Pygmalion
(George Bernard Shaw)

George Bernard Shaw was born in 1856 in Dublin, Ireland to middle-class Protestant parents. By the time of his death at the age of 94, he had amassed quite a profound amount of work. He was known for approximately sixty plays, five novels, much social commentary, countless correspondence, and volumes of music and theater criticisms. He is said to be the most famous English playwright behind only William Shakespeare, and his plays are performed daily all over the world. Shaw was known to be a socialist and a bit of a feminist, he did not believe in vaccinating, he was a hypochondriac, and he lived life as a vegetarian and would not wear any animal products other than wool.

Of Shaw’s many plays, it is undoubtedly true that “Pygmalion” is the most popular, most well-received, and most beloved. It was converted in a musical and into a feature film of which Shaw wrote the script. The film, which was released in 1938, earned Shaw an Academy Award. This award joins the Nobel Prize for Literature which he received in 1925. The romance between Eliza Doolittle and Professor Higgins in the play is meant to represent the relationship between Shaw himself and Mrs. Patrick Campbell, with whom he was having a much talked about affair. To many fans it has been interesting to note that Higgins represents Pygmalion, a character from Ovid which represents love between males and females; while Higgins does not even seem interested in women, much like Shaw himself.