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Essay / Pygmalion, by George Bernard Shaw - 1119
In today's society, people are looking for what type of emotion complements them; the emotion is love. Love is the type of emotion that is difficult to explain. When love as an emotion is lost, that person also feels lost and eventually transforms completely. There are many ways people change and/or respond to such emotions. For example, some react with anger and others with depression. In 1912, a play written by George Bernard Shaw spoke of this same nature of love. Shaw wrote the play Pygmalion because of this reaction. However, the reasons are somewhat ironic. One of Shaw's reasons for performing the play was whether or not he believed in love. During the construction of the play, Shaw spoke of love several times as he was a man in love when he wrote it. At this time, George Bernard Shaw was having an affair with the actress Patrick Campbell; the love he had for Patrick Campbell was very intimate, at least that's how Shaw thought of it. When that didn't work, he became very angry; Pygmalion was the result of it not functioning. At the end of the play, Shaw left readers guessing whether true love exists or not. Shaw delivered suspense by leaving the audience with a cliffhanger that was then interpreted in a way they did not agree with. With Shaw's anger at these interpretations as well as his love leaving him desperate, he revised the story to have a "sequel" in which he spelled out the ending he truly wanted. Shaw's interpretation of how the story should have ended left the protagonist in a depressed state. This was assumed due to the grudge he held towards Patrick until his death. I don't believe that Shaw's interpretation was not entirely correct. Me too...... middle of paper ......l Pickering. Grants fits the idea of a man eager to learn different things. These characters were chosen because they would be able to convey the message of love. As I construct the storyline for the revisited play, I try not to rely on the play itself. The whole point of reworking the play is that it's up to the viewer to decide what should happen. The director must allow the audience to decide for themselves whose love is greater. The reason the play will be rewritten in a contemporary model where Eliza becomes a lawyer instead of a flower girl is to preserve a story with an unexpected ending. The actors chosen to play particular roles are made so that the idea of whose love is stronger really exists. This, I believe, is Shaw's real aim in writing the play. Does love really exist or is it a difficult ending for all?