SUMMARY ACT 1

The play begins at night in a lady’s bedroom in a small Bulgarian town in 1885, during the Serbo-Bulgarian war. The room is adorned with a tasteless decor that reflects the mistress, Catherine Petkoff’s, desire to appear cultured and Viennese. However, the furniture in the room is a mix of cheap Viennese pieces and remnants from the Turkish Ottoman Empire, symbolizing the region’s history of Turkish occupation.

On the balcony, Raina Petkoff, a young woman who is acutely aware of her own youth and beauty, stands gazing at the romantic beauty of the night. Inside the room, a box of chocolate creams is conspicuously displayed, which will later play a significant role in this act and serve as a symbol of the war that Shaw intends to satirize.

Catherine Petkoff, Raina’s mother, is a woman who could easily pass for a farmer’s wife but is determined to adopt the manners of a Viennese lady. At the beginning of the play, Catherine is excited about the news that the Bulgarian forces have achieved a splendid victory at Slivnitza against the Serbians. The ‘hero of the hour’ and Raina’s fiancé, Sergius Saranoff, led the Bulgarian forces to victory and has become the idol of his regiment. Catherine describes how Sergius fearlessly led a cavalry charge, scattering the Serbs in all directions.

Raina wonders if a hero as popular as Sergius will continue to care for her, considering her comparatively small affections. Nevertheless, she is delighted by the news. Raina ponders whether heroes like Sergius embrace such noble ideals because of their exposure to the works of Byron and Pushkin. However, she is aware that real life is often different from the romanticized versions depicted in literature.

Louka, a proud and attractive peasant girl, interrupts Raina and Catherine to announce that the Serbs have been defeated and are scattered throughout the town. She warns them to secure the doors due to the possibility of fighting and shooting in the streets. Raina expresses annoyance that the fugitives might be killed, but Louka corrects her, explaining that in war, anyone can be killed. Catherine goes downstairs to secure the doors, while Louka shows Raina how to fasten the shutters. Louka then leaves to help secure the rest of the house.

Alone in the room, Raina takes her fiancé's picture and reveres it, referring to him as her ‘soul’s hero’. As she prepares for bed, she suddenly hears distant gunshots, followed by closer shots. Raina hastily extinguishes the candles and jumps back into bed. She hears someone tampering with the shutters from outside and sees a glimmer of light. A man in a Serbian officer’s uniform, covered in mud and blood, enters the room. He warns Raina not to attempt to escape and instructs her to light a candle. She sees that he is armed and learns that he will shoot her if necessary to avoid capture, as he has no intention of dying.

Amidst the disturbance outside, the Serbian officer snatches Raina’s cloak, preventing her from using it to cover herself. He keeps it, realizing that a group of officers searching her room while she is dressed only in a sheer nightgown would be inappropriate. Louka is heard at the door, mentioning a search party downstairs that will break down the door if Raina doesn’t let them in. The Serbian officer loses his courage, believing he is doomed. He plans to shoot the first person who enters and warns Raina that it won’t be pleasant. Raina impulsively decides to hide him behind the curtains.

Catherine, Louka, and a Russian officer dressed in a Bulgarian uniform enter the room. They inspect the balcony and, after Raina assures them that no one entered, they leave. Louka, however, notices something behind the curtain and sees the revolver on the ottoman but chooses not to reveal it. Raina slams and locks the door after their departure.

The Serbian officer reveals that he is not actually a Serbian officer but a professional soldier from Switzerland. He expresses regret for joining the Serbs instead of the Bulgarians. He asks Raina if he can stay for a moment to gather his thoughts, and she agrees, sitting down on the ottoman. To her surprise, she sits on the soldier’s pistol and screams. She realizes that Louka had noticed it earlier, but the others didn’t pay attention. However, the soldier reassures her that the gun is not loaded and that he keeps chocolates in his cartridge holder instead of bullets. Raina fetches a half-eaten box of chocolates and the soldier happily consumes them.

The soldier further offends Raina by criticizing the foolishness and lack of professionalism in the recent cavalry charge against the Serbs at Slivnitza. He explains that the Bulgarian leader acted like an operatic tenor, charging recklessly and becoming the laughingstock of everyone present. Only a mistake on the Serbs’ part saved the Bulgarians from being massacred. Raina shows the soldier a portrait of her fiancé, Sergius, who the soldier agrees was the man charging the windmills, believing he was doing something heroic.

Angry at the soldier’s derogatory remarks about Sergius, Raina orders him to leave. However, the soldier refuses, claiming to be too exhausted to descend from the balcony. He suggests that she raise the alarm instead, indicating his defeat. Raina tries to encourage him, but realizes he is more cautious than brave. She struggles to decide what to do with him, as he cannot be caught in the Petkoff house, the wealthiest house in Bulgaria, which has a library and an inside staircase.

Raina remembers an opera by Verdi called Ernani, in which a fugitive seeks refuge with aristocrats who offer hospitality as a sacred and inviolable duty. She considers this as a potential solution. The soldier reveals that his father owns six hotels in Switzerland and emphasizes the importance of hospitality. He then falls asleep and kisses Raina’s hand, causing her to panic. She attempts to fetch her mother, but by the time they return, the soldier has crawled into Raina’s bed and is in a deep sleep. Unable to wake him, Raina tells her mother to let him sleep, as he is exhausted. Catherine reproaches Raina sternly, and the curtain falls, ending the first act.

SUMMARY ACT 2

Four months have passed since the first act, and the scene is now Major Petkoff’s garden. Louka, in a disrespectful manner, is seen smoking a cigarette and talking to Nicola, a middle-aged servant who takes pride in his role as a servant. It is revealed that Nicola and Louka are engaged, but Nicola has reservations about Louka’s behavior. He refuses to marry someone who shows disrespect to superiors, as he plans to open a shop in Sofia and believes its success depends on maintaining good relationships with employees. He explains that if employees spread negative rumors about him, his shop will suffer. Louka argues that she knows secrets about the mistress and master, but Nicola reminds her that all servants know such things and that keeping them secret and being discreet is essential for being a good servant. If servants start revealing secrets, they will lose future employment opportunities. Louka becomes angry and accuses Nicola of having the mentality of a servant. Nicola agrees, stating that this mentality is the key to success in service.

Their conversation is interrupted when Major Petkoff enters the garden. He is described as an insignificant and unrefined man who has just returned from the war. He sends Louka inside to fetch his wife and bring him some coffee. Catherine, Major Petkoff’s wife, comes out and greets her husband. He informs her that the war is over, the peace treaty has been signed, and everything is now peaceful. When he asks about her health, she mentions having a sore throat. The Major attributes her sore throat to washing her neck every day, expressing his disbelief in modern notions of cleanliness. He argues that excessive washing is not natural or beneficial to health. He shares an anecdote about an Englishman in Philippopolis who used to douse himself with cold water every morning, claiming that the English climate is so dirty that they have to wash excessively. In contrast, he mentions that his father lived to the age of ninety-eight without ever taking a bath in his entire life.

While Catherine explains to her husband about the installation of an electric bell in the library, Major Petkoff expresses confusion over its purpose. He believes that if he wants someone, he can simply shout for them. Just then, Major Sergius Saranoff arrives. He is described as a tall and handsome man, the same person depicted in Raina’s portrait from the first act. Sergius is warmly congratulated for his famous charge against the Serbs. However, he doesn’t appreciate the praise because his success was achieved through a maneuver that contradicted the rules of military strategy, as the Russian consultants failed while he prevailed. Two Cossack colonels had their regiments defeated using the correct principles of warfare, and two major-generals were killed according to military etiquette. As a result, the two failing colonels were promoted to generals, while Sergius, who succeeded, remains a major. Feeling discontented, he has decided to resign.

