Pygmalion

George Bernard Shaw’s Pygmalion examines the rigid class structures of Edwardian England through the lens of language and social performance. The play follows Professor Henry Higgins, a brilliant but arrogant phonetician who wagers that he can transform Eliza Doolittle, a working-class flower seller, into a refined lady solely by altering her speech and manners. Rather than a simple romance, Shaw constructs a sharp social critique that questions whether external refinement can erase deep-seated inequality or fundamentally alter human dignity. Drawing inspiration from classical mythology, the drama explores how identity is constructed through accent, education, and societal expectation. Shaw’s meticulous attention to linguistic detail reflects his broader interest in social reform, while his extensive preface explicitly addresses the moral and economic realities facing women of the period. The play stands as a significant work in twentieth-century drama for its unflinching examination of class mobility, gender dynamics, and the power of speech to both liberate and confine.