Unit 4 Fateful meetings (Act One)

Warming up Please enjoy some pictures about Greek stories.

地神该亚

海神波塞冬 火神赫淮斯拉斯

太阳神阿波罗 农神得墨忒耳

天神宙斯 天后赫拉

维纳斯的诞生

Have you ever heard of the “Pygmalion Effect ”? 心理学家莫顿（Robert Merton）将此现象名之为“自我实现的预言”。这也就是在萧伯纳名剧《窈窕淑女》(My Fair Lady)中为人所熟知的“皮格马利翁效应”（Pygmalion effect）。

The Pygmalion Effect is that people tend to behave as you expect they will. If you expect a person to take responsibility, they probably will. If you expect them not to even try, they probably won’t.

This play by George Bernard Shaw (萧伯纳) is an adaptation of a Greek story. Do you know this story? Pygmalion, a gifted artist, makes a stone statue of a beautiful woman. He asks the Greek Goddess to bring her to life. His wish is granted.

The author-----George Bernard Shaw An Irish dramatist, literary critic, a socialist spokesman, and a leading figure in the 20th century theater. Immaturity Widowers' Houses Pygmalion Man and Superman (1902), Major Barbara (1905) His main works:

Pygmalion Pygmalion, a gifted artist, dislikes local women. He spends much time creating a stone statue of a beautiful woman.

He falls in love with the statue and goes to the Greek Goddess Aphrodite to ask her to to bring the statue to life.

As a result of his prayers, his wish is granted and the statue is made into a real woman. The two marry and live happily ever after.

What we expect tends to come true. Psychological term the Pygmalion Effect The Pygmalion Effect is that people tend to behave as you expect they will. If you expect a person to take responsibility, they probably will. If you expect them not to even try, they probably won’t. What we expect tends to come true.

This play “My fair lady” (窈窕淑女)by George Bernard Shaw (萧伯纳) is an adaptation改编 of this Greek myth(神话). Although there is no character called Pygmalion in the play, it is about the same theme 主题。

The play by Shaw has the same theme as the Greek story. the myth What is the theme of the play?

A brief introduction to Shaw George Bernard Shaw, Irish dramatist, literary critic, a socialist spokesman, and a leading figure in the 20th century theater. Shaw was a freethinker, defender of women’s rights, and advocate of equality of income. In 1925 he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature. Shaw accepted the honour but refused the money. He was a very humorous playwright. George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950)

Reading Pygmalion Act One Fateful meetings

Pre-reading My Fair Lady Have you seen the film? If you have, did you like it? Have a discussion and give reasons.

Main characters Eliza Doolittle(E): a poor flower girl who is ambitious to improve herself. Professor Higgins(H): an expert in phonetics, convinced that the quality of a person’s English decides his/her position in society. Colonel Pickering(P): an officer in the army and later a friend of Higgins’ who sets him a task.

Fateful meetings

Act One 主旨大意 1. This text is mainly about the first experience of Eliza meeting with ______. A. Professor Higgins B. Colonel Pickering C. Professor Higgins and Colonel Pickering D. a gentleman

2. Eliza greeted to the gentleman in order to _______. A. ask him to buy some flowers from her B. talk with him C. ask him to teach her D. beg some money from him

3. Why Eliza began to cry? Because _______. A. she thought Professor Higgins would arrest him B. the gentleman didn’t give her some money C. Pickering beat and scolded her D. there was no reason

4. Professor Higgins believed that he could judge a person by _______. A. his appearance B. his action C. his conversation D. his manners

A. he doesn’t care about money B. he is an expert in phonetics 推理判断 5. From the text , we can infer that Professor Higgins is a man described below EXCEPT _________. A. he doesn’t care about money B. he is an expert in phonetics C. he is proud D. he is greedy

Comprehending Character Position in society Evidence in the play Eliza Behaviour: respectful to people of higher class Lower class Language: calls gentleman “sir” and “cap’in” (or captain) which is a compliment

Character Position in society Evidence in the play Henry Higgins Behaviour: rude (and patronizing) to lower class; polite to same or upper class Middle class Language: calls Eliza “you silly girl” and Pickering “my dear man” (an equal and friend)

Upper class Character Position in society Evidence in the play Colonel Pickering Behaviour: generally confident and polite; but ignores Eliza Upper class Language: prepared to begin a conversation with Henry, whom he does not know; generous with praise to him

Relationships between characters Evidence from the play Henry Higgins: 1 respects his professional work as a phonetician; calls him sir and my dear man 1 Attitude to Colonel Pickering (H) 2 Attitude to Eliza (L) Is the statement true? 1 Yes; 2 watches her; notes her reactions; talks about her in front of her; calls her silly girl 2 Yes

Relationships between characters Evidence from the play Colonel Pickering: 1 appreciates his expertise; praises him; asks his opinion; happy to be friends 2 ignores her; does not stop Henry when he talks about Eliza in front of her (which is very rude) 1 Attitude to Henry Higgins (L) 2 Attitude to Eliza (L) Is the statement true? 1 Yes; 2 Yes

Relationships between characters Evidence from the play Eliza: 1 anxious; eager not to do the wrong thing; ambitious to improve herself; respectful and curious about Henry’s expertise 2 resents not being included in the conversation when talked about 1 Attitude to Henry Higgins (H) 2 Attitude to Colonel Pickering (H) Is the statement true? 1 Yes; 2 Unclear

impatient, rude, confident, superior, self-important kind, polite, generous, enthusiastic, eager, confident anxious, eager, emotional, ambitious, unsure

Homework: Preview grammar by finishing Exercise 1&2 on Page 32, all exercises on Page 33 and exercise of page 73 of using structures.