Arms and the Man

Arms and the Man seems at first just a charming comedy full of humour, but under the guise of entertaining us this is really a witty satire deconstructing the romantic concepts of military heroism and love. The play, which was produced in 1894 and published in 1898, takes place at the end of a short Bulgarian-Serbian war. A lady shelters a war-weary Swiss mercenary who surprises her with his admission to fearing death and to preferring chocolate to cartridges, in sharp contrast to her reckless fiancé, who she idealises both as a soldier and lover. The usual farcical entanglements and misunderstandings take place to great humour while heroic ideals are contrasted with realistic depiction of war, and Victorian Love is shown for its ridicule. Shaw creates a colourful cast, with philandering fiancés, insolent maids, feisty heroines, but it is the "chocolate-cream soldier" who steals the show. Captain Bluntschli is really a brilliant character, endearing in his practical view of life. A whimsical play, both entertaining and thought-provoking. I'll definitely be reading more of Shaw!