extracted from Raina’s speech.

Context: Hearing about the glorious victory of Sergius at the battle field, Raina told her mother about the doubt which she had regarding the bravery of Sergius. But now Sergius has proved himself and that is why Raina is asking her mother to promise that she will never tell all this to Sergius.

Explanation: She tells her mother that when Sergius was going to the battle field, he took her into his arms and looked into her eyes. She was glad to have won the love of the hero. This scene of departure was as romantic as the scenes of romantic novels and dramas. She was frightened to think that their meeting and departure was mere romanticism and far from reality. She thought perhaps she was overvaluing him. She imagined that this heroism was the outcome of her romantic ideals, generated in her mind after reading sentimental literature. She thought, perhaps these thoughts came into her mind by reading the romantic poems of Byron and Pushkin, and by seeing the romantic plays at Bucharest. She also assigned its cause to her habit of frequenting the opera houses. Then she thought that there is always a difference between imagination and reality and if these qualities of heroism were put to test, Sergius would not be able to prove himself. But how her love has given unmistakable proof of his worth, she cannot help her chiding herself for the past underestimate of the heroic qualities of Sergius.

Note: (1) Byron- George Gordon, Lord Byron (1788-1824) was an eminent English Romantic poet. His hatred of hypocrisy and oppression made him antagonistic to the conduct of the contemporary person. He is known world over particularly for the satirical poetry. His greatest work Don Jaun beautifully combines poetry, romantic adventures and Satires.

(ii) Pushkin- Alexander Sergivich Pushkin (1799-1837) the greatest of the Russian poets. He was much influenced by Byron and Shakespeare.

(iii) Bucharest- The capital of Rumania in Central Europe.

(4) I was only a prosaic little coward. Oh, to think that it was all true! that Sergius is just as splendid and noble as he looks! that the world is really a glorious world for women who can see its glory and men who can act its romance! What happiness! What unspeakable fulfilmera!

(Act 1)

Reference: These lines have been taken from Act I of the play ‘Arms and the Man’ by George Bernard Shaw. He was the great dramatist of the modern age. These lines have been spoken by Raina Petkoff.

Context: Raina told her mother Catherine about these doubts which she had regarding the heroic qualities of Sergius. But now she realizes that her fears were false, as Sergius has actually proved his worth in the battle of Slivnitza.

Explanation: When Sergius was going to the war and Raina doubted him, she was prosaic, a girl lacking imagination, without understanding enough to appreciate the heroism and worth of her lover. She was really blind to the heroic qualities of her lover. But now she is very happy that whatever imagination she had about her brave lover has been fulfilled by Sergius on the battle field, as he fought bravely. Now, it is proved by his victory. Now Sergius has proved that he is really as noble and heroic as he looks. In raptures over the glory won by her fiance, she says that this world is a fine, glorious place to live in and it is as romantic as the one described in the novels and dramas. There are brave men like Sergius, who by their brave deeds bring name and fame. But there should be women to appreciate their glory and bravery. They should have imagination to praise the heroic qualities of their lovers and they should not be prosaic like Raina. So, she is. delighted on the glorious victory of Sergius because this victory has proved true all her imagination about her heroic lover.

Note: (i) Prosaic- dull lacking imagination.

(ii) Unspeakable fulfilment- Their heroic ideals have been actually proved true by Sergius in the battle field.

(iii) Here Shaw gives us the romantic ideal in a nutshell. For a romantic dreamer the only purpose of life is to stage romance and women to view with admiration.

(5) I suppose not. [She draws herself up superbly, and looks him straight in the face, adding, with cutting emphasis] Some soldiers, I know, are afraid to die.

THE MAN [with grim good humor] All of them, dear lady, all of them, believe me. It is our duty to live as long as we can.

(Act I)

Reference: These lines are the part of conversation which is going on between Raina and the man., who later on, is identified as captain Bluntschli.

Context: A Serbian officer (Captain Bluntschli) has entered the bed room of Raina Petkoff to save his life from the Bulgarian officers. Raina does not like his act because her idea of soldier was totally different from the coward act of this man.

Explanation: Raina has romantic ideals of war and soldiering, thinks that a soldier should die fighting in the battle field. He should not runaway from his duty at any cost. She calls it an act of cowardice. So, she replies disdainfully that he is a coward and he ran away from the battle field because he does not want to be killed. She says that she is not able to understand him because his idea of a true soldier is totally different. She stands majestically. She does not feel afraid in his presence. She ironically remarks that he is one of those soldiers who are afraid to die.

But the man (Bluntschli) replies to her in a good humoured way. He says that all the soldiers are afraid of death. None of them wants to get killed. They love life like other men. They want to preserve and protect their lives as long as they can. In fact, it is their duty and it is their pious duty to do so. Because their life is useful for their country that is why they have to preserve it. After all, a soldiers is also a man. Therefore, he is also interested in living as long as he can.

Note: The two main themes of the play, ‘war’ and ‘love’ have been touched romantically and realistically both. Raina stands for romance Bluntschli stands for realism.