Pygmalion is a play by George Bernard Shaw that tells the story of a Cockney flower girl named Eliza Doolittle and a linguistics professor named Henry Higgins. In Act 1, we are introduced to Eliza and the setting of the play, Covent Garden in London.
Eliza is a poor, uneducated young woman who works as a flower girl, selling flowers to the crowds in the market. She speaks with a thick Cockney accent and is constantly teased and ridiculed by the other characters for her poor speaking skills.
Henry Higgins is a linguistics professor who is fascinated by accents and dialects. He is also a bit of a snob and is highly critical of Eliza's speech.
The action of Act 1 takes place in Covent Garden, where Eliza is selling flowers. We see her interacting with the other characters and selling flowers to customers.
One of the customers is a wealthy and influential woman named Mrs. Higgins, who is Henry Higgins' mother. Mrs. Higgins is kind and compassionate towards Eliza, and she tries to encourage her to improve her speaking skills and to better herself.
The main conflict of Act 1 is introduced when Henry Higgins overhears Eliza speaking and becomes fascinated by her unique accent. He makes a bet with his friend, Colonel Pickering, that he can teach Eliza to speak with a proper English accent and pass her off as a lady in high society.
Eliza is initially resistant to the idea, but she eventually agrees to let Higgins teach her, hoping that it will help her to improve her social standing and financial situation.
Overall, Act 1 of Pygmalion introduces the main characters and sets up the central conflict of the play. We see the social class divide between Eliza and the other characters, and we see the beginnings of the relationship between Eliza and Henry Higgins. The stage is set for the transformation that Eliza will undergo in the coming acts, as she learns to speak with a proper accent and tries to navigate the world of high society.