Title Significance Of Arms and the Man

[shahzadsaani]

Title significance of Arms and the Man
A good title should be apt and suggestive. It should also be attractive and sticking to capture the attention of the audience or the readers. As a signboard indicates the contents of a shop, so also a good title should indicate the theme of the play. Let us apply these criteria for judging the aptness of the title of George Bernard Shaw’s plays Arms and the Man. The title is an allusion to the first line of Virgil's Aeneid. In English, the line translates as
"I sing of arms and the man."
In Virgil, "the man" is, of course, Aeneas, and "arms" refers to the Trojan War & Aeneas' journey from Greece. The Aeneid stands as a glorious epic, depicting battles as defined by their heroes, who emerge from the war triumphant. However, because Shaw's play is a satire, the title should be looked at ironically. Rather than praising "arms" & the men who use them by describing epic battle scenes and glorious triumphs, Shaw is dissecting the reality of war, showing the futile nature of taking up those arms. In Shaw's vision, war is dirty, brutal, unforgiving, and serves to support the inequalities inherent in the society. The characters in Shaw's play, especially Major Sergius Saranoff, serve to underscore the traditional heroism in war of the epic. Saranoff becomes a caricature, desperately clinging to his romanticized ideal of a hero. He struggles to be defined as one himself, but Shaw uses the character,
“To suggest that no man could compare to a mythological hero in reality”
The title of Arms and The man as Shaw himself says in his preface has been taken from the first line of Dryden’s Virgil. Drydon’s translation of Virgil’s Aeneid begins with the following couplet:
“Arms and the Man I sing, who forced by fate
And haughty Juno’s unrelenting hate.”
The title of Arms and the Man is chose after careful consideration. The title is both apt chosen attractive and the dramatist’s choice is justified. It is an ironical reversal of Virgil’s original intention. Virgil in his famous epic The Aeneid recounts the martial exploits and adventures of Aeneid. But Shaw does not look at war with the same eyes as Virgil looks. He does not write this drama to speak about the glories of war. He shows through his characters that we must divest ourselves of all romantic illusions about war and real success falls to the man who acts with a realist’s self composure. He rather proves that,
“Heroism and utter foolishness do not lie far apart”
The action of Arms and The man evolves out the background of war (arms) its impact on the fate of the solders and those who came in contact with theme (man) representing different shades of life. The fortunes of solders form the staple of the plot; the discussion on war bulks large in the drama. Here those who are romantic face disillusionment and find themselves fools, while on the other hand, those who are realist in thoughts and approaches, sucked at every at age in life. Raina the heroine has romantic notions represents. Sergius a romantic fool in contrasted with the brilliant comic figure and matter of fact soldier captain Bluntschli – The moment the sun of Bluntschli’s realism rises on the horizon of the play, the fog of Raina’s romanticism disappears. Raina’s disillusionment and the revelation of the hollowness of the ideals of love and heroism is infect an unromantic and unsentimental sage of ‘Arms and The man.’
Conclusion:
George Bernard Shaw has successfully accomplished his mission through his title. It is thought provoking interesting and ironical. Further, it gives Shaw full vent to his comic genius along with his serious engagement with major social ethical issues. Thus Arms and The man is a befitting title to a drama where war’s is the mainspring of actions and thoughts. No doubt it treats of romantic love but the main theme is the fictitious glory of war. The play amply demonstrates the power of man over arms. It Shows how man controls situations overcomes obstacles and thereby proves himself superior to arms. This makes the title quite appropriate.