Arms and the Man

George Barnard Shaw takes the title for this play from the opening line of Virgil’s epic poem the “Aeneid” which begins “Of arms and the man I sing.” Virgil glorified the war and the heroic feats of Aeneas on the battle field. However, Shaw’s purpose in this play is to attack the romantic notion of war by presenting a more realistic depiction of war, devoid of the idea that such death and destruction speaks to nobility. Still, Arms and the Man is not an anti war drama, but rather a satirical assault on those who would glorify the horrors of war. Shaw develops an ironic contrast between two central characters. The play begins with accounts of the glorious exploits of Major Sergius Saranoff, a young handsome Bulgarian officer, in a daring cavalry raid, which turned the war in favour of the Bulgarians over the Serbs. In contrast, Captain Bluntschli, a professional soldier from Switzerland, acts like a coward. He climbs up to a balcony to escape capture, he threatens a woman with a gun and he carries chocolates rather than cartridges because he claims that the sweets are more useful on the battlefield. Arms and the Man By George Bernard Shaw Play Summary Character List: Captain Bluntschli A professional soldier from Switzerland who is serving in the Serbian army. He is thirty-four years old, and he is totally realistic about the stupidity of war. Raina Petkoff The romantic idealist of twenty-three who views war in terms of noble and heroic deeds. Sergius Saranoff The extremely handsome young Bulgarian officer who leads an attack against the Serbs which was an overwhelming success. Major Petkoff The inept, fifty-year-old father of Raina; he is wealthy by Bulgarian standards, but he is also unread, uncouth, and incompetent. Catherine Petkoff Raina's mother; she looks like and acts like a peasant, but she wears fashionable dressing gowns and tea gowns all the time in an effort to appear to be a Viennese lady. Louka The Petkoffs' female servant; she is young and physically...