The character of Bluntschli in Shaw's 'Arms and the Man".

Shaw as an iconoclast always breaks the conventional and so called traditional rule in the art of characterization for his plays. The play "Arms and the Man" is not exceptional. In the praise of his characterization, Edward Albert commented that, "after Shakespeare no English dramatist equals Shaw in the variety and vividness of characters".

       In our present concern, we can also see that how Shaw makes his character jolly, humorous, witty as well as with a good and real sense of love and war. The character of Bluntschli in this play does not romanticize or idealise love or war as most of the common people do. Shaw here very playfully and cunningly shows the two contradictory aspects of love and war through the two characters, the 1st one or the romantic view is presented by Sergius and the 2nd by Bluntschli. Here the 2nd character is acted as the mouthpiece of Shaw himself.

       Bluntschli is depicted as the leading character of the play and as an anti herowho has that charm to attract any beautiful ladies as we see in the case of Raina. He is also a soldier who is very much realistic about the war, he fought for money, not because of patriotism.Even when Raina gets offended at his speaking rudely of her would be, he cries out with a gesture of despair. He says, "It is no use dear lady: I cannot make you see it from a professional point of view."

         Bluntschli is not only the mouthpiece of Shaw, he is a typical Shavian hero who is neither a coward, nor a man of sensual indulgence. His conduct is instinctive and so he is noble and generous. Like heroes, he too may indulge in the pleasure of love and sex, but at the call of business he can rise above such weaknesses.

        Through the character of Bluntschli,  Shaw ridicules and satirises the romantic concept of love and war and exposes and clarifies the reality, the matter if fact to the audiences and to the readers.