Essay about Mother Courage and Her Children - 1589 Words

Mother Courage and her Children, by Bertolt Brecht, is a play which can be seen from varying perspectives. Some consider it to be a comment on the socio-economic aspects of war, others as a criticism of bourgeois capitalism intended to encourage change in modern society. The somewhat tragic events of the play enable critics to consider it a tragedy, but one which, to some extent, diverges from the Aristotelian definition. Aristotle believed that tragedy must revolve around a central character: the tragic hero, on whom the plot focuses and who exhibits certain characteristics, which leads to his, though in this particular case, her, downfall. The role of such a figure is pivotal to the presentation of a play as a tragedy; yet it†¦show more content†¦Alternatively, this contrast could be interpreted as an indication that Mother Courage is morally neither all good nor all bad, a quality which Aristotle states as necessary in a tragic hero. Her intention of and attempt at provid ing for and protecting her family by her existence as a hyena of the battlefield is essentially good, yet it is in fact this very existence which brings about the deaths of her children and her own downfall. According to Aristotle, the audience must witness the tragic hero undeservedly suffer great misfortune. Although the audience disapproves of Mother Courage and her attitudes, we are not presented with a feasible alternative. She is forced into living as a parasite of war by her socio-economic status: she is simply trying to provide for her family and the only crime she commits is the utilization of her gift of tradesmanship. Mother Courages misfortunes are presented as the deaths of her children, which are caused by each individuals sole virtue, so are, in effect, undeserved by Mother Courage. An element of tragedy is removed from the play as Mother Courage does not appear to experience suffering as a result of these losses. However, this does not prevent the evocation of pity from the audience, a key factor of tragedy, as we still perceive her as a consequential victim of the social and economicShow MoreRelatedThe Titular Character Of Mother Courage And Her Children1378 Words   |à ‚  6 PagesThe titular character in Mother Courage and Her Children illuminates an important idea when considering a character’s actions in a time of languishing prosperity. Yet, the characters pivotal actions catalyze the fatality of her three children and in turn represent how morals, in times of survival, waver; the results of tough choices are harsh judgements. Bertolt Brecht, the playwright, uses his innovative approach to theatre to force the audience to detach themselves from their common knowledge ofRead MoreMother Courage And Her Children1186 Words   |  5 PagesMother Courage and her Children is tragic play that highlights the current and after effects of the thirty year war as written by German playwright Bertolt Brecht in 1939. The initial hope with the play was show that mother courage was not the ultimate sympathetic character and that she lead her children to their own demise. A hope that was later cemented in later performances rather than allowing the audien ce to indulge in ideologies they wanted to believe in post war, like perseverance and motherhoodRead MoreAnalysis Of Mother Courage And Her Children 1236 Words   |  5 Pagesstandard, typical, usual, expected and unexceptional among others. In his book, the Steppenwolf, Hermann Hesse explores some of the issues relating to deviation from the norm like how an individual is affected. In addition, the play â€Å"Mother Courage and her Children† also presents various matters relating to the norm, its significance, and how the environment is altered in case of a deviation. Furthermore, Bertolt Brecht vividly examines how an individual has a difficult time to adapt to the changesRead More Mother Courage and her Children Essay example1551 Words   |  7 PagesMother Courage and her Children Mother Courage and her Children, by Bertolt Brecht, is a play which can be seen from varying perspectives. Some consider it to be a comment on the socio-economic aspects of war, others as a criticism of bourgeois capitalism intended to encourage change in modern society. The somewhat tragic events of the play enable critics to consider it a tragedy, but one which, to some extent, diverges from the Aristotelian definition. Aristotle believed that tragedy mustRead MoreAnalysis Of Mother Courage And Her Children By Bertolt Brecht804 Words   |  4 PagesThe play â€Å"Mother Courage and her Children† is written by Bertolt Brecht, adapted by Scott Stroot here at Western Kentucky University. This play is takes place in Europe around the spring of 1624 and spans at least 10 years. The play is about Mother Courage also known as Anna Fierling, and her three children Kattrin, Eilif, and Swiss Cheese. And over the course of the years she loses all three of her children during The Thir ty-Year War. Mother Courage and her children make their livings off of theirRead More Mother Courage Essay903 Words   |  4 Pages Mother Courage nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;It’s always important to be touched. Writers know and understand this idea. Whether the audience feels good or bