Pygmalion

Act I and Act II (part 1):

Language and Class

Your Choices

D E FGroup 4 Group 5 Group 6Group 11 Group 8 Group 12

11 13 12P- ACT 1 P- ACT 3 ?

A B CGroup 1 Group 2 Group 3

Group 10 Group 7 Group 9

13 13 12P-Act 5 P- Act 4 P-Act 2

Weekly Work

• Meeting for rehearsal, play reading and discussion of both Q 1 & Q 2 (Q1: presented online and/or in class; Q 2: further discussed/performed in class, presented in weekly report) – Q 1: (in paragraphs) + line reading & presentation 2-3

per from one large group x 4 times– Q 2: Performance/interpretation-Related discussion

• 2 Group Leaders –Stage Managers & Meeting Reports due Monday (email)

Outline

• Question Part I: Presentation 1st period

(15 mins Break)

• Question Part II: Group Discussion: 20 mins

• Class Presentation and Theatre Basics

• Act II: Introduction

• Next Week

Act I: A Social Microcosm 0. Discussion Questions 1. Characters—Major, Minor and the Crowd;

class relations and language2. Setting – St. Paul, Covent Garden and

Eliza’s3. Plot Development and Themes

Act 1: Class Discussion –Character and Theme

[instructions below] Characters

Group A) Eliza: What is she like as a flower girl? How is she treated by the mother and daughter differently? Group B) The Mother, the Daughter (Mrs. Eynsford-Hill & Clare) and the Crowd: What do they each care about? Do they mix well with the crowd? What voices do you hear of the crowd? Group C) The Two Scientists (Higgins & Pickering): Do you have any experience similar to Act I? Why is the Note-Taker (Higgins) offensive? Why is accent important to him? What do you think about people speaking in different accents?

Group D) The setting: read the stage direction to find out more about it. How is the setting important Group E) Theme: How does Act I present the London society at the time? Class & Language Group F) Theme & Relevance: After reading Act 1, what do you think the play is about? Are there any stories you can associate with this play? How?

1. Characters

(1) Class Distinction & Language

(2) The characters presented in terms of their roles

The flower girl as the central character

1. Characters

i. The Upper Class vs. the Flower Girl

How would you characterize the traits and relationship of the mother (Mrs Eynsford Hill), daughter(Clara Eynsford Hill), and son (Freddy Eynsford Hill)?  How would you compare and contrast them with the flower girl (Eliza Doolittle)? 

The Flower Girl (13) She is not at all a romantic figure. She is perhaps eighteen, perhaps twenty, hardly older. She wears a little sailor hat of black straw that has long been exposed to the dust and soot of London and has seldom if ever been brushed. Her hair needs washing rather badly: its mousy (像老鼠 ) color can hardly be natural. She wears a shoddy black coat that reaches nearly to her knees and is shaped to her waist. She has a brown skirt with a coarse apron. Her boots are much the worse for wear. She is no doubt as clean as she can afford to be; but compared to the ladies she is very dirty. Her features are no worse than theirs; but their condition leaves something to be desired; and she needs the services of a dentist.

Eliza: Her Work

1. Optimistic and active, trying to sell flowers to anyone she can find, including – Pickerin

2. Getting what’s due her—asking for compensation from Mrs. E.

3. Bad pronunciation & Limited comprehension

4. Self-assertive and with a sense of dignity (or trying to be pretentious?)

1. (14) If it's worse it's a sign it's nearly over. So cheer up, Captain; and buy a flower off a poor girl. Lies on (21)

2. See next slide

3. (15) [springing up terrified] I ain't done nothing wrong by speaking to the gentleman. I've a right to sell flowers if I keep off the kerb. [Hysterically] I'm a respectable girl …

(19) [still preoccupied with her wounded feelings] He's no right to take away my character. My character is the same to me as any lady's.

4. Taking taxi home “Bucknam Pellis”(22) more next slide

Her English (13)

• Ow, eez ye-ooa san, is e? Wal, fewd dan y' de-ooty bawmz a mather should, eed now bettern to spawl a pore gel's flahrzn than ran awy atbaht pyin. Will ye-oo py me f'them?

• (Oh, he's your son, is he? Well, if you'd done your duty by him as a mother should, he'd know better than to spoil a poor girl's flowers and then run away without paying. Will you pay me for them?)

More later– her room

Eliza: self-assertion-- Right: “Ive a right to sell flowers if I keep off

the kerb.” (15)

-- pp. 18-19: no right to interfere with a poor girl, to take away my character.

