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Writings of brecht on epic theater
Assess the contribution of brecht in european drama
Writings of brecht on epic theater
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Bertolt Brecht’s epic play Mother Courage and her Children has a didactic aesthetic that is achieved through withholding of catharsis. Whilst Mother Courage could be classed as a tragedy due to the suffering and loss of its characters, Brecht’s focus on society and his use of techniques common in ‘epic theatre’ (such as music) result in the play being epic rather than tragic (Curran 2001, 172). The focus on society in Mother Courage is seen through Brecht’s exploration of the theme of war, which is a mimetic response to the socio-political context of the time. Marxist influence is also apparent in Brecht’s belief that art and society are mutually exclusive and through the continual criticism of capitalism and Aristotelian aesthetics. Furthermore, …show more content…
The use of setting presents Brecht’s critique of capitalism, which was inspired by his Marxist studies. Marxist ideals were “inherent in [Brecht’s] concept of theatre,” (Wright 1989, 24), which is seen through the theme of war and consequent critique of capitalism. The war provides a cultural climate for the character of Mother Courage as Brecht shows Mother Courage to experience a great loss due to her “economic dependence on the war” (Curran 2001, 172). Her loss is the deaths of her three children: Swiss Cheese, Katrin and Eilif. At the beginning of the text Mother Courage is scathing of the war, “[l]et your men drink before they die!” (Brecht, 4) and she does not want her children involved, “[a] soldier’s life is not for sons of mine” (Brecht, 7). However by the end of the text she is financially dependent on the war and dreads it ending, “I have nothing but losses from your victory!” (Brecht 46). Brecht states that Mother Courage is “unable to protect her children against fate” (Brecht 1995, 323). The notion of Mother Courage’s suffering as fate differs to that of Aristotle’s. Whereby Aristotle stated that the tragic hero was a victim of fate as a result of …show more content…
Mother Courage’s economic dependence on the war is the cause of her pathos, and is a result of her socio-political context rather than individual hamartia. Catharsis is withheld because there is no purgation. This is further developed through lack of anagnoresis. Neither Mother Courage nor the society she lives in has a recognition of their errors therefore the audience is unable to feel cleansed. Instead of artificially purging and cleansing the cause for suffering through catharsis, Brecht desires for his audience to leave the theatre wanting to purge and cleanse society themselves. This socio-political action outside of the theatrical world is the key idea behind Brecht’s didactic aesthetic. This is supported by use of the alienation effect, which ‘alienates’ the audience and actors from the play as means for critical thought. The spectator’s are able to objectively view the critiques of society and politics within Mother Courage without cathartic engagement. Brecht withheld catharsis throughout the text in a multitude of ways as means to achieve his didactic aesthetic, which yearned for socio-political change in a world that places more value on profit than human
Revolutionary Mothers: Women in the Struggle for America’s Independence. By Carol Berkin (New York: Vintage Books, 2006). 194 pp. Reviewed by Melissa Velazquez, October 12, 2015.
...subject as the locus of dignity it provides a strong, albeit negative, force against encroachment of modernity. With the ironic stance, the subject refuses to buy in uncritically to the illusory stability of modernity. When unspeakable things happen, the sting is still faced severely, but it is not exacerbated by the feeling of betrayal of the false promise of modernity. Whether close to nature, or in the midst of civilization, to make sense of the inherent chaos one does not resort to a pretend order and instead engages with things as they are. The subject remains protected even as all else may fall apart.
The triviality of melodrama is so often the theatrical scapegoat that boils the blood of the modern-day critic: the sentimental monologues, the martyred young lovers, the triumphant hero, and the self-indulgent imagery. Melodrama would seem the ultimate taboo; another failed Shakespearean staging or even worse, an opera minus the pretty music. Ironically, Bertolt Brecht, dramatic revolutionary and cynic of all things contrived found promise in the melodramatic presentation. Brecht examined and manipulated the various superficial and spectacular aspects of theatre, establishing a synthesis of entertainment and social criticism as his fundamental goal. Bertolt Brecht employs various facets of melodramatic technique in The Jewish Wife, ultimately reconfiguring the genre and conveying his central theme; a society rendered immobile at the will of a totalitarian regime.
Brecht argues that the ultimate purpose of play is to induce pleasure and to entertain, and that--because of this purpose--play needs no justification. Plays should not be simply copied from or seen through older performances, but need to develop on their own to better relate to a new audience. Through the use of alienation which aims to make the familiar unfamiliar, play and theatre can be seen under a new perspective, and the actor can feel more free to perform under a new guise.
