Arms and the Man by George Bernard Shaw

Arms and the Man Book download in PDF, ePub & Mobi

by George Bernard Shaw

Comedy Drama Romantic comedy War and peace Romantic illusions vs. Reality Class and social hypocrisy Idealism vs. Pragmatism

PAGES
84
ESTIMATED TIME
2 hours 9 minutes
PACE
Intermediate
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED
1894
ORIGINAL LANGUAGE
English
DOWNLOADS
4338

Arms And The Man is a comedy written by George Bernard Shaw and first published in 1898.

The plot takes place in the context of the Serbian-Bulgarian war of 1885. It tells the story of Raina Petkooff, a young Bulgarian girl who is about to marry officer Sergius Saranoff. The young man is a war hero and Raina idolizes him.

One night Captain Bluntschli, a Swiss mercenary fighting for the Serbian army, sneaks into Raina's room through the window, hides behind a battle and threatens the young woman if she raises the alarm.

Raina is initially frightened and looks down on him. She constantly compares him to her young beloved and sees only negative things in him: fearful and unprofessional for an officer. When the Bulgarian troops come looking for him in the house, Raina saves his life by hiding him so that he cannot be found. In later conversations between the two, Raina's idealistic ideas will clash with Bluntschli's pragmatic attitude and his ideas about war...

"Night. A lady’s bedchamber in Bulgaria, in a small town near the Dragoman Pass. It is late in November in the year 1885, and through an open window with a little balcony on the left can be seen a peak of the Balkans, wonderfully white and beautiful in the starlit snow."

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Copyright info
Arms and the Man by George Bernard Shaw is believed to be in the public domain in the United States only. It may still be copyrighted in other countries. If you are not in the United States, please check your local laws to ensure this eBook is in the public domain in your country before downloading Arms and the Man in PDF or ePub.

WHY READ ARMS AND THE MAN IN 2025?

131 years later, still timely

A “war hero” with chocolates instead of bullets walks onstage and punctures romantic nonsense. Shaw’s comedy makes pragmatism charming and pretension ridiculous. Brisk, quotable, rewatchable.

TODAY'S CONNECTION

Perfect antidote to glory talk: it celebrates competence, kindness, and truth in courtship and combat. Dialogue crackles; characters learn. Use it to discuss propaganda, professionalism, and how affection matures when vanity exits.

Wit with aim

Jokes clear fog, not just entertain.

De-romanticized valor

Courage includes pragmatism and care.

Love grown up

Respect replaces performance—and attraction deepens.

Perfect for

Fans of satirical plays Readers interested in social criticism Admirers of romantic comedies with a twist Students studying the dramatization of war

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About George Bernard Shaw

Debate on a stage; satire and moral pressure that move people not just lines.

We have 8 books by George Bernard Shaw in the AliceAndBooks library

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