-- Morality: I'm a good girl, I am.

-- Fighting: [when being found out lying] p. 21 “You ought to be stuffed with nails, you ought. [Flinging the basket at his feet] Take the whole blooming basket for sixpence.”

-- “Show Off” where she can: p. 22 going away in a taxi –to “Bucknam pellis”

The Eynsford Hills as Aristocrats

• Clara Eynsford Hill – quite selfish; also rude to the Note Taker (18) see below

• Mrs Eynsford Hill – more sympathetic with both Freddy and Eliza.

• Both women are “weak” in our standard, unable to take rain or call a cab. (19) C: Oh, how tiresome! (walking to the bus)

• Freddy Eynsford Hill – incompetent.

e.g. p. 12THE MOTHER. What could he have done, poor boy?  THE DAUGHTER. Other people got cabs. Why couldn’t he? . . .   THE DAUGHTER. You havn’t tried at all.  THE MOTHER. You really are very helpless, Freddy. Go again; and dont come back until you have found a cab.  FREDDY. I shall simply get soaked for nothing.  THE DAUGHTER. And what about us? Are we to stay here all night in this draught, with next to nothing on. You selfish pig—

The Eynsford Hills vs. Eliza

1. Description of Eliza – dirty, not romantic. Self-assertive

2. Ability to Survive: The Eynsford Hills are not afraid of Higgins as Eliza is. But these aristocrats are actually a lot more passive and helpless than Eliza, who actively makes her living, defends herself and cries out loud for help.

3. Accent and Place: a minor trace of EH’s social status (18)– moving from the wealthy Epsom area to the moderately fashionable Earlscourt (18)

4. Class Distance: (13)“How do you know that my son's name is Freddy, pray?” – suspicion of improper connection between Eliza and Freddy.

5 No Difference --Names Used on the Street: Freddy, Charley, Judy

1. Characters

ii. The Two Gentleman Scientists

How would you describe the gentleman (Pickering)? How does he compare and contrast with the note-taker (Higgins)?  Pay attention to their different treatments of the flower girl. 

Higgins:His Passion for English Language

1. a hobby for him: Happy is the man who can make a living by his hobby! (19)

2. An insult to English—

– [to Eliza] English is “the language of Shakespear and Milton and The Bible; and don't sit there crooning like a bilious pigeon” (20).

– “you incarnate insult to the English language” (21)

3. A sign of class distinction: [about Eliza] the English that will keep her in the gutter to the end of her days.

Eliza vs. Higgins and Pickering

Pickering – sympathetic with Eliza; defends her.(16 “Charge! I make no charge. [To the note taker] Really, sir, if you are a detective, …” )

Higgins – a professional, a phonetician (a scientist).

1) playful and proud in being able to tell each person’s place of origin.(16-18)

2) Career: Helps the upstarts improve their pronunciation. (20 “This is an age of upstarts….”)

3) Ideal: Defends English language and thus hates Eliza's dialect. (20 “You see this creature with her kerbstone English…”)

4) Careless with money (offering charity 22).

Despite their differences, they share common interest in language, which makes them forgetful of Eliza (p.21) see next slide

Eliza vs. Higgins and Pickering

(21) THE NOTE TAKER [turning crushingly on her] Yes, you squashed cabbage leaf, you disgrace to the noble architecture of these columns, you incarnate insult to the English language: I could pass you off as the Queen of Sheba. [To the Gentleman] Can you believe that?

THE GENTLEMAN. Of course I can. I am myself a student of Indian dialects; and–

THE NOTE TAKER [eagerly] Are you? Do you know Colonel Pickering, the author of Spoken Sanscrit?

Stage Direction, Setting

& Theme

Stage Direction (2-1)

• The clashing meeting of two classes, which later on will be accepted as natural.

[Freddy] opens his umbrella and dashes off trandwards, but comes into collision with a flower girl, who is hurrying in for shelter, knocking her basket out of her hands. A blinding flash of lightning, followed instantly by a rattling peal of thunder, orchestrates the incident.

Stage Direction (2-2)

• The lighting and church clocks: prepare us for something ‘magical’ to happen. But Higgins’ conscience is not really wakened up by the clock.

[The church clock strikes the second quarter.]HIGGINS [hearing in it the voice of God, rebuking him for his Pharisaic want of charity to the poor girl] A reminder. [He raises his hat solemnly; then throws a handful of money into the basket and follows Pickering].

2. Setting & Stage Direction (3)

Eliza's room: How does this room, like her appearance and the way she sleeps, reflect Eliza's social background and her personality?

