Pygmalion

The plot of the play “Pygmalion” has been used many times in cinema and literature, where in effect the “ugly duckling” turns into a “beautiful swan.” An ordinary girl who works as a flower seller becomes, by force of circumstance, a participant in an experiment and the subject of a wager. In six months she is supposed to become a refined lady, a charming duchess. Two men take on the task, and her transformation depends on them…
But neither of them gave any thought to the future fate of the newly made duchess. The experimenters are curious about the process itself and what will come of it, not about the soul of a vulnerable and sensitive girl. Eliza changes not only outwardly but inwardly as well. She gradually becomes a true lady, in some ways outgrowing her experimenters.
The play is written with humor, its captivating plot is engrossing, and the expectation of the denouement keeps the reader in suspense to the very end. All the characters are presented very realistically, and their relationships are full of deep psychological insight. There is no room for excess in this classical work. It was this work that inspired directors to create numerous screen adaptations and interpretations. Yet the simplicity of the idea is expressed most brilliantly in the original.