The Source of the Title: The Legend of Pygmalion and

Galatea
Shaw took his title from the ancient Greek legend of the famous
sculptor named Pygmalion who could find nothing good in women, and, as
a result, he resolved to live out his life unmarried. However, he carved a
statue out of ivory that was so beautiful and so perfect that he fell in love
with his own creation. Indeed, the statue was so perfect that no living
being could possibly be its equal. Consequently, at a festival, he prayed to
the goddess of love, Aphrodite, that he might have the statue come to life.
When he reached home, to his amazement, he found that his wish had
been fulfilled, and he proceeded to marry the statue, which he named
Galatea

Pygmalion Major Characters:

ELiza

a poor girl who was thrown out by her parents as soon as she was old
enough to make a living selling flowers on the street

Eliza Doolittle

the same person as Liza; what she begins to be called when she acquires a
genteel accent and set of manners under Higgins's tutelage

Henry Higgins

a professor of phonetics who takes on Liza as a pupil as a dare, or as an

experiment

Colonial Pickering

an Englishman who has served in India and written in the field of liguistics
there; a perfect gentleman who always treats Liza with utmost kindness

Mrs. Higgins

Henry's mother, who disapproves of her son's wild ways and who takes Liza
under her wing

Mrs. Pearce

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Higgins's housekeeper; an extremely proper and class-aware lady, she
heartily disapproves of the experiment

Freddy

a poor, genteel young man who falls in love with Eliza

Clara

Freddy's sister, who regards Higgins as marriageable

Mrs. Eynsford Hill

Freddy's and Clara's mother

Mr. Doolittle

Liza's father, who amuses Higgins very much; he comes into a fortune after
the death of an American millionaire to whom Higgins had recommended
him

Act One
Act I Summary
It is raining in Covent Garden at 11:15 p.m. Clara complains that Freddy
has not found a cab yet. Freddy returns to his mother and sister and
explains that there are no cabs to be found. They chide him, and as he runs
off to try again to find a cab, he knocks into Liza, a flower girl, spilling her
flowers into the mud. Freddy's mother gives her sixpence when she
complains that her flowers are ruined. Colonel Pickering comes onstage,
and Liza tries to sell him a flower. He gives her three hapence. A bystander
advises Liza to give Pickering a flower for it, because there is a man behind
a pillar taking down every word that she says. Liza becomes hysterical,
claiming that she has done nothing wrong. She thinks that he is an
informant for the police. The man, Higgins, shows Liza what he has

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written--which is not a record of possible misdeeds. When she complains
that she cannot read it, he reads it out to her, reproducing what she has
said in her exact accent.

Higgins amuses the small crowd that has gathered when he listens to what
they say and guesses their hometowns with exactitude. Higgins whistles for
a taxi for Clara and her mother, and they exit.

Liza picks her flowers out of the mud while Higgins explains to Pickering
that he is able to guess where people are from because he studies
phonetics. To make money, he gives lessons to millionaires to improve
their English, which allows them to be accepted in higher social milieus.
When Higgins finds out that Pickering has been in India and is the writer of
[I]Spoken Sanskrit, he exclaims that he was planning to travel to India to
meet the man. Pickering is equally excited when he realizes that he has
happened upon the creator of "Higgins's Universal Alphabet"--for he has
traveled from India to meet Higgins.

They arrange to have dinner together. Liza makes a last-ditch effort to sell
Pickering some flowers, claiming that she is short for her rent. Having
recorded what she was saying, Higgins points out that she cannot be short
for her rent because she said she had change for half a crown. (His record
traps her in her own words after all.) Liza flings her basket at him in
desperation. Higgins hears a church bell tolling and generously fills her
basket with money anyway, before leaving with Pickering.

Freddy arrives in a cab, looking for his mother and sister. He does not
know what to do with the cab when he realizes that they have left already,
but Liza wants to take the cab home. The cabman looks doubtful at her
ragged appearance, but she shows him her money before she gets in.

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Comprehension Questions:
1. How important is Act I in the play?
Besides introducing the major characters of the play, this act is carefully
constructed to portray a representative slice of society, in which characters
from very much different classes of society who would normally be separate
are brought together by unusual weather.

2. What purpose does the rain shower serve?

It brings together different social classes under the shelter from the storm.
Otherwise, Eliza and Higgins would never have met.

3. How do the mother and the daughter treat Freddy? Provide a quote to
support your answer.
They chide ( criticize or blame )him. The hapless (unfortunate) Son
is forced by his demanding sister and mother to go out into the rain
to find a taxi even though there is none to be found.
- "Well, haven't you got a cab"
- "it's tiresome. Do you expect us to go and get one ourselves?"
- " you really are very helpless, Freddy. Go again and don't
come back until you have found a cap."
- "Are we to stay here all night in this draught, with next to
nothing on. You selfish pig"
-
4. Why did Mrs. Eynsford ( The mother ) feel suspicious when she hears
Eliza ( The flower Girl ) talking to her son ,Freddy?
Because she heard Eliza addressing her son “Freddy”

5. What did Mrs. Eynsford do to find out how Eliza knew her son? What
does this show?
The mother gives the Flower Girl money to ask how she knew her son's
name. She paid her sixpence.
This shows the Mother's fear that her son might be associating ( connecting )
with the wrong sort.
6. How did Eliza justify calling Freddy by his name?

