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What is Shaw’s purpose in the play’Arms and the Man’?

Shaw purpose in writing this play to Shatter romantic idealism. To him, I war is not a thing to be glorified or adored; nor has it any romantic link war is a evil and stupid. In fact again to him, the romantic view of war which is based on the idealistic notion that men fight because they are heroes and the soldier, who takes the biggest risks, wins he greatest glory and is the greatest hero is vague and stupid soldiers fight not for the glorification of war but for their salary. He thinks that marriage is not the outcome of romance between a handsome young man and a beautiful maiden. It is necessary institution. People mary became marriage is a physical or biological necessing and the main aim or purpose of marriage is not to bloom up flower of romance but to produce healthy generation.

The enduring vbalue of Arms and the Man’s as a weapon against war as well against other follies and crimes is undimmed. It makes us laugh. Shaw objects not so much to war as to attractiveness of war. He does not so much dislike love, as the love of love. Before the temple of mars. Shaw murmurs, wars if you must; but for God’s sake, not war songs, the play is an attack on heroism in war. Shaw never liked to portrait a woman in love. He lacked imaginative sympathy for this passion. He had no liking for the sentiments and emotions. He attacks love severely. He considers it artificial and superficial. He likes to look love realistically. It is false and illusory to him.

Shaw’s object in the play is to demolish romantic idealism about war and love. The point is that the romance of war deeds the romance of love and viceversa. Bluntschli is a repudiation of the glory of war. The reaction against the romantic notions of war and love in Raina and Sergius is fully traced in the play The purpose of the play is satiric. There is a little irony in us. The play exhibits Shaw’s ethical conviction. It also throws a consider able light on his gust with modern civilisation. Shaw’s realism triumphs over romanticism in the play.

Plot and characterisation are used in such a manner as to make the expression of his own views most effective. The purpose of the play is satiric. It is true that lesson is enforced with light irony and there can be no mistake about it. In “Arms and the Man’ Shaw has a serious purpose and an equally serious message to convey to his contemporary society. His main aim, in writing the play has been to shatter the so called false and artificial conception of romantic view of war and marriage. As Shaw had a critical approach to human life, he analysed man’s life and held out a scarch light of criticism over the social, political, moral and religious institutions of man. In the play he touched alomost the entire facet of man’s life and examined it critically.

“The first act shows a perfect combination of the elements of “action” and discussion. The conversation between Raina and captain Bluntschli is extremely, lovely and through the mouth of the chocolate cream soldier. Shaw gives expression to his own here sies about the romance war fare. The fugitive soldier talks of the universality of the flying instinct; but his talk is not an end in itself. He argues only with a view to persuading Raina to give him shelter and protect him from the raids of Bulgarian soldiers. Thus, there is not a scran of discusson for the sake of discussion. The action of the drama requires that Raina’s hatred of a cowardly soldier should be disarmed, her romantic notions blasted and her sympathy and pity aroused. As soon as this end has been achieved, the tired soldier drops down fast asleep. He instinctively realise that he has become Raina’s ‘poor dear. and there is no need for further argument.”

The second and the third acts are not as bright as the first. Segins is to much of a fool even to serve as a contrast to the brilliant captain Bluntschli of course. Shaw believes that all romantic soldiers are stupid. But that is a belief which has to be have shown Sergius first as a romantric soldier and then as a fool. But the major is represented as essentially a fool, and a soldier and lover only by accident. It is one of those, cases where Shaw can justly be accused of having assumed his premises. Neither has he succeeded in making Petkoff and Catherine live characters. The general and this wife are sources of fun, but there seems to be no reason why they are introduced. Art imitates by means of selection; only such characters have to be chosen for portaiture as will help to symbolize an idea. It the idea is absent, characters stiffen into mere marionettes.