Shaw, Bernard - Pygmalion Myth

by his ambition to rid the uneducated girl of her dialect and to introduce her in society. After she becomes a lady he loses interest in her. On the other hand Pygmalion changes the statue into a woman because he desires a perfect woman and he loves her. The ending of Shaw’s “Pygmalion” is also different from the myth. Eliza wants to be independent and to live her own way, not as a creation of Higgins. They don’t marry like Pygmalion and Galatea and so there is no real happy ending.

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The Pygmalion Myth

Greek mythology

Pygmalion fell in love with a statue of the goddess Aphrodite and prayed for a wife as gorgeous as the statue. When Aphrodite saw the sculpture she brought it to life. Pygmalion and the woman married.

“Metamorphoses” by Ovid

Pygmalion was a very talented sculptor. Venus wasn’t worshipped 1) enough by the women of Cyprus and so she punished them with making them lose their sense of shame. Because of that Pygmalion was disappointed and decided to sculpt a female statue out of ivory. After he had finished this work, he fell in love with his sculpture. The sculptor prayed that his statue would come alive and in answer to his request the goddess Venus breathed life into the statue. Pygmalion named the living girl Galatea and married her.

Another source of Shaw’s “Pygmalion” was Shakespeare’s “The Taming 2) of the Shrew 3) ”. (German title: Der Widerspenstigen Zähmung)

Similarities and differences

1) worship: the practice of showing respect for God or a god

2) to tame: make something tame or easy to control

3) shrew: Spitzmaus, Xanthippe

Sources: B. Shaw “Pygmalion”; http://www.britannica.com; http://www.ditto.com;