Introduction
Placing the play set in the world war era and basing the description on clothing and costume, Bluntschli is wearing a brown steel helmet that resembles a bowl and a military attire (soldier trousers and coats). The trousers and coat are both beige in color. In addition, he is wearing war boots and carrying balls instead of grenades.
Raina on the other hand is wearing a balloon-like Elizabethan dress that is cherry in color. Her hair is blond, long and immaculately groomed. On her feet she is wearing white doll shoes to match her cherry dress and red hair ribbon.
Sergius is dressed in a full military combat attire, including a green steel helmet. This helmet is slightly different and more refined compared to Bluntschli’s to show their difference in rank, affiliation and honor. In his hand, he is carrying a rifle and a shotgun strapped firmly on his waist.
Main Body
The thematic concern of the play in both Shaw’s and Raffo’s perspective is to disapprove the mass mentality that war is a heroic and noble act. In their view, they foreground the idea that war should be perceived according to its effects on the minds and hearts of the victims and survivors.
Bluntschli embodies the ideology that war is neither a heroic nor a noble act. From his costume descriptions above, Bluntschli is carrying balls in place of grenades to symbolize his distaste in war. This concurs with his speech in the play where he blatantly declares his disapproval and spite of the relevance of war.
Raina’s expensive attire explains her social standings. Her costume which is a cherry colored dress, her blond, long and immaculately groomed hair, the white doll shoes, all depict a picture of an heiress groomed to be married off to a war legend, typical of noble ladies of that period.
Contrary to Bluntschli’s costume, Sergius’s full military combat attire is more distinct and consummate. In the description of his costume above, he is carrying a rifle and a shotgun both of which are symbols of his reverence in war. He is the personification of the concept that both playwrights intend to challenge. He carries on the idea that war is of noble course, a concept that is defeated when he does not win Raina in the end but loses to Bluntschli.
Conclusion
These costumes descriptions explain the effect costumes bring to the story or a play. They typically show that costumes communicate the intended message if properly designed and dressed appropriately to the characters. In this play, costumes have played a major role in defining war perspectives by different war veterans.