Eliza’s Room

• very old wall paper hanging loose in the damp places.

• A broken pane in the window is mended with paper. • A portrait of a popular actor and a fashion plate of la

dies' dresses, all wildly beyond poor ELIZA's means, both torn from newspapers, are pinned up on the wall.

• An empty birdcage …

1888 fashion plate from Peterson's Magazine.

5. Setting & Theme (4) – the meeting of different classes

1. St. Paul’s Church in Covent Garden? Besides language, how is class issue related those of money, and spirituality in this act? 2. In what ways are the lighting and sounds important in this act?  (e.g. p. 12, when Eliza Doolittle enters the scene, and p. 21, when Henry Higgins remembers to give money to her.)  Keeping in mind the mythic allusion of the title, can you make more of  the setting?

Setting

1. See London Map. – Covent Garden in Central London, the meeting place of the East and West Sides, the poor and rich areas of London. (Drury Lane, Angel Court in the East and Wimpole Street in the West.)

2. St. Paul's Church -- A religious place where there ‘should not’ be any differences by class.

3. Market – actually money is more important in this context, since it determines their class positions. (Even the cab driver condescends to Eliza by not taking her money.)

Notes (1): London

Wimpole St.

Drury Lane

St Paul’s Church and Covent Garden Market

.

Covent Garden: a former fruit and vegetable market located in the central square which is now a popular shopping and tourist site

5. Theme:

Class Distinction & Language

What is Eliza afraid of? How about the other people? Are they afraid? Why is Higgins so upset by Eliza's dialect? Act I: Why are the characters presented in terms of their roles, while the names of the three major characters are given only at the end?

Eliza making noises: Fear and Self-Assertion

 Eliza – afraid of being “wrong” and being caught; (15-17)

-- scamming 騙錢-- speak to the gentleman

-- calls him “captain”

-- leaving Lisson Grove.

Related to the class boundaries which she

thought she is not supposed to cross

The Crowd • Bystander(s): (sympathetic, sarcastic)

– revealing facts (about there being no taxis) & about H’s note-taking

– Curious & responsive (unlike people on the street in our time)

– judging people by their appearances: (15) It's all right: he's a gentleman: look at his boots. [Explaining to the note taker] She thought you was a copper's nark, sir.

– (16) against police espionage …– curious about Higgins (17) Tittering (18) Laugther

Class Distinction on the StreetThe Crowd and their Judgment

• Act I: gathering of Different Classes –characters presented in terms of their roles

• Higgins -- judges their background according to his scientific knowledge of dialects and their phonetic differences.

• The Crowd– against police espionage; mostly sympathetic to Eliza; judges Higgins by appearance. – boots (16) not a ‘tec’; “hes a gentleman: look at his

boots.” “Hes a blooming busybody: thats what he is. I tell you, look at his boots.”

– (19) “That aint a police whistle: that’s a sporting whistle.”

6. Plot Development & Theme Act I • not only introduce the major characters and their

personalities, • but also sets the general tone of the play, that it

is about the London society, its class differences and social mobility. – Class differences: revealed in

• the contrast between the Eynsford Hills and Eliza; • people’s different treatments of Eliza.

– Social mobility: • revealed in Higgins’ description of accents and his

profession; • Colonel Pickering (from India British Imperialism). • Higgin’s boast in turning Eliza into a Queen of Sheba

Every Group: Characters & ThemeTheme & Plot1.What is your text? What is the possible theme you want to deal with? 2.The climax? Character 1.What major characters are you going to have? How are they characterized? How will you show their features besides dialogue and action, via gestures, clothing, symbols?2.Will there be minor characters? Their roles? And chorus (by-standers and general public)? 3.Are there any symbols associated with them? Team Work:

1.Have you worked out your work schedule?

2.Do you have questions about your roles in the performance? Can you commit to joining the rehearsal on time every time? (roles—including prompters)Break: 10:30-10:45; Group: 10: 45 – 11:05; Large class 11:05

Perform or Analyze the part you chose of Pygmalion

Let’s Take a Break

British Money

Units Pence Shillings Pounds

Halfpenny 1⁄2d 1⁄24/- £1⁄480

Penny 1d 1⁄12/- £1⁄240

Threepence

3d 1⁄4/- £1⁄80

Sixpence 6d 1⁄2/- £1⁄40

Shilling 12d 1/- £1⁄20

Florin 24d 2/- £1⁄10

Half Crown 30d 2/6 £1⁄8Double Florin

48d 4/- £1⁄5

Crown 60d 5/- £1⁄4Sovereign 240d 20/- £1

source

Money –The Increasing Amounts the Doolittles have access to

(ref. http://www.courttheatre.org/home/plays/0102/lady/PNlady.shtml )

Act 1: Eliza sells her violets for tuppence. Act 2: Eliza offers to pay Higgins a shilling an hour for lessons. [Higgins estimates] Eliza's daily income at 2 shillings 6 pence (so she pays 2/5 of her daily income Act 1: Eliza‘s rent is 4 shillings a week.

Act 1: Higgins tosses at least 14 shillings (a half soverieign= 10 shillings; a couple of florins—two shillings; a half crown = 5 pence; and several coins—tupence) at Eliza after he hears the church bells. This is less than a pound, but over half Eliza's weekly take home pay.

Act 2: Doolittle considers 5 pounds the price of a weekend binge (and therefore an acceptable bribe from Higgins), but 10 pounds an amount that would need to be spent prudently.

Act 3: The cost of Eliza's dress and ball accessories is 200 pounds. Act 5: Mr. Doolittle: the acquisition of pounds~3,000 a year turns him into a ‘gentleman.’

Act II

General Introd

Plot Development

Plot slowly develops through coincidences

through creation of a problem and tension, and then solution of the problem and its tension.

There are long discussions in each Act. It’s the tension that makes the audience

interested in the drama. It’s the discussion that elaborates on the

problem.

Structure of Problem-Solving• Act I:

– introduction of the major and the minor characters

– the theme of language instruction (Pygmalion/transformation)

– the problem presented: What can be done to Eliza (20)

• Act II:

– Steps taken to solve the problem

– The bet taken

– Introduction to a minor character Mr. Dolittle

• Act III:

– the solution to the first problem (Eliza taken as a princess).

– Introduction to a new character in each section (e.g. Mrs. Higgins, The linguist)

The basis for the problem: the

relations b/w Eliza and Higgins

Next week

The Role of Coincidence and Foreshadowing

• Coincidence – Act I: The gentleman happens to be Pickering,

who plans to visit Mr. Higgins – Act III: The people who visit Mrs. Higgins

happen to be The Eynsford Hills, whom Higgins met in Act I

• Foreshadowing: marriage – Act II: Higgins predicts that Eliza will be sought

after in marriage Act IV, V: The question of whether to marry Eliza or not is posed to Higgins

– Act III: Mrs. Higgins also worries that her son is not yet married.

Tension

• Act I:– the rain and trying to find a taxi – the Note-Taker’s creating a stir

among the public; the flower girl

• Act II: – Eliza appears at his study – Appearance of Mr. Doolittle

• Act III: – the appearance of Eliza, whether she

can pass the 2 tests

Setting

I. 1) Covent Garden – a place where people of different classes mix.

2) Eliza’s room Eliza’s character

II. Higgins’ study helps us understand the character who uses it; solution to the first main problem

III.

1) Mrs. Higgins’s living room helps us understand her; the first test

2) Embassy: the 2nd test

The Functions of Dialogue

1. Reveals something about the characters

2. Provides background information

3. Develops the plot

4. Character Interaction and discussion

5. Provides foreshadowing

6. Expresses humor

7. Gives epigrams

Act II: 7 Scenes

1. pp. 26-27: Higgins and Pickering talking about their instruments for experiment

2. pp. 27- 37: Eliza coming to ask for teaching

3. pp. 38-40: takes a bath for the 1st time in her life

4. pp. 40-41: Higgins and Pickering about what to do with Eliza (video: 24: 02)

5. pp. 41-43: Mrs. Pearce urging Higgins to behave himself

6. pp. 43-54: The appearance of Mr. Dolittle, asking for money.

7. pp. 54-55: Higgins teaching Eliza how to speak properly

Discussion Of

1)Eliza’s education2)Mr. Doolittle’s view of poverty

Dialogue 1. Character Revelation Eliza & Higgins

• Higgins re. Eliza: insults people without thinking – P. 28 Higgins HIGGINS. Pickering: shall we

ask this baggage to sit down or shall we throw her out of the window?

• Eliza: Aware of her own status– P. 38 Eliza: I couldn't sleep in here, missus.

It's too good for the likes o' me. I should be afraid to touch anythin'. I ain't a duchess yet, you know. What's this? ...

