The tone of Pygmalion is both humorous and critical. The play’s characters are, at times, ridiculous, and their mistakes and overcompensations create a sense of humor in their wake. However, the humor often serves a particular purpose, which complicates the humor’s easy brightness. The moments of humor often accentuate the differences between the characters in order to comment on power and class.
The characters are generally quite sincere, and while the humor comes at their expense, it doesn’t ultimately blame them for their mistakes. The best example of this comes in Act 3, at the end of a dinner party. Eliza’s ability to pass as a wealthy woman has been put to the test. As she makes her exit, a new suitor—Freddy—asks whether she’ll be walking home. The implication of his question is that he might walk with her. However, Eliza's response misses his point and causes sensation and hilarity in its wake. She says:
Walk! Not bloody likely.
In this scene, Eliza’s use of profanity is funny on its surface because of how obviously inappropriate it is. But ultimately it is a reflection of her inability to judge the situation properly. She is still slightly out of her element. Most of Pygmalion’s tone relies on how the characters speak to each other, in moments like Eliza’s comment. Her mistake clarifies how, in this setting, characters' interactions are predicated on their upbringing, and the imbalance of power becomes difficult to ignore. It is only through the balance of a humorous and critical tone that Pygmalion showcases the complexity and ultimate emptiness of class privilege.