Catherine protests against Sergius’s resignation, reminding him that the women are in his favor. Just as she speaks, Sergius inquires about Raina’s whereabouts. At that very moment, Raina enters dramatically, announcing her presence. Sergius gallantly drops to one knee to kiss her hand. While Major Petkoff is impressed by Raina’s impeccable timing, Catherine is annoyed because she knows that Raina often listens at doorways to make her entrance at the perfect moment. Catherine condemns it as an ‘abominable habit.’

Raina greets her father and they continue discussing Sergius’ military career. Sergius now holds a cynical view of war, seeing no heroism or romance in it. He considers soldiering to be a cowardly art of mercilessly attacking when you’re strong and avoiding danger when you’re weak. He criticizes the taint of trade business in soldiering, despising trade itself. This alludes to Captain Bluntschli, who is involved in trade, and also references Nicola, Louka’s fiancé, who plans to enter trade. Sergius uses the example of a Swiss officer who cleverly bargained over prisoners, reducing soldiering to a matter of trade and bartering. He mocks the officer as a ‘commercial traveler in uniform.’

Major Petkoff encourages Sergius to tell the story of the Swiss officer who climbed into a Bulgarian lady’s bedroom to escape capture. Raina, realizing it’s her own story, pretends to be offended. To give Catherine a chance to talk to her husband alone, she asks Sergius to assist with army details, and Catherine instructs him to stay with Raina. Left alone, Raina looks at Sergius with admiration and adoration, seeing him as her heroic knight guided by their love. She believes they have found the perfect ‘higher love.’ Louka’s arrival prompts Raina to leave and retrieve her hat for a walk, wanting to be alone with Sergius. In Louka’s presence, Sergius acts somewhat boastful and asks if she knows what ‘higher love’ is. He jokingly finds it tiresome to maintain, needing relief from it. He then embraces Louka, who warns him to be careful and suggests they step back where they won’t be seen. Louka subtly hints at Raina’s potential spying, leading to a discussion about Raina’s duplicity. Sergius tries to reprimand Louka for gossiping about her mistress, but she points out that Raina engages in similar behavior. Sergius defends Raina and their ‘higher love,’ while Louka maintains that she will never understand the ways of the upper class. Tensions rise, and Sergius grips Louka’s arm tightly, bruising it. Louka retaliates by accusing Sergius of being a liar and declaring her worth to be greater than Raina’s. As Louka leaves, Sergius attempts to apologize, but Louka demands more than an apology. She wants Sergius to kiss her bruised arm. Surprised, Sergius refuses, and Louka confidently exits, while Raina enters dressed in the latest fashion from Vienna, though it’s from the previous year. Catherine calls down, informing them that Major Petkoff needs Sergius for a business matter.

When Sergius is gone, Catherine enters, and she and Raina express annoyance that ‘that Swiss’ told the entire story of his night in Raina’s bedroom. Raina remarks that if she had him there, she would ‘stuff him with chocolate creams.’ Catherine fears that if Sergius discovers the truth, their engagement may be broken off. Suddenly, Raina reveals that she wouldn’t mind and confesses her desire to shock Sergius with something dreadful, to ‘scandalize the five senses out of him.’ She half-hopes he discovers the truth about her encounter with the ‘chocolate cream soldier.’ She leaves her mother in a state of shock.

Louka enters and informs them that a Serbian soldier named Captain Bluntschli is at the door, asking for the lady of the house. Catherine realizes he is the ‘chocolate cream soldier’ and that he has returned the old coat they gave him before. Catherine instructs Louka to ensure the library door is shut, and then to bring in the captain and have Nicola bring his bag. Louka returns with Captain Bluntschli, and Catherine anxiously explains that her husband and future son-in-law are present, and the captain must leave immediately. Reluctantly, Captain Bluntschli agrees, but he wants to retrieve his coat from the bag. Catherine insists he leaves it, promising to send the bag to him later. As the captain writes down his address, Major Petkoff enters and warmly greets him. Major Petkoff mentions they desperately need help with troop and horse transportation to Philippopolis. Captain Bluntschli quickly identifies the problem and as they are about to enter the library to discuss the details, Raina enters and accidentally bumps into the captain, exclaiming loudly, ‘Oh! the chocolate cream soldier.’ She quickly composes herself and explains she was making a dessert with a chocolate cream soldier decoration, and Nicola accidentally stacked plates on it. Nicola brings in the captain’s bag, claiming Catherine instructed him to do so. Catherine denies it, causing confusion. Major Petkoff reprimands Nicola, who drops the bag, nearly hitting the Major’s foot. As the women try to calm Major Petkoff, he urges Captain Bluntschli to stay as their guest until he must return to Switzerland. Despite Catherine’s subtle hints for the captain to leave, he agrees to stay.

