Essay Sample on Myth: Then and Now

Introduction

Change is inevitable and happens as time moves. As information is passed from one generation to another, omission and commission errors are experienced, which results in the changes from the original content. Myths and stories also go through significant changes as narrators introduce new ideologies to the original content, initiating additions that lead to variations (Shaw & Lerner, 1969). Ancient Greek myths which were written in different centuries have gone through tremendous changes as they are retold or re-written by various authors, triggering the emergence of unique variations of one story. Pygmalion is an infamous Greek myth which has been retold or acted as a play on stage, with the original plot being distorted to accommodate different themes and ideologies affecting the society.

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The original Greek myth outlines a story of how Pygmalion, a character of fair looks and good physique, fell in love with a sculpture. The love was so strong that the sculpture later came to life, allowing Pygmalion to express his feelings and affection towards his object of desire (Solomon, 1964). The plot of the story narrates of how Pygmalion, a sculptor, made different carvings for sale. In one of his projects, Pygmalion carved a beautiful woman made of ivory whose looks and curves were visually appealing to the sculptor, triggering the feeling of love towards the object (Lerner,1956). The sculptor then lost interest in other women whom he had previously shown interest, as he focused his attention to the statue, and he fell in love (Shaw & Lerner, 1969). The plot of the Greek mythology is different from that of Bernard Shaw's play, Pygmalion, popularized as My Fair Lady, in which Eliza Doolittle, a naive girl, is civilized and trained to become a poised woman of class after her interactions with Professor Higgins. Eliza goes through a transformation as she starts by a change of clothing, to the extent that her father, Alfred Doolittle, fails to recognize her when he visits Mr. Higgins premises to ask for financial favors. Professor Higgins and Colonel Pickering make fun of Eliza due to her inability to express herself as a lady, but are shocked when they discover the young woman has a talent. Eliza's commitment and dedication can be compared to that of Pygmalion in the Greek myth. Eliza, though financially limited, was willing to attend Professor Higgins classes so that she could achieve the goal she wanted, while Pygmalion invested his time and resources to visit the Aphrodite god to pray for the sculptures transformation from a statue to a human being.

The setting of Ancient Greek mythology is different from that of Bernard Shaw's play. Shaw's play was released in the early 20th Century, while the Ancient Greek myth is believed to have been told in the 2nd Century AD (Solomon, 1964). The original version of Pygmalion had been retold across different generations, resulting to paraphrasing of acts of the legends in the myth. Pygmalion belief in Aphrodite as a supreme being reflected the religious status of the Greeks in the early days, a concept that is believed to be closely connected to their worship of sun and moon gods. Comparatively, Shaw's play has no mention of religion, an issue that was intentionally or unintentionally omitted to reflect the religious status of the people in the 20th Century (My Fair Lady film, 1964). The play focused on how a Professor of linguistics directly influenced the life of a young woman who had earlier been considered ugly and undeserving, to become a flower girl, and eventually attracted the attention of a potential suitor.

Characterization between Shaw's play and the Greek myth is evident. The former's main actor is Eliza Doolittle, an uncivilized woman who was transformed to become a flower girl, while the latter's is Pygmalion, a man who falls in love with an ivory sculpture (Lerner,1956; My Fair Lady, 1964). The character differences shifts attention on the gender role and equality. In Ancient Greek, the males were elevated than their female counterparts, justified by the attention given to Pygmalion whose manages to transform a sculptor to become his wife due to the strong love he felt towards her. Shaw's play shifts attention to the potential gifts and talents that women have if given a chance to learn and express themselves. This is justified by the change and improvements that Eliza goes through after Professor Higgins trains her. She later falls in love with Freddy. The Ancient Greek demonstrated how love could trigger the transformation of a dead situation and bring it to life, while the modern play showed how educating women, an ideology that had not been widely accepted, would help improve the quality of lives they lived both in the short-term and in the long-term.

The myth and play have different themes presented therein, making them have diverse versions of the same plot (Solomon, 1964). The Greek myth has the themes of love and commitment, religion, faith, and marriage, while the play has education, gender role, and marriage. The play and the myth have a good ending for both main characters, instilling hope for the viewers to have a positive attitude despite the challenges they have. For instance, Eliza, in Shaw's play, is underrated and assumed to be naive due to her lack of education (My Fair Lady film, 1964). The Professor and Colonel make fun of her as they believe that her illiteracy state is irreversible, but are proved wrong when Eliza understands the different content taught to her easily (Lerner,1956). She positions herself in the society as a person of integrity. Pygmalion's faith led him to kiss the ivory sculpture after he had offered a sacrifice to the gods to have her transformed to a woman.

Conclusion

In conclusion, changes take place as myths are retold as they are structured differently by various authors. Writers, composers, and scholars introduce new concepts to Greek myths with the aim of addressing social issues affecting the community. The Greek Pygmalion myth was structured into a unique play, The Fair Lady, by Bernard Shaw, representing the changes that had taken place between 2nd Century AD and 20th Century, the period between the two editions of the same narrative.

References

Lerner, A. J. (1956). Pygmalion" and" My Fair Lady. Bulletin (Shaw Society of America), 4-7.

My Fair Lady (film, 1964; based on 1913 play, Pygmalion, by George Bernard Shaw [https://www.library.yorku.ca/find/Record/3559167]

Shaw, G. B., & Lerner, A. J. (1969). Pygmalion, and, My Fair Lady. New American Library.

Solomon, S. J. (1964). The Ending of" Pygmalion": A Structural View. Educational Theatre Journal, 59-63.