G. B. Shaw - The serenade
1. What was Colonel Green organizing that day?
Colonel Green celebrated his fortieth birthday by one of the amateur theatrical performances for which his house
was famous. The piece was written by Mr. Green, and it was a fairy play in three acts. The plot was turned upon the
possession of a magic horn by the hero, who was a young Persian prince.
2. Who were the guests invited to the performance?
The one of his guests was Linda Fitznightingale. She sat at the best seat in the auditorium. She was beautiful and she
also was fond of music. Another guest was Mr. Porcharlester of the 12th. He was a young man of some musical talent,
which enabled him to make the most of a somewhat effeminate baritone voice which he was weak enough to put
forward as a tenor.
3. What would you say about Linda’s interest in music?
She was fond of music. Her love for music was almost like fanaticism. She liked the serenades, except Shubert’s
serenade. I think that her interest is good and we should love the classic music too.
4. Was the performance a success?
The performance wasn’t success. It was spoilt because of problem with the man who had to play the horn. That man
had drunk and was not possible to play. Colonel Green was play instead of him but he did it too loudly. Drunk man
awaked and confronted of amazed guests.
5. Why did Green take horn blowing lessons?
Colonel Green took horn blowing lessons because of Linda Fitznightingale. She was fond of Shubert’s serenade and
Green was eager to play that serenade for her. He studied the art of horn-blowing for three months under the
direction of an adept.
6. What preparations did Green to do arrange his project of serenading Linda?
First of all, he took horn blowing lessons for three months. And he had learnt Shubert’s serenade. Then he bribed a
servant to admit him to the small pleasure ground that lay between Linda’s house and the roadway. At 9 o’clock in
late June’s evening he placed his horn to the travelling bag and went to that place.
7. Who did Green meet on his way to Linda’s house? Did it change his plans?
On his way to Linda’s house Green met Mr. Porcharlester. He was going to visit Linda at her home. They had a little
conversation and then they parted. Mr. Porcharlester’s appearance didn’t change Green’s plans and Colonel was just
waiting for Porcharlester to leave Linda.
8. Did Green have any audience while he was playing the serenade for Linda?
Green collected a crowd around himself by his playing.
9. What did Green receive after his performance of the serenade?
After the performance of the serenade Colonel Green received a letter from Linda. But the letter wasn’t addressed
to him. It was addressed to Mr. Porcharlester because Linda thought that the person who had played the serenade
was Mr. Porcharlester.
10. Why did Green hide Linda’s letter from Mr. Porcharlester?
Green didn’t show the letter Mr. Porcharlester because it was full of anger and pain. Linda thought that the serenade
was awful and Mr. Porcharlester was just laughing at her fancy for Shubert’s serenade. She also had written that she
wouldn’t have a pleasure of meeting him. Linda was mistaken. The man who played the serenade wasn’t Mr.
Porcharlester. Green hid the letter because this letter would only pain him uselessly.
11. Did Linda learn the truth about that night’s performance of the serenade? What feelings did she have towards
Mr. Porcharlester after that night?
Linda had never learnt the truth about that night’s performance of the serenade. If she knew it, she wouldn’t get
angry with Mr. Porcharlester. After that night Linda was angry with him and didn’t want to see him.
12. Why did Green keep it a secret that he was responsible for everything?
Green kept it a secret because he was love Linda, and if she learned the truth about that night’s incident, she maybe
wouldn’t marry with Green.
13. What kind of humor is it: humor of the language or humor of the situation? Find the situations to prove your
point of view.
Of course there is a humor of the situation in this story. What’s funny here is in the fact that Linda thought that
Green, who played the serenade, was Mr. Porcharlester, and she got angry with Mr. Porcharlester because of awful
performance. But in fact, Mr. Porcharlester did nothing to make Linda get angry with him. It was Green’s fault, but
Linda didn’t know it.
14. What’s your impression of the story?
I like that story, but I think that Colonel Green was wrong. He had to tell Linda the truth about his performance of
the serenade, because of his fault Linda got angry with Mr. Porcharlester with no reason.