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Dramatic Irony
Act 1
Explanation and Analysis—The Man's Physique:
In the following passage from Act 1, Shaw uses the stage directions to provide a description of Captain Bluntschli's appearance. This description provides a certain amount of insight not only into Bluntschli's objective physical appearance, but also into how Raina perceives him. Bluntschli's aesthetic attributes thus come under criticism, in particular through the use of simile:
He is a man of middling stature and undistinguished appearance, with strong neck and shoulders, a roundish, obstinate looking head covered with short crisp bronze curls, clear quick blue eyes and good brows and mouth, [and] a hopelessly prosaic nose like that of a strong-minded baby.
Related Themes:
