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Dramatic Irony
Act 1
Explanation and Analysis—The Man's Physique:
In the following passage from Act 1, Shaw uses the stage directions to provide a description of Captain Bluntschli's appearance. This description provides a certain amount of insight not only into Bluntschli's objective physical appearance, but also into how Raina perceives him. Bluntschli's aesthetic attributes thus come under criticism, in particular through the use of simile:
He is a man of middling stature and undistinguished appearance, with strong neck and shoulders, a roundish, obstinate looking head covered with short crisp bronze curls, clear quick blue eyes and good brows and mouth, [and] a hopelessly prosaic nose like that of a strong-minded baby.
This instance of figurative language, in which the captain is likened to a "strong-minded baby," juxtaposes the rather romantic depiction of Sergius as a beautiful, traditionally heroic epitome of masculinity. The "baby" comparison quite literally infantilizes Bluntschli, a tactic not uncommonly used to demean and diminish women.
Further aspects of Bluntschli's physical description place him in opposition to Sergius. Shaw describes Bluntschli's nose as prosaic, or having the matter-of-fact, straightforward nature of traditional prose writing. His nose is not magnificent; it is shockingly normal. Sergius, as the more Romantic figure, is also the more poetic of the two men. Heightened descriptions of Sergius emphasize his role as a Byronic hero, playing foil to Bluntschli's banality.
Related Themes:
