Why is Shaw's ''Arms and the Man'' Called a Drama of Ideas?

In a drama of ideas the dramatic characters give expression to the thoughts and feeling of the author. The soul of the drama is conflict. In a drama of ideas there is the conflict of ideas which is made clear to us through dialogues and discussions. In such a drama there is practically no action. The characters preach to the audience the idea of the dramatist.

''Arms and the Man'' Called a Drama of Ideas:

"Arms and the Man" is a play of ideas. There is little action here. The characters are engaged in discussions. Shaw's Arms and the Man deals with two main ideas --- war and love. Men have romantic illusions and sentimental misconceptions about war and love. Shaw here exposes the follies and unrealities associated with war and love. His message is that war is no longer a thing of pomp and glory. Through different characters the dramatist shows that war is not an exciting game, but a stern reality of a terrible affair. Man praises the glory of war and the heroes of war. But Shaw says very strongly that this is a romantic lie

Baiba legon Bluntschli has got the true experience of war --- the experience of starvation and sufferings. It is through Bluntschli that Shaw exposes the deception of war. He discloses the romantic folly of Sergius's cavalry charge. Towards the end of the play Shaw expresses through the mouth of Sergius that war is "a fraud, a hollow sham".

Romantic love is the next thing which Shaw criticizes severely. Sergius speaks of higher love. But he falls in love with Louka, the maid-servant of the Petkoffs and at once Sergius's romantic love for Raina is shattered. The same thing happens to Raina when she meets Bluntschli. Reality prevails over romance and Raina is drawn toward Bluntschli. According to Shaw love is not romance but reality and should be taken in a realistic spirit.

"Arms and the Man" contains not merely Shaw's ideas on war and love. There is Nicola's idea of "the secret of success in service". Again, there are the peculiar ideas of the Petkoffs about culture and civilization. But the main ideas of the drama are the realistic views of love and marriage.