SUMMARY ACT 3

The scene shifts to the Petkoffs’ library, which Shaw portrays as a poor excuse for a library. It is a single room with a worn-out paper-covered shelf of novels, resembling more of a sitting room. There is an ottoman similar to the one in Raina’s room in the first act, as well as an old kitchen table serving as a writing desk. At the beginning of the act, Bluntschli is busy working on military orders for the Bulgarian army with efficient and businesslike manner. Major Petkoff, on the other hand, constantly interrupts, eager to assist. Eventually, Catherine tells him to stop interrupting. Petkoff complains about not being able to find his favorite old coat, which he believes would make him comfortable. Catherine rings for Nicola, instructing him to retrieve the coat from the blue closet. Petkoff is so convinced that it’s not there that he is willing to bet an expensive piece of jewelry on it. Sergius is about to join the bet, but Nicola returns with the coat, leaving Petkoff astonished and perplexed that it was indeed hanging in the blue closet.

Bluntschli finishes his last order, hands it to Sergius to deliver to his soldiers, and asks Petkoff to accompany him to ensure Sergius doesn’t make any mistakes. Petkoff requests Catherine to join them, as she is skilled at giving commands. Left alone with Raina, Bluntschli expresses his surprise at an army where officers need their wives to maintain discipline.

Raina engages in a conversation with Captain Bluntschli, commenting on his improved appearance now that he is clean. She mentions that the story of their encounter in her bedroom has been circulated, but without revealing their identities. Raina believes that if Sergius knew the truth, he would challenge Bluntschli to a duel. Bluntschli hopes that Raina will keep their secret, but she expresses her desire to be honest with Sergius. Raina admits to having told lies to the soldiers searching her room and about the chocolate pudding, feeling guilty about it. Bluntschli finds it difficult to take her seriously, stating that he admires her dramatic gestures and thrilling voice but doubts the truthfulness of her words. Raina is initially offended but then amused that Bluntschli has seen through her long-standing disguise.

Raina asks Bluntschli about his opinion of her giving him a portrait, but he reveals that he never received it because he never checked the coat’s pocket where she placed it. Raina inscribed it with ‘To my Chocolate Cream Soldier.’ Bluntschli confesses that he pawned the coat, thinking it was the safest place for it. Raina is furious, accusing him of having a ‘shopkeeping mind.’ Their conversation is interrupted by Louka, who brings letters and telegrams to Bluntschli, informing him of his father’s death and his inheritance of several hotels. He must leave immediately. Concerned, Raina follows him out.

Nicola enters and notices Louka with her rolled-up sleeve, revealing her bruised arm. He reprimands her, and they argue about the responsibilities of being a servant. Louka refuses to behave like a servant, and Nicola suggests breaking off their engagement if she can improve her circumstances. He mentions that he would have another customer for his shop, which would be good for business. When Sergius enters, Nicola leaves. Sergius notices the bruise on Louka’s arm and jokingly asks if he can cure it by kissing it. Louka reminds him of their respective positions and questions if Sergius has true courage. She wonders if he would have the courage to marry someone he loved, even if they were socially beneath him. Sergius argues against her until Louka reveals that Raina will not marry him and intends to marry the Swiss soldier. Sergius grabs her firmly, threatening her and questioning the truth of her accusation. Louka ponders if anyone would believe that she is now in his arms. Sergius releases her, warning that the next time he touches her will be as her fiancé.

Sergius confronts Captain Bluntschli about their impending duel, suggesting that they fight on horseback with sabres. Bluntschli initially jokes about using a machine gun but eventually agrees to the sabre duel, refusing the horseback element due to safety concerns. Raina enters and overhears their conversation, learning about the duel. Bluntschli assures her that he will ensure no harm comes to either of them and plans to leave for Switzerland afterward. Sergius accuses Bluntschli of receiving favors from Raina during their encounter in her bedroom, but Bluntschli clarifies that Raina only complied under duress. Raina reveals that she saw Sergius and Louka in an embrace, leading to the dissolution of their engagement. Sergius cancels the duel, much to Bluntschli’s relief.

Raina accuses Sergius of having Louka spy on them and rewarding her with affection. The argument continues until Raina fetches Louka, who had been eavesdropping. Louka admits her feelings for Sergius, asserting that her love for him surpasses Raina’s for Bluntschli. Major Petkoff enters, and Raina removes the inscribed portrait of her with the chocolate cream soldier from his coat pocket. Confusion ensues as Petkoff questions Sergius about being the chocolate cream soldier, but Bluntschli reveals that he is the soldier in question and that Raina saved his life. The revelation shocks Petkoff, and Raina points out Louka as the true object of Sergius’ affections, despite her engagement to Nicola.

Louka demands an apology, and Sergius kisses her hand, inadvertently becoming engaged to her. Catherine arrives and is astonished to find Sergius with Louka. Louka explains that Raina is in love with Bluntschli, and Bluntschli clarifies that his return was not for the coat but to catch one more glimpse of Raina. Raina corrects Bluntschli, revealing her true age and expressing her fondness for him. Bluntschli asks for permission to court Raina, and despite Sergius’ prestigious family background, Bluntschli lists his own impressive possessions. It is agreed that Bluntschli will marry Raina, and he leaves with the promise of returning in two weeks. Sergius marvels at Bluntschli’s qualities as a man.

IMPORTANT QUESTIONS

1. What is the significance of the title ‘Arms and the Man’ in the play?
2. How does the play explore the themes of war and the nature of heroism?
3. What is the role of weaponry and military strategy in ‘Arms and the Man’?
4. How does the character of Captain Bluntschli challenge traditional notions of bravery and heroism?
5. In what ways does the play satirize the romanticized ideals of war and love?
6. How does the conflict between Sergius and Bluntschli represent contrasting attitudes towards warfare?
7. What commentary does the play offer on the relationship between social status and military prowess?
8. Discuss the symbolism and significance of the chocolate creams throughout the play.
9. How does Raina’s character evolve and challenge societal expectations throughout the course of the play?
10. What does Shaw convey about the nature of relationships and love in ‘Arms and the Man’?
11. How does Raina Petkoff’s character embody the contrast between romantic ideals and the realities of war?
12. Discuss the transformation of Captain Bluntschli’s character from a pragmatic soldier to a romantic suitor.
13. Analyze the motivations and conflicts of Major Sergius Saranoff, particularly in relation to his perception of heroism and his romantic pursuits.
14. Explore Catherine Petkoff’s character as a representation of social aspirations and the desire for cultural refinement.
15. In what ways does Louka challenge societal expectations and class boundaries, and how does her character contribute to the social dynamics of the play?
16. Discuss the role of Nicola as a servant and his perspective on loyalty, duty, and ambition.
17. Analyze the relationship between Raina and Sergius, examining the dynamics of their engagement and their contrasting ideals.
18. How does the character of Major Petkoff embody the contradictions and absurdities of the upper-class society?
19. Discuss the significance of the portrait of Raina and its symbolic representation of idealized love and heroism.
20. How do the interactions and conflicts between the characters reflect Shaw’s commentary on gender roles and societal expectations in ‘Arms and the Man’?