General Questions
Which Greek Mythology is the play based on?
Pygmalion
What animal is Eliza Doolittle compared to and identify the stylistic device used?
A pigeon (simile)
Which dialect does Eliza Doolittle speak?
Cockney dialect
Why does Higgins recognise the Eynsford Hills at his mother’s house in Act 3?
He heard their voices at the Strand in Act 1.
Identify the two themes in the play.
Social classes and gender differences
How does the author use allusion?
He refers to multiple poets to show the importance of upbringing and language use.
What promptsProfessor Higgins to transform Eliza Doolittle?
Professor Higgins and Colonel Pickering has placed a bet and he is, therefore, determined to transform Eliza Doolittle from an uneducated flower girl into a lady.
Why did George Bernard Shaw incorporate real-life issues into his plays?
To be able to raise awareness and propose his personal beliefs.
Why does Eliza Doolittle symbolize the 'new woman’?
Eliza Doolittle symbolizes the 'new woman' because of her traits such as being strong-willed and independent, which counteracts gender stereotypical beliefs.
There is a repetition of the words "you have no right", when Higgins talks to Eliza. What is the author trying to achieve?
To satirize the status quo of gender roles by emphasizing that women had no rights.
What does Eliza Doolittle symbolize in Victorian society?
The 'new woman'
Why can Eliza Doolittle be identified as a 'creation' of Professor Higgins?
Professor Higgins is responsible for transforming Eliza Doolittle from a lower class flower girl into a lady with proper etiquette.
How does the structure of the dialogues emphasize the issues of gender inequality and power politics?
Professor Higgins has longer lines and more complex sentence structures than Eliza Doolittle; Higgins constantly cuts off Doolittle’s sentences
Higgins calls Eliza Doolittle a ‘crushed cabbage leaf’. What stylistic device is used and what's its purpose?
Metaphor- to downgrade/ dehumanize Eliza Doolittle.
What are the names of the note taker and the flower girl and what are their characteristics?
Professor Higgins: A well-educated linguist, disrespectful, ignorant, arrogant
Eliza Doolittle: Independent, feisty, quick-witted, uneducated
How is identity presented in this play?
Identity is shown through social class and gender roles.
How does the author show that language is important?
The play displays the importance of language by showing its capability of affirming one's identity and through Eliza’s transformation, it shows that class barriers can be overcome by language training.
What is the parallelism between Pygmalion, the Greek Mythological story and the play?
The story and the play both symbolize the creation of an ideal woman.
What is the main difference between the diction of Professor Higgins and Eliza Doolittle?
Professor Higgins utilizes formal sophisticated words, whereas Eliza Doolittle speaks in an informal Cockney dialect.
Why was Professor Higgins surprised at the first meeting with Eliza Doolittle?
He was surprised by her strong personality.