George Bernard Shaw's play, Arms and the Man, is set during the Serbo-Bulgarian War of 1885. The play takes place just after the Bulgarian victory in the Battle of Slivnitsa. The "man" of the title is Captain Bluntschli. He is a Swiss mercenary who has been fighting for the Serbs, while Raina is a Bulgarian. Thus in one sense, he is the "enemy" in terms of being a soldier in an army that is attacking Raina's country.
On another level, though, Captain Bluntschli is a Swiss citizen and Switzerland itself is neutral in the war. Captain Bluntschli, being a mercenary, is not really attached to either side in the conflict, but simply a neutral professional doing his job. After the Bulgarian victory, he is running away and trying to survive, and bears no personal enmity to Bulgaria or Raina. Thus although he is officially an enemy combatant, he is really not Raina's enemy on any other level, as will become clear as you read more of the play.
No comments:
Post a Comment