Arms & The Man , By (George
Bernard Shaw)
Summary:-
The play begins in the fall of 1885 during the Serbo-Bulgarian War. Raina, a Bulgarian woman
from a wealthy family, learns from her mother, Catherine, that the Bulgarian cavalry have won
a battle against the Serbs. Catherine adds that Sergius, Raina’s fiancé, was at the head of the
charge, and was as heroic in life as he appears in the picture Raina keeps in her bedroom.
Louka, their servant, enters and warns Catherine and Raina that escaped Serbs fleeing the
battlefield might be in the area, seeking refuge in the houses of Bulgarian families. Raina is
not worried, and chooses to keep her window unlocked. In the night, a man enters the room
through the unlocked window and says he will kill Raina if she makes a noise. The man is Swiss
and an escaped soldier, fighting as a mercenary for the Serbians.
Raina is shocked to see that the man is tired and hungry, that he does not glorify battle, and
that he is merely happy to have escaped the carnage alive. Raina helps him hide behind a
curtain just as Catherine, Louka, and a Bulgarian officer enter to search the room for any
Serbs who might be hiding in the area. Raina convinces them that no one is in her room, and
they leave. Raina gives the man chocolate creams, which she keeps in a box in her room, and
is shocked to hear that the man has no ammunition for his pistol, as he normally only keeps
candies in his pockets. The man argues that Sergius’s cavalry charge against the Serbs was
foolish, and succeeded only by sheer luck. The Serbs had machine guns but were given the
wrong ammunition by accident, and therefore could not mow down Sergius and his men.
Raina agrees to help the man escape later that night, though she rebukes him for making fun
of her fiancé Sergius. The man sleeps as Raina enlists Catherine’s help, and when Raina and
Catherine return, they allow the man to rest since he has not slept for days.
The second act begins in the garden of the same house, though it is now spring of 1886. Louka
is engaged to the house’s head male servant, Nicola. Louka tells Nicola that he will never be
more than a servant, and that she has higher aspirations. Louka tells him she knows many
secrets about the Petkoff family, and Nicola says that he does, too, but would never blackmail
his masters. Major Petkoff, the head of the family, returns from the war. He reports to
Catherine that Sergius will never receive the military promotion Sergius craves, because
Sergius has no command of military strategy. Sergius enters and is greeted warmly by the
family, and especially by Raina, who still considers him a hero. Sergius says he has abandoned
his commission in the army out of anger that he will never move up in the ranks. Sergius and
Petkoff tell a story they heard about this Swiss soldier being hidden by two Bulgarian women
Bernard Shaw)
Summary:-
The play begins in the fall of 1885 during the Serbo-Bulgarian War. Raina, a Bulgarian woman
from a wealthy family, learns from her mother, Catherine, that the Bulgarian cavalry have won
a battle against the Serbs. Catherine adds that Sergius, Raina’s fiancé, was at the head of the
charge, and was as heroic in life as he appears in the picture Raina keeps in her bedroom.
Louka, their servant, enters and warns Catherine and Raina that escaped Serbs fleeing the
battlefield might be in the area, seeking refuge in the houses of Bulgarian families. Raina is
not worried, and chooses to keep her window unlocked. In the night, a man enters the room
through the unlocked window and says he will kill Raina if she makes a noise. The man is Swiss
and an escaped soldier, fighting as a mercenary for the Serbians.
Raina is shocked to see that the man is tired and hungry, that he does not glorify battle, and
that he is merely happy to have escaped the carnage alive. Raina helps him hide behind a
curtain just as Catherine, Louka, and a Bulgarian officer enter to search the room for any
Serbs who might be hiding in the area. Raina convinces them that no one is in her room, and
they leave. Raina gives the man chocolate creams, which she keeps in a box in her room, and
is shocked to hear that the man has no ammunition for his pistol, as he normally only keeps
candies in his pockets. The man argues that Sergius’s cavalry charge against the Serbs was
foolish, and succeeded only by sheer luck. The Serbs had machine guns but were given the
wrong ammunition by accident, and therefore could not mow down Sergius and his men.
Raina agrees to help the man escape later that night, though she rebukes him for making fun
of her fiancé Sergius. The man sleeps as Raina enlists Catherine’s help, and when Raina and
Catherine return, they allow the man to rest since he has not slept for days.
The second act begins in the garden of the same house, though it is now spring of 1886. Louka
is engaged to the house’s head male servant, Nicola. Louka tells Nicola that he will never be
more than a servant, and that she has higher aspirations. Louka tells him she knows many
secrets about the Petkoff family, and Nicola says that he does, too, but would never blackmail
his masters. Major Petkoff, the head of the family, returns from the war. He reports to
Catherine that Sergius will never receive the military promotion Sergius craves, because
Sergius has no command of military strategy. Sergius enters and is greeted warmly by the
family, and especially by Raina, who still considers him a hero. Sergius says he has abandoned
his commission in the army out of anger that he will never move up in the ranks. Sergius and
Petkoff tell a story they heard about this Swiss soldier being hidden by two Bulgarian women
