heroic act However Bluntschli shatters this illusion He reveals the silliness of the charge Sergius led a cavalry charge against heavy machine guns This charge was foolish and only succeeded because the enemy had the wrong ammunition Again Bluntschli shatters the romantic ideals of patriotism and heroism He reveals that he is just a professional soldier He joins Serbia because it comes first on the way from his home He says I am a Swiss fighting merely as a professional soldier Shaw uses Bluntschli to show that war is not a noble act of bravery It is more important to stay alive Bluntschli says to Raina It is our duty to live as long as we can Soldiers are not necessarily heroic Bluntschli reveals Nine soldiers out of ten are born fools Satirizing Heroism At the beginning Sergius seems to display the romantic ideal of a hero However gradually he is revealed as a ridiculous figure Shaw mocks the idea of heroism in war through Sergius s remark Soldiering is the coward's art of attacking mercilessly In this line Sergius admits the reality of war soldiers fight when they have the advantage They avoid conflict when they are weak Shaw exposes the hypocrisy and futility of war He shows that it is not about courage but strategy and survival Satirizing Love and Marriage In the beginning Raina and Sergius represent the ideal of romantic love Raina believes she is deeply in love with Sergius She calls him her soul s hero Both act as if their love is perfect Sergius also plays the role of the noble lover He refers to Raina as his queen Raina declares I think we two have found the higher love However their love is based on unrealistic ideals rather than genuine feelings As the play develops it becomes clear that Raina and Sergius are pretending Raina gradually develops a relationship with Bluntschli She becomes attracted to his personality and practicality On the other hand Sergius becomes enchanted by Louka s beauty Real Love in the Play Bluntschli offers a different view of love Romantic ideals could not influence him He values honesty and simplicity In contrast to Sergius Bluntschli s interactions with Raina are genuine and realistic By the end of the play Raina realizes that she feels more comfortable with Bluntschli who loves her for who she is In conclusion Shaw uses satire to expose the foolishness of romantic ideas about love marriage and war Through characters like Raina Sergius and Bluntschli he contrasts unrealistic ideals with the practical realities of life