Arms and the Man Questions on George Bernard Shaw
Arms and the Man
What does "arms and the man" mean?
"Arms and the man" means a reference to the opening line of Virgil's Aeneid, "arma virumque cano," which translates to "I sing of arms and the man." In Virgil's epic, it signifies heroic deeds and...
Arms and the Man
George Bernard Shaw's spokesperson in Arms and the Man
In Arms and the Man, Captain Bluntschli serves as George Bernard Shaw's spokesperson. Through Bluntschli, Shaw critiques romanticized notions of war and heroism, advocating for practicality and...
Arms and the Man
What problems are referred to in Bernard Shaw's play Arms and the Man?
In Bernard Shaw's play Arms and the Man, the main problem addressed is the glorification of war as noble heroism. Shaw, a pacifist, critiques the literary and journalistic romanticizing of war,...
Arms and the Man
What is Shaw's perspective on marriage in Arms and the Man?
In Arms and the Man, Shaw's view about marriage is that couples should marry because they genuinely love one another, not to meet social expectations.
Arms and the Man
Which epic is the title Arms and the Man taken from?
The title "Arms and the Man" is taken from Virgil's Aeneid, specifically its opening line, "Of arms and the man I sing," which celebrates military valor. Shaw uses it ironically to critique...
Arms and the Man
In Arms and the Man, why did Shaw use a Swiss, not Serbian, character in love with Raina?
Shaw did not use a Serbian character and instead made Bluntschli Swiss because he wanted to emphasize that Bluntschli was an outsider who could comment objectively about the war.