The Brechtian style of performance is a style of theater in which the audience is balanced between two modes of viewership. On the one hand the Brechtian style requires that the audience watch the show engaged emotionally, but not in the classic Aristotelian cathartic way. On the other hand it requires that the audience stay critically active in dealing with the performance, thus, achieving an alienated political and educational response among the members of the audience. Naturally this style of theater produces a conflict of interests in the direction of a show. Should the performance focus on garnering political influence and sway, or should the production be emotionally compelling and relatable, or perhaps a combination of both? In order
The tragic vision of Hamlet, written by William Shakespeare, is one of his most notable plays of all time. The play focuses on the protagonist, Hamlet, who experiences a mixture of emotions after the death of his father, King Hamlet, and the remarriage of his mother, Gertrude. Throughout the play, the unconscious retains the unpleasant emotions in Hamlet’s mind, playing as a role of defence against the internal conflicts. Neglecting emotional aspects in various situations, Hamlet analyzes the pain and rationalizes unpleasant feelings. He sublimates or redirects an unacceptable desire into an alternative action. Often questioning his beliefs, he hesitates and creates various meaningless acts. Conflicts also rise with his obsessions for his mother. His constant questioning of his mother’s sexuality is driven the conditions of Oedipus complex. The protagonist, Hamlet, is an important character in the play as he displays numerous psychological conditions, thus can be analyzed and render a more thorough interpretation of the play.
Beatrice's refusal to be controlled by men and Hero's subservience carries echoes of modern-day feminism. Comparing this novel to a contemporary society, women have made a substantial amount of progress in terms of gender roles. It is women like Beatrice, and the many others that choose to defy the expectations that are placed upon us by society, that help us progress to a more utopian civilization. This novel can be read by future generations to reflect back on how much we have changed and how much we have progressed, not only as women, but as humans in general. Additionally, this play also serves as one of the world's greatest odes to the single life known to man.
Rose, Mark. “Reforming the Role.” Modern Critical Interpretations: Hamlet. Ed. Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1986. Rpt. from Homer to Brecht: The European Epic and Dramatic Traditions. Ed. Michael Seidel and Edward Mendelson. N.p.: Yale University Press, 1977.
In Hamlet’s speech, Shakespeare’s efforts to target his Elizabethan audience develop the theme of the frailty of man. Shakespeare conveys this underlying theme of the play by subt...
...which criticism and interpretation of modern society are available. Behan and Beckett are trying to open society’s eyes in order for them to question their lives and the world in which they live. When the representations are understood, the audience can begin to question the establishments of society, the rationality of blind or complete faith in a soulless and seemingly meaningless world, and the real purpose and meaning of their own lives. Behan and Beckett heighten expectations of existential writing and thought through their unforgiving and callous treatment of society, which reflects the abominable demeanor and absurdities of modern society and life.
Michael Almereyda’s movie adaptation of Shakespeare’s Hamlet brings about a new perspective through its performance. The movie adaptation, Hamlet (2000), retells the original play in a modernized setting, bringing out various different elements of characters, which highlights a new reading of these characters as individuals, and a newfangled reading of the play as well. Throughout the movie, Ophelia and Gertrude, the woman-leads, are advanced in a progressive manner compared to the original play. In particular, Gertrude from Hamlet (2000) is noticeably altered from Hamlet, the play. This new interpretation of Gertrude and the play created by the movie adaptation advances the position of Gertrude as a woman, as well as motifs of incest, misogyny,
Willett, John, trans. and ed. Brecht on Theatre: The Development of an Aesthetic. New York: Hill and Wang, 1986.
It is arguably in comedy that metatheatricality emerges most strongly, allowing a play to parody its own status as drama. But while The Merchant of Venice does employ metatheatrical elements, its classification as comedy is both problematic and unsettling. Ultimately, metatheatricality imbues the story with tragic thematic undertones, and consequently a comic structure gives way to the tragic . It is in considering the play as a written work that such undertones seem to emerge most strongly. Ironically, the accumulation of words—the physical construction of lines within scenes—reveals a pattern in which words themselves emerge as the tragic threat. Speech and language become a precari...
The ideas of Bertolt Brecht (1898-1965) changed the theatre in many ways. Brecht along with Erwin Piscator developed the style of Epic theatre style contrasting to previous accepted styles. Presentational in form, Epic theatre is a vehicle for social comment through techniques such as: alienation, historification, eclectic influences (highly Asian), constructivism in scenery, disjointed and illogical scene placement, ordinary clothing and lighting, the use of music to detach the audience from emotion, placards and signs and projected images. Didactic in nature Brecht’s works aim to challenge the audience to assess socially accepted norms and educate them to injustices often overlooked by the public. The Caucasian Chalk Circle (Brecht, 1944) written during the time of Nazi Germany occupation has a clearly political and social focus.
In 1979, Caryl Churchill wrote a feminist play entitled Cloud Nine. It was the result of a workshop for the Joint Stock Theatre Group and was intended to be about sexual politics. Within the writing she included a myriad of different themes ranging from homosexuality and homophobia to female objectification and oppression. “Churchill clearly intended to raise questions of gender, sexual orientation, and race as ideological issues; she accomplished this largely by cross-dressing and role-doubling the actors, thereby alienating them from the characters they play.” (Worthen, 807) The play takes part in two acts; in the first we see Clive, his family, friends, and servants in a Victorian British Colony in Africa; the second act takes place in 1979 London, but only twenty-five years have passed for the family. The choice to contrast the Victorian and Modern era becomes vitally important when analyzing this text from a materialist feminist view; materialist feminism relies heavily on history. Cloud Nine is a materialist feminist play; within it one can find examples that support all the tenets of materialist feminism as outlined in the Feminism handout (Bryant-Bertail, 1).