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 She pointed out that she used “ Freddy” by chance as a typical name for a
young man about a town. A name she would have used to address anyone.

7. What is the note taker writing down? What amazing ability does he
have?
He was taking notes of whatever Eliza said. His notes turn out to be written
in phonetic symbols. He said he can identify speakers' places of origin from
their pronunciation.

8. The note taker is assumed to be of what profession? What actually is his

profession?
He is assumed to be a detective ( police informer )because he is taking notes.
He is actually a professor of languages. (linguist) showed Liza what he had
written--which is not a record of possible misdeeds.

9. When did Eliza become hysterical?

When a bystander advises ELiza to give Pickering a flower for the little
money he had given her , because there is a man taking down every word
that she says. She thought he was an informer for the police (undercover
cop). Liza became hysterical, claiming that she has done nothing wrong.

10. What does the note taker say about a "woman who utters such
depressing and disgusting sounds"?
She has no right to be anywhere, not even a right to live.

11. Higgins demonstrated his skill as a linguistic scholar and tutor .

Explain.
He boasts of his ability to teach people from lower class origin to talk like
ladies and gentlemen.

12. The note taker brags about what he could do for the flower girl
within three months. What does he claim?
- What does Higgins brag he can do with Eliza

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He could pass her off as a duchess‫ دوقه‬at the Embassy Ball. He was so
skillful in his profession.

13. A bystander defends the note taker by saying, “It’s aw rawt, e’s a
gentleman: look at his boots.” What does this observation signify about
social class and crime?

14. What did Higgins do for a living?

To make money, Higgins gives lessons to millionaires to improve their
English, which allows them to be accepted in higher social environment.

15. Who takes the cab Freddy brings? Why?

Eliza does. Higgins has given her money, and she feels rich.

16. What do Higgins and Pickering have in common?

They are both acutely interested in languages.
The two men introduce themselves. They're both well-respected linguists.
The note-taker is Henry Higgins, teacher of phonetics, the old guy an expert
on the dead Indian language Sanskrit.
They realize they have long wanted to meet each other.

17. What clues indicate that Eliza dreams of greater things? Provide a
quote to support your answer.
Liza picks up the money Higgins had thrown down before leaving and for
once she treats herself to a taxi ride home.
"Never you mind, young man. I’m going home in a taxi".
" Eightpence ain’t no object to me, "

Comment on the following quotations:

1. " It’s too tiresome. Do you expect us to go and get one ourselves?"
( Clara To Freddy)
Clara complains that Freddy has not found a cab yet. Freddy returns to
his mother and sister and explains that there are no cabs to be found.
They chide him, and as he runs off to try again to find a cab,

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2. " Now tell me how you know that young gentleman’s name. " ( Mrs.
Eynsford Hill to Eliza.)
Freddy's mother gives her sixpence when she complains that her flowers
are ruined. The mother gives the Flower Girl money to ask how she knew
her son's name. She paid her sixpence.
This shows the Mother's fear that her son might be associating ( connecting
)with the wrong sort.

3. " You be careful: give him a flower for it. There’s a bloke here behind
taking down every blessed word you’re saying." ( A bystander to Eliza )
When Liza tries to sell Colonel Pickering a flower. He gives her only three
hapence ( half a penny ). A bystander advises Liza to give Pickering a
flower for it, because there is a man behind a pillar taking down every
word that she says.

4. " I ain’t done nothing wrong by speaking to the gentleman. I’ve a right
to sell flowers if I keep off the kerb."( Eliza to the Note Taker 'Higgins' )
Liza becomes hysterical, claiming that she has done nothing wrong. She
thinks that he is an informant for the police.

 " There, there, there, there! Who’s hurting you, you silly girl? What do
you take me for?" ( The Note Taker 'Higgins' To Eliza )
 " Oh,shut up, shut up. Do I look like a policeman? " ( The Note Taker
'Higgins' To Eliza )
5. " Then what did you take down my words for? How do I know whether
you took me down right? " (Eliza To The Note Taker 'Higgins')
Higgins, shows Liza what he has written--which is not a record of
possible misdeeds. When she complains that she cannot read it, he
reads it out to her, reproducing what she has said in her exact accent.

6. " Oh, sir, don’t let him lay a charge agen me for a word like that. "
( Eliza to The Gentleman ' Pickering' )
Liza becomes hysterical, claiming that she has done nothing wrong. She
thinks that he is an informant for the police.
 " I take my Bible oath I never said a word" ( Eliza to The Note taker )

 " Woman: cease this detestable boohooing instantly; or else seek the
shelter of some other place of worship. " ( Higgins to The Flower Girl
'Eliza')
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  " I’ve a right to be here if I like, same as you." ( The Flower Girl 'Eliza'
to Higgins)

 "A woman who utters such depressing and disgusting sounds has no
right to be anywhere—no right to live. " ( Higgins to The Flower Girl
'Eliza')

7. " Well, sir, in three months I could pass that girl off as a duchess at an
ambassador’s garden party." ( Higgins to Pickering )
He goes on to brag that he can use phonetics ( the science of speech )
to make a duchess out of the Flower Girl in a few months

8. " Never you mind, young man. I’m going home in a taxi." ( Eliza to
Freddy )
The money Higgins throws her before leaving allows the delighted girl to
take a taxi home, the same taxi that Freddy has brought back, only to
find that his impatient mother and sister have left without him.