Arms and the Man, by George Bernard Shaw, is a drama that revolves around the war between Serbs and Bulgarians. The story shows Bluntschili, a mercenary of the Serbs who is rescued by Raina, the protagonist. Raina, who belongs to the prominent Petkoff family, is also in love with Captain Sergio, who can secure a massive victory for the Serbs at Silivinitza. The rest of the play takes place in the Petkoff family home. Bluntschili returns to the house and returns a coat that belongs to Raina’s father. On it was Raina’s portrait and a written inscription: “For my chocolate cream soldier.” When Raina’s father demanded the coat, she was able to deftly dodge and remove the inscription.

The war is portrayed as a semi-comic prank by Shaw. Both the comic side and the tragic side of the war are represented with an authentic nuance. Raina’s room is invaded by Blutnschili, the Serbian mercenary. He is covered in mud and blood and escapes from the Bulgarians. Raina takes pity on him and protects him despite being Bulgarian. When the Bulgarian soldiers enter her room, she brilliantly hides it behind the curtain. Raina becomes a pacifist.

As a mercenary soldier, Bluntschili is comically portrayed. His revolver has no bullets and, like a school boy, he carries chocolates with it. When Raina gives him chocolate to eat, he goes to the extreme of emptying the box by rubbing it with his hands and finishing everything. Raina becomes affectionate with him and labels him: ‘My Chocolate Cream Soldier’. Bluntschili is a child archetype who cares the least about the seriousness of war. When his life is in danger, he takes cover in Raina’s room. Through Bluntschili we come to understand that war is a tragic comedy, anathema, a volcano that hurts people’s minds and bodies. Bluntschili cares less which side wins the war. He is not brave enough to defend himself and tries to save his own skin. Through Raina, we come to understand that even in battle enemies can be friends, a quality that is a basic human instinct to be existentially kind to one another. Raina is a prophet of nonviolence even though her romantic leanings converge with men at war and fearless, daring and brave.

Sergio, Raina’s future husband, is characterized as a brave soldier. He, by overriding the orders of his superiors, makes a daring cavalry charge and wins the battle for the Bulgarians at Silivinitza. Sergio is portrayed as a man with qualities of war. Raina and Catherine, her mother, rejoice at the Bulgarian victory and are proud that their future son-in-law and husband succeeds in thwarting their enemies. The serious aspect of war receives a space to reflect through this character.

The two contrasting personality types involved in the war show ambivalence in Shaw’s description. People, by their very nature, are peaceful and war is satirized as a comic adventure through the character of Bluntschili. On the other hand, War’s seriousness is vented through Sergio’s psyche. There is nothing to admire about war, except that it brings devastation to life and property. Shaw becomes an apostle of nonviolence and questions the integrity of nations to indulge in violence and cruelty.

Raina, the protagonist of the play, draws on Pushkin’s romantic fables and opera. She is full of romance and there is a contradiction in her character when, on the one hand, she regards war as a spectacle to defeat the enemy and fight bravely and, on the other hand, she has no qualms about trying to protect her own enemy. She is kind and merciful to her enemy. It does so at great risk to its reputation. She is an archetype of a compassionate other, a feminist who acts as a rebel against the counterculture. When he discovers that Sergio, his aspiring to win the war, he wonders if he would be more eligible. She idealizes Sergio as a romantic hero. The author of Raina has created a remarkable character that embodies the ideal of modern feminism. He also develops a romantic attraction towards Bluntschili, whom he refers to as “my chocolate cream soldier.” Later in the play we find out that she is going to marry Blutnchili.

Catherine, Raina’s mother, is portrayed as an aristocratic housewife with all the foundations of traditional motherhood. He has no opinion of his own and agrees with his daughter and father Petkoff. Catherine can be considered as an archetypal mother who manages the home and is proud that her son-in-law has won a brilliant victory. Feminists would say that her character is outdated and anti-feminist. Marxists would say that his character is a stereotype of the conscience of the bourgeoisie. He is a character submissive to masculine ideals, whims and fantasies.

Louka, the maid, is a staunch feminist. When he sees the gun in Raina’s room, he keeps it a secret. But then he reveals it to Sergio. When Sergio tries to flirt with her, she vehemently protests. She has her own independent opinions. Class consciousness works your mind up to trauma and feels that it belongs to the worthy and aristocratic. In Marxist terms: the idea of ​​aristocracy and class consciousness has to be deconstructed as a pathological symptom.