Arms and the Man: Act 1 Summary & Analysis

The curtain opens on a bedroom, in a small town in Bulgaria in 1885. The room is “half rich Bulgarian, half cheap Viennese.” Paltry furniture is intermixed with lavish Turkish decorations. There hangs a large photograph of an extremely handsome man in an officer’s uniform who has a “lofty bearing” and “magnetic glance.”

On the balcony there is a beautiful lady (Raina), who looks out into the sky as though she is appreciating its beauty, and as though she knows her own youth and beauty contribute to the magical quality of the night. She is decorated in expensive furs, which are worth approximately three times what the furniture in the room is worth. Her reverie is interrupted by her mother Catherine Petkoff, who is “determined to be a Viennese lady” and therefore wears a fashionable tea gown everywhere.

Catherine chastises Raina for being up and out of bed so late, and Raina tells her she couldn’t help but look at the stars, which are so beautiful tonight. Catherine tells Raina there has been a battle, and Raina is visibly excited. When Catherine says the battle has been won by Sergius, Raina is ecstatic. Catherine says that Raina’s father has sent news that Sergius, against orders from Bulgarian commanders, led a great cavalry charge against the Russians and their Servian allies, which resulted in a pronounced victory for the Bulgarian side.

Raina is rapturously happy to hear of Sergius’s success. She remarks that it “proves our ideas were real after all.” Her mother indignantly asks her to explain this remark, and Raina admits that she sometimes doubts whether their belief in patriotism and heroism is grounded in something real. She begs her mother not to tell Sergius that she ever doubted him, but her mother refuses to make such a promise. Raina explains again that she simply worried their ideas were born of their love for the writings of Byron and Pushkin, and whether these ideas could hold up in real life. But, she assured her mother, she is convinced now.

Raina dismisses her worries as the result of cowardice, and affirms that Sergius is as splendid and noble as he looks. She happily muses that “the world really is a glorious world for women that can see its glory and men that can act its romance!”

Louka interrupts them, a young and pretty servant girl who is clearly defiant, and whose demeanor seems almost insolent. She also looks excited, but not in the rapturous way of Catherine and Raina, and she is clearly contemptuous of their romantic demeanors. She tells them that there will soon be gunfire in the streets, as the Servian army is retreating. She advises that all of the doors and windows of the house should be locked.

Raina expresses her sadness that the Bulgarians, her people, are cruelly slaughtering fugitives, and wonders what the point of such an exercise might be. Catherine ignores her and in a businesslike manner goes to make everything safe downstairs, insisting that Raina keep her shutters locked. Raina expresses her desire to leave the shutters open, and Louka points out that a bolt is missing so that the windows actually can’t be locked and can simply be pushed open if she likes. Raina chides her for breaking Catherine’s rule and Louka leaves defiantly.

Raina speaks to the portrait of Sergius, telling him she shall never be unworthy of him anymore, and calling him her “soul’s hero.” She selects a novel from a pile of books by her bed and opens it, preparing to read herself to sleep. But instead she turns back to the portrait, calling, “my hero! My hero!” suddenly shots ring out and Raina plugs her ears, turns off the lights, and hides in her pillow.

There is the sound of the shutters opening and closing, and a figure enters Raina’s room. The man lights a match and Raina demands to know who is there. He threateningly warns her not to call out if she wants to remain unharmed. Raina lights a candle and sees that the man is in a horrible state, ragged, thin and unkempt. Yet he appears to still have all his wits about him. He points out his Servian uniform and tells Raina that if he is caught he will be killed. He asks her if she understands the gravity of his situation and she dismissively says she doesn’t—but she has heard that some soldiers are afraid of death.

The man grimly but in a good-natured way tells her that all soldiers are afraid of death. He warns her against raising an alarm, but she indignantly asks him why he imagines she is afraid of death. He grants her that she might not fear death, but that she would certainly fear being seen by a bunch of cavalry men in her nightgown, and snatches her cloak from the nearby ottoman, exclaiming that her cloak is a better bargaining tool than his rifle.

Raina scornfully tells him he is not behaving like a gentlemen. There are footsteps outside Raina’s bedroom door and a knock. Giving up, the man kindly throws Raina her cloak, and his intimidating manner gives way to a weakened and fearful one. He tells Raina he is done for and that she should look away, for it will not take long. Raina, touched by his compassion, hides him in the curtains. The man tells her that if she keeps her head he might have a chance, because nine soldiers out of ten are born fools.

Louka enters to say that neighbors have seen a man crawling up the water pipe into Raina’s rooms. Raina insists she heard nothing. Catherine calls a Russian officer into the room, and Raina stands in front of the curtain as he searches the balcony. Upon seeing nothing he begs Raina’s pardon and exits with Catherine. Louka remains. Raina tells Louka to keep her mother company. Louka looks at the ottoman, then the curtain, then exits, laughing to herself. Raina, offended, slams the door after her in a huff.

The man emerges from his hiding place, expresses his undying gratitude to Raina and explains that he is Swiss, a professional soldier, and that he bears no allegiance to the Servians. He begs Raina to let him sit a minute longer before he must go back out into danger. She gasps, points to the ottoman and notices his revolver has been lying out in the open this whole time. Her gasp scared him, and she sarcastically suggests he take his revolver to protect himself from her. He explains the gun is not loaded—he carries sweets instead of ammunition. Raina is outraged at this.

The man wishes he had some chocolates now, and Raina goes to her drawers and scornfully thrusts a box of chocolate creams his way. He is exorbitantly grateful, and explains that all old soldiers carry food while the young ones carry ammunition. Raina contemptuously says that even though she is a woman she is probably braver than him, and the man says this is true, but only because Raina has not been under fire for three days. He then tells Raina that if she should scold him too much, he will start to cry.

Raina is moved by this vulnerability, and apologizes. She then draws herself up and says that Bulgarian soldiers are not like him. But he argues that there are only two different types of soldier, young and old, and that no matter where they’re from they are the same. He then remarks that is ludicrous that Bulgarians have managed to beat them, but notes that their victory was basically accidental.

Raina skeptically demands that he explain himself, and he describes a cavalry charge, led by a handsome young man who was immensely brave. His bravery caused the other side to break out in laughter, for they could see that the charge was stupid and foolish. But then they realized they didn’t have the correct ammunition, and the charge resulted in devastating losses for the Russian and Servian side (though it shouldn’t have). The man sums up the cavalry charge by saying that the leader and his regiment “committed suicide—only the pistol missed fire: that is all.”

Raina is disheartened by this, but remains steadfastly loyal to Sergius. She points out his portrait to the man, who recognizes him as the leader of the charge. He can barely keep from laughing, for the image of Sergius leading the charge as though it were the noblest and bravest thing a soldier has ever done is deeply funny to the man. Raina angrily tells him that she is betrothed to Sergius, and he apologizes. She tells him he must leave after saying such horrible things, but the idea of going back down the balcony and facing his own death reduces him almost to tears.

Raina is “disarmed by pity” and comforts him, calling him a “chocolate cream soldier” and tells him to cheer up. He says he is exhausted, and wishes only for sleep—he has not had an undisturbed sleep since he joined the fight. But he realizes he must go, and tells Raina that if he should die that will give him all the rest he needs. Raina anxiously begs him not to go; she wants to save him.

She tells him she is a Petkoff, and that her name carries much weight in Bulgaria—as their guest he can come to no harm. Their home has a staircase, and even a library. The man pretends to be deeply impressed, though it is clear he finds Raina’s speech silly. Raina promises that she will answer for his safety, and offers her hand to him. He says that he better not take her hand, for his is so dirty. She praises him for being gentlemanly, and insists he take her hand anyway.

The man tells Raina she better inform her mother, for he does not wish to be a secret guest for too long. Raina agrees, and tells him he must stay awake while she goes to fetch her mother. He tries his best, but falls asleep on her bed as soon as she exits. Catherine comes back and sees him asleep on the bed and calls him a brute—Raina begs her mother not to wake him, saying “the poor dear is worn out.” Raina’s mother cannot believe that her daughter has called this man “dear” but allows him to remain asleep.