Question- Justify the title of the Shaw's play "Arms and the Man".

Or
Comment on the appropriateness of the title 'Arms and the Man' 

Answer -

The title is taken from the opening lines of Dryden's translation of Virgil's Aeneid:

Arms and The Man I sing, who, forced by fate
And haughty's Juno's unrelenting hate.

Shaw also quotes the Latin as a motto"Arma Viramque Cano."  Commenting on this, Chesterton says, "The merely technical originality is indicated in the very title of the play. The Arma Viramque of Virgil is a mounting and ascending phrase, the man is more than his weapons. The Latin line suggests a superb procession which should bring on the state the brazen and resounding armour, the shield and shattering axe, but end with the hero himself, taller and more terrible because unarmed. The technical effect of Shaw's scheme is like the same sense, in which a crowd should carry even more gigantic sharps of shield and helmet, but when the horns and howls were at their highest, should end with the figure of Little Tich. The name itself is meant to be a bathos; "Arms and The Man."

The first line of the Aeneid no doubt suggests the title to Shaw, but he seems to pay an ironical complement to Virgil. He reverses the whole position in his play, to which he gives title "Arms and The Man." He is not concerned with the glorification of war; rather he strips it of all its romantic glamour. In chivalry of love and chivalry of war, Shaw shows it. The heroine of the play is Raina; and as the story develops Raina goes through a process of disillusionment. All her romantic ideals are shattered, and he sees what after all is, and how false and insincere higher love proves to be. Captain Bluntschli opens her eyes to the truth about the whole thing. In his own life which is certainly better because it is based on reality, as contrasted with that of Sergius, he shows the hollowness of the pomp and pageantry of war. Then again Sergius, with his tall and higher love, himself stands exposed bailed as he is by Captain Bluntschli. The aim of Shaw in writing the play is just the reverse to that of Virgil in writing his epic Aeneid.

Shaw, as Chesterton writes, decided to write a play being inspired by this line, not on pathos but on bathos. The keynote of the play is "The man is more than his weapons."

It is the main theme and the title justifies the theme; this idea and this gospel. Hence it is significant and suggestive. The man (i.e. the military officer is a fool and a weakling who puts a blind reliance on his weapons, may, he be adored for the time being for his accidental triumph at the battle. Sergius is such officer who in the beginning is adored by everyone for cavalry charge but in the end he is ridiculed and laughed at even by his deeply devoted fiance (beloved) Raina. He is thoroughly exposed by Bluntschi who is more than his weapons. Bluntschli condemened war and condemns Sergius's cavalry charge and calls him Don Quixote attacking the windmills. Raina who has been adoring Sergius as the war-hero is disillusioned and her romanticism is shattered. She begins to hate the show of arms and hollowness of war. She returns to realities of life. Later on Sergius's love affair with Louka at her back further changes her opinion of Sergius's chivalry. She now understands the worth of the man and worth of arms. In Sergius both are sham: both are unreal, unworth and worthless. But in Bluntschli she finds a real man.

Both the soldiers speak ill of war. Both condemn it. Bluntschli regards war as an art. According to him there is no true bravery or heroism in war. A battle is won by cleverness and not by bravery. In fact, what is known as heroism only foolhardiness. It is the duty of soldier to live as long as he can. No soldier wants to die and it is a fact. Bluntschli's wisdom makes a deep impression on Raina's mind. She begins to love him and hate Sergius. Sergius, the man of arms is defeated and an unarmed man Bluntschli triumphs. Thus the significance of the title "Arms and the Man."

Can't we solve our problems without the help of arms? Why not? is the reply of Shaw. Shaw condemns unnecessary wars when things can be solved round the table. Not only the dramatist condemns war but even the hero soldier condemns it. Mark the words of the war-hero Sergius :

"I am no longer a soldier. Soldering, 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."

War makes man brute and vulgar. Soldiers have no morals. The victory with the help of arms is accidental and carries immoral force. It has & romantic illusion about it. Bernard Shaw establishes all these three points in the play and shows the supermacy of a moral realist over a romantic soldier. Hence the title of the play is significant. The title can be interpreted in different ways.

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