Dialogue 2. Background Revelation

Eliza’s family background: independent • P. 34 LIZA. I aint got no parents. They

told me I was big enough to earn my own living and turned me out…. I aint got no mother. Her that turned me out was my sixth stepmother. But I done without them. And I'm a good girl, I am.

Higgins has a clergyman as a brother• p. 52 My brother is a clergyman; and he

could help you in your talks with her.

Dialogue 3. Develops the plot

p. 31: Pickering proposes the bet—

PICKERING. Higgins: I'm interested. What about the ambassador's garden party? I'll say you’re the greatest teacher alive if you make that good. I'll bet you all the expenses of the experiment you cant do it. And I'll pay for the lessons.

Dialogue 4. Character Interaction & Discussion• p. 26: Pickering and Higgins on

pronunciation Pickering: I rather fancied myself because I can

pronounce twenty-four distinct vowel sounds; but your hundred and thirty beat me.

The kind of phonetician Higgins is.

p. 38 Higgins on the money Eliza offers. She offers me two-fifths of her day's income for a

lesson. Two-fifths of a millionaire's income for a day would be somewhere about 60 pounds. It's handsome. By George, it's enormous! it's the biggest offer I ever had.

Dialogue 5. Foreshadowing

• P. 33 •   LIZA. Whood marry me?•   HIGGINS [suddenly resorting to the most

thrillingly beautiful low tones in his best elocutionary style] By George, Eliza, the streets will be strewn with the bodies of men shooting themselves for your sake before Ive done with you.

Ironically, Higgins himself will get involved.

Dialogue 6. Humor and Epigram

• pp. 44-51 Mr. Doolittle

• Humor in everything he says.

• P. 36 Higgins: Shes incapable of understanding anything. Besides, do any of us understand what we are doing? If we did, would we ever do it?

Next Time

1. Read Act II & III (pp. 40~pp. 71)

2. Answer 1 question online and in class

3. the script draft (11/6)—with all the lines ready for rehearsal

11/5 Class Discussion Questions

Group C Stage Direction (Act II) What does the stage description on pp. 26-26 reveal more about Higgins? Do you find him a likeable person? Can you recreate the scene in class (on your ppt)?

Group D Theme: Eliza’s Education – What do Mrs. Pearce’s & Pickering’s cautions against Higgins say about themselves and about Higgins? Which do you agree with more?

Group E Mr. Doolittle (Act II): Language and Rhetoric –What are the rhetorical skills used by Mr. Doolittle? Why are his statements funny? Choose 2 of his ideas and 1 of Higgins and discuss how you agree and/or disagree with them.

On Act II & III; Post your group responses before class

Group F (Act III) : How does Mrs. Higgins look at Higgins’ experiment differently from Higgins and Pickering?

Group A: Stage Direction (Act III) What does it reveal about Mrs. Higgins. Again, try to recreate the setting.

Group B: Education and Manners: What has she achieved in the first part of Act 3 (the at-home party), and where does she fall short? Any interesting plot reversals? (67; 68-70) How do they shed light on Victorian manners?

11/5 Class Discussion Questions

On Act II & III; Post your group responses before class

11/5 Every Group

1. What is the theme and main message of your work, as opposed to the original one? (They can be the same.)

2. Which scene do you want to focus on in your text? How do you skip some?

3. How much dialogue? Among whom? Are you going to fill out the gaps in the original texts?

4. Setting – location and main props 5. Casting6. Line Reading

About the story you chose, or Pygmalion – Finalized Script

Mini Play Contest: Tentative SchedulePlay Cast Crew

10/22 General Introd Job Division starts Group Leaders

10/29 Act I and Act II. (pp. 11-37)Production Plan & Casting

Text Chosen

11/5 Act II & III (pp. 38-71) Line reading Script Ready (11/6 the latest)

11/12 Act III-IV (pp. 71-87 + Act V) Rehearsal w/ script Script Confirmed

11/19 Act V and Postscript Rehearsal w/ script Technical Meeting?

11/26Mini Play PreparationPoetry I: Lyric and Tone

Rehearsal w/out script

Set and PropCostumes

12/3 Poetry II: Diction & Figurative Language1 

blocking? Subtitles produced

12/10 Mini Play Contest Rehearsal (1): Advisor Hegel Tsai

Dress Rehearsal 12/16 (1:00-3:30)

12/17 Performance Day

Performance Record 10/29

A(10, 1) B(2, 7) C(3, 9) D(4, 11) E(5, 8) F(6, 12)

1. Analysis

2- Reading

3. Theme & Plot

4. Major Character

5. Character

6. Team Work