64 pages 2 hours read

George Bernard Shaw

Pygmalion

Fiction | Play | Adult | Published in 1913

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.

During Reading

Reading Questions & Paired Texts

Reading Check and Short Answer Questions on key points are designed for guided reading assignments, in-class review, formative assessment, quizzes, and more.

ACT I

Reading Check

1. Why are there so many people gathered beneath the portico of St. Paul’s Church?

2. What is Colonel Pickering’s area of expertise?

3. Why is Higgins initially mistaken for a police officer?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. How does Higgins demonstrate his expertise as a linguist?

2. How does Higgins plan to pass the flower girl off as a duchess?

3. Why is the flower girl so troubled by Higgins’s note-taking?

Paired Resource

Regional Voices: An Introduction to Language Variation Across the UK” by Jonnie Robinson

  • This article from the British Library provides a readable introduction to the many dialects in use across the UK and includes an interactive map with samples of native UK speakers.
  • Connects to the theme of Language and Phonetics.
  • How can dialects and accents affect one’s cultural identity?

ACT II

Reading Check

1. Who is Mrs. Pearce?

2. Why does Eliza want Higgins to teach her how to talk like a lady?

3. How is Alfred Doolittle related to Eliza?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence.