George Bernard Shaw took the premise of the Pygmalion myth and turned it into a play. The central theme of Pygmalion is that a Cockney flower girl will behave like a lady if she is treated like one and that a woman who is a lady in name only is not a lady at all. Professor Henry Higgins proves that education can cover all sorts of lacks, but it is inward strength that counts most. Higgins attempts to take a willful, spunky Eliza and turn her into an ice goddess. The climax of the play brings back hope because Eliza refuses to remain inanimate.
Students examine theme identification and development. They concentrate on dialect, vocabulary building, the evolution of language. They explore class structure. Students have many opportunities for writing, critical analysis, and poetry study. They compare romance and realism. They recognize levels of comedy/satire.
Supplementary materials include several theme topics, study guides with answer keys, vocabulary quizzes with answer keys, and an objective test with answer key.
