Pygmalion, << pihg MAY lee uhn >>, was a sculptor and king of Cyprus in Greek legend. Disgusted by the wicked women of his day, Pygmalion carved an ivory statue of a beautiful woman and then fell in love with it. In answer to his prayer, the goddess Aphrodite made the statue a living woman. Pygmalion married her, and they had a son named Paphos.
The legend of Pygmalion has attracted many writers. The ancient Roman poet Ovid retold the story in his collection of tales called Metamorphoses. The best-known modern version of the story appears in George Bernard Shaw’s play Pygmalion (1913). The play tells how an Englishman makes an elegant lady out of an ignorant girl by teaching her to act and speak correctly. The musical comedy My Fair Lady (1956) was based on Shaw’s play.
