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Discuss "My Fair Lady" on the Forums!
My
Fair Lady, a musical adaptation of George Bernard Shaw’s Pygmalion
STUDY GUIDE
First,
the myth of Pygmalion….
Pygmalion was a gifted sculptor from
Cyprus
who had no interest
in the local women as he found them immoral and frivolous. Instead
Pygmalion concentrated on his art until one day he ran across a large,
flawless piece of ivory and decided to carve a beautiful woman from it.
When he had finished the statue, Pygmalion found it so
lovely and the image of his ideal woman that he clothed the figure and
adorned her in jewels even though she was an counterfeit creation. He
gave the statue a name: Galatea, sleeping love. He found himself
obsessed with his ideal woman so he went to the temple of the
goddess Aphrodite to ask forgiveness for all the years he had shunned
her and beg for a wife who would be as perfect as his statue.
Aphrodite was curious so she visited the studio of the
sculptor while he was away and was charmed by his creation. Galatea was
the image of Aphrodite, herself. Being flattered, Aphrodite brought the
statue to life. When Pygmalion returned to his home, he found Galatea
alive, and he humbled himself at her feet. Pygmalion and Galatea were
wed, and Pygmalion never forget to thank Aphrodite for the gift she had
given him. He and Galatea brought gifts to her temple throughout their
life, and Aphrodite blessed them with happiness and love in return.
GENERAL
INTRODUCTION OF THE PLAY AND CHARACTERS
1.
What event are the people
leaving at the story begins?
2.
What purpose does the rain shower serve?
3.
Why does the flower girl protest, “I am a good girl, I am !”
4.
The note taker is assumed to be of what profession? What actually is his
profession?
5.
What does the note taker say about a "woman who utters such
depressing and disgusting
sounds"?
6.
The note taker brags about what he could do for the flower girl within
six months. What does he claim?
7.
What do Higgins and Pickering have in common?
8.
In a well-written musical play, the lyrics in the songs take the
place of dialogue and serve
to move along the plot, develop the themes and/or better develop the
characters. Why does Higgins
sing, “ Why can’t the ___________________ teach their
________________ how to ___________________ ?”
9.
Eliza sings a song when she is back near
Covent
Gardens
that night.
She sings, “All I want is a ___________________
somewhere/ Far away from the ___________________ night air with one ______________________
chair, now wouldn’t it be ____________________________ ?
What does this indicate about her?
10..
When Higgins recognizes the flower girl at his house the next day, what
is his reaction?
11.
What does Eliza Doolittle
want?
THE
BET AND THE FULFILLMENT
12.
Even after he agrees to teach her, what is Higgins' attitude towards
Eliza?
13. Describe Mrs. Pearce's role.
14. Eliza determines to leave rather than to be further insulted.
How does Higgins persuade her to stay?
15. What is the point of the bath scene?
16. Mrs. Pearce makes some suggestions to Higgins. What are they?
17.
Why is Alfred Doolittle looking for his daughter?
Does he see her often? How
do you know?
18. Alfred Doolittle sings a song that reveals his character. He
sings, “with a __________________ bit of luck,
you’ll ______________ amok.”
What does this line and the entire song
indicate?
19.
Why does Alfred Doolittle come to see Professor Higgins?
20. Doolittle says, "I'm undeserving, and I mean to go on
being undeserving." Why does he not want to better himself?
21. Why does Doolittle want only five pounds instead of the ten he
is offered?
A few months
later……………..
22.
How does the “rain on the
plain” scene mark a turning point in the play?
23.
When Henry playfully dances
with Eliza in the study, how does the balance of the play change?
24.
Why does Eliza later tell
Mrs. Pearce that she could have “danced all night” ?
25.
Eliza’s manner of
speaking is changing, but what about her self-identity and values is
also changing?
26.
Where does Henry Higgins
decide to take Eliza to test her skills?
27.
What do you notice about
the clothes of all the race watchers?
What might this communicate about their individuality?
28.
Does Eliza “look the
part” that day? How?
29.
Influenza, aunts, people
being “done in” and yelling about
Dover
---how does Eliza’s behavior and
conversation cause an uproar? How is the use of slang a violation of
social conventions?
30.
Henry’s mother, though
kind, needs to explain something to Henry about Eliza at this stage.
What does she say?
31.
Who is Freddy Eynsford
Hill? Do you recognize him?
Several more months
pass…….
32.
Higgins, Pickering, and
Eliza dress in evening clothes for a big event. What is the event?
33.
How
is this evening another test? For
whom?
34.
Who is Nepommuck?
Does Henry Higgins like him?
35.
Is Eliza successful at the
ambassador’s reception? What
rumors circulate about her?
36.
What is society’s
definition of a “lady”—from the perspective of the people at the
reception.
37. After arriving
home from an exciting evening of dancing, Eliza does NOT say she could
have “danced all night.”
How
has the evening been a difficult one for her?
ELIZA’S
INDEPENDENCE
38. Why does Eliza throw Higgins' slippers at him?
39.
What is Higgins' advice to Eliza when he realizes she is upset (although
he cannot understand why she is upset)?
The major conflict in the play is now out in the open.
Explain.
40. Why does Eliza wish Higgins had left her where he had found
her?
41. Who is waiting for
Eliza when she leaves the
Wimpole Street
residence in the middle of the night?
Why is this
person
outside?
42. Why does Eliza tell Freddy, "Don't you call me Miss
Doolittle . . . Eliza is good enough for me."
43. Later, she vehemently
sings to Freddy, “ If you’re in love—show me !”
Is she really singing to Freddy or someone
else? Why is she
upset?
44. Eliza has a taxi take her somewhere.
Where does she return? Does
she belong there anymore?
45. Eliza meets her dad at
Covent
Gardens
. How
has Alfred changed?
46. How has Alfred been ruined by Henry?
47. Alfred is on his way somewhere and sings a song about it,
“Pull out the _________________________/ Let’s have a
___________________________/ But get me to the
___________________________ on time !”
What does the song tell us about Alfred now?
48.
What does Henry Higgins tell
Pickering
to do since Eliza is missing?
49. Higgins says, "She behaved in the most outrageous way. I
never gave her the slightest provocation." Is he lying or
not?
50. Who is able to give the police the description of Eliza’s
hair and eyes? Why?
51.
What is ironic about Henry
Higgins singing, “ women are irrational, calculating,
infuriating…” ?
52.
Eliza seeks refuge at Mrs.
Higgins’ house. Why is
that the only place she has left to go?
53.
To whom does Eliza believe
helped her to become a lady?
54.
When Eliza tells Henry that
he only wants her back to fetch his slippers, how does Henry respond?
55.
After Eliza tells Henry
that he can listen to her voice on the gramophone if he misses her, he
replies to himself, “But I can’t _______________
your ________________ on.”
What does this reveal about Henry Higgens?
56.
Eliza asks why she should
return. Henry tells her
what?
57
Who does Eliza declare she will
marry?
58.
Eliza threatens to make
money by working for whom?
59.
Eliza then sings to Henry,
“You are not the beginning or the ______________________ .
There’ll be ___________________ without you.”
What opinion is she convincing herself of?
60.
On his way home, Henry is clearly
conflicted. He switches
between two songs. One
laments, “I’ve gone accustomed to your
__________________________,” and the other exclaims, “I’ll never
____________________ her back.” What
is confusing Henry Higgins?
61
After entering his house, where
does Henry go? What does he
do there?
62
Who quietly appears in the
hallway?
63
How do you characterize the
relationship between Henry Higgins and Eliza at this point in time?
****Discussion
Questions over the Entire Play****
64.
I recently asked you to explain a
story that made you, the reader/audience, feel both “pleasure and
disquietude.” How does the
ending of the play offer you the same two emotions?
Why?
65..
How are Pickering and
Higgins foils for each other?
66.
What are the major themes
of the play?
67.
The study guide is
separated into 3 parts. What
does Eliza achieve at each stage?
68.
How do Henry Higgins and
Alfred Doolittle get educated during the play?
69.
In Shaw’s ending of the
play, Eliza marries Freddy and works in a flower shop to support them.
They remain friends with Henry Higgins and Pickering.
Why do you think Shaw chose to deviate from the Pygmalion
myth’s ending in his original?
70.
Has Higgins
learned something new when he says to Eliza, "I can’t turn your
soul on.” What will he
miss about not having her at his house?
71.
What does this
play suggest as possible results of education? Do teachers and students
alike need to be concerned about those results?
72.
What does the
play suggest about the differences between social classes? What does it
suggest about marriage and family?
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