Unit 4 Pygmalion

Warming up Please enjoy some pictures about ancient stories.

Are you interested in Psychology Are you interested in Psychology? If yes, have you ever heard of 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.

Pygmalion, the play by George Bernard Shaw, is an adaptation of a Greek story.                                   According to the myth, Pygmalion created a female statue and treated it with such affection that, through Aphrodite's intervention, the statue came to life and responded to him. Such is the essence of the self-fulfilling prophecy: what we expect tends to come true.

His main works: The author-----George Bernard Shaw,who is an Irish dramatist, literary critic, and a leading figure in the 20th century theater. His main works: Immaturity Widowers' Houses Pygmalion Man and Superman John Bull's Other Island Major Barbara

In pairs either tell the story to your partner if you know it or work it out together using the pictures below.

1. Pygmalion, a gifted artist, makes a stone statue of a beautiful woman.

2. He asks the Greek Goodness to bring her to life.

3. His wish is granted.

Discussion Do you think that Pygmalion and his statue-wife will be happy together? What problems do you think they will have? How do you think they might solve them? Discuss these questions in groups.