Arms and the Man by Bernard Shaw

A Scene from Arms and the Man (Chocolate Cream Soldier)

Characters in the Play:

1. Sergius - a Bulgarian commander, initially proposed to Raina Petkoff
2. Raina Petkoff - heroine who is awakened from false ideals of war by Captain Bluntschili
3. Captain Bluntschili - a soldier running away from war, also a wealthy businessman
4. Major Paul Petkoff - Raina's father
5. Catherine - Raina's mother
6. Louka - a maid servant whom later Sergius proposes
7. Nicola - a male servant who is initially betrothed to Louka

Summary of the Play:

The play deals with the futility of war and presents in a realistic way how the general ideal notions of people about war are wrong, taking Bluntschili and Raina as typical examples. The background  of the play is the war between Serbia and Bulgaria in 1885 that continued for 14 years. Raina is  too idealistic about war and Sergius, the Bulgarian commander to whom she is engaged.  But Bluntschili who runs away from war, hides in Raina's bedroom to escape from Bulgarian troops informs her that not only he, but many soldiers carry only chocolates in their ammunition pouches.  His  statement "nine out of ten soldiers are fools"shocks idealistic Raina. From him, she learns how really soldiers are afraid and tired of war and how futile the war is. She gives him her father's coat with a photo of her within to escape from her home. When both Serbia and Bulgaria signs a peace treaty, Major Petkoff and Sergius return from war.  Sergius flirts with Louka, the insolent servant girl who is actually betrothed to Nicola.  During Bluntschili's return to return the coat, it is revealed that he is a wealthy business man and the awakened Raina also falls in love with him and decides to marry him.  Though Sergius calls Bluntschili for duel, the latter is not interested in war any more.  Major Petkoff and Catherine are shocked to know Sergius' proposal to marry the servant Louka. Bluntchili promises to make Nicola a manager in one of his businesses and the play ends with marriage bells for two sets of couples - Sergius and Louka, and Raina and Bluntschili.

Criticism:

George Orwell comments on the play as "it is probably the wittiest play he ever wrote, the most flawless technically." The play is apparently a satire on military melodramas of the period which considered war as a noble undertaking and soldiers as brave, heroic and courageous.  The title of the play is derived intentionally from the opening line of Virgil's  Aeneid to ridicule at the frivolities of the war and war heroes.  Transformation and reformation takes place in all characters except Bluntschili, the pragmatic professional who remains the same throughout the play but enlightens all of their false notions and assumptions.  "Soldiering, my dear madam, is the coward’s art of attacking mercilessly when you are strong, and keeping out of harm’s way when you are weak.”  says Sergius who has resigned his post though he has  won the battle (by accident). In addition to the theme of reality of war, the play presents the theme class prejudice as well. What does Nicola says to Louka? : “you don’t know the power such high people have over the like of you and me when we try to rise out of our poverty against them” (Act II) What The play ends with the marriage of Sergius  of the Upper Class and Louka of the poor class showing the fulfillment of the ambitions of the latter. In short, the play is a war between the real and the ideal and finally the real wins the battle.