Pygmalion Lesson Plan

Shaw’s Pygmalion is inspired by an Ancient Greco-Roman myth of the same name, a story of a sculptor who has rejected all women as unworthy of his affections and turns to his art to craft the ultimate female specimen. As his work becomes increasingly beautiful and complete, Pygmalion finds himself falling in love with the statue. He gropes it, dresses it, even lies in bed with it. After he makes a particularly generous offering to Aphrodite/Venus, the goddess of love takes notice of Pygmalion’s great work. In some accounts, the sculpture resembles the goddess; this, along with Pygmalion’s clearly great love inspires Aphrodite’s sympathy and she brings the ivory to life. The statue becomes...