Pygmalion

How does Eliza Doolittle change over the course of the play? Which changes are the most meaningful? What do the constants in her character suggest about her character and Shaw’s themes?

How does Shaw reveal the hypocrisy and inconsistency of Victorian high society throughout the play? How does the transformation of Eliza reflect these flaws? Does Shaw present the possibility of social transformation as a positive or negative idea?

What is the dramatic importance of phonetics? How is phonetics related to manners and social standing? In addition to Eliza, consider characters such as Higgins, Mrs. Higgins, Clara, and Nepommuck.

Does language itself have transformative power? How is Eliza a new person after she learns to speak differently, and how does she remain the same? Also consider any possible transformative power of language in the character of Alfred Doolittle.

Is Higgins a hero, an antihero, or a villain? Does Shaw present him as an imperfect socialist with noble aspirations or a piggish and impolite human who misuses those around him? How does Higgins’s likability or lack thereof impact the play and its message?

How is the subtitle “A Romance in Five Acts” accurate in describing the form and content? How is it inaccurate? Why might Shaw have selected this subtitle?

How does the ending subvert or confirm audience expectations? Would a more conventional romantic ending be more satisfying? Why might Shaw have left the fates of Eliza, Higgins, and their relationship so ambiguous?

Compare the different views that Henry Higgins, Eliza Doolittle, and Alfred Doolittle have on money, class, and morality. How does the play deal with the issue of social class? Does Shaw ultimately support Victorian expectations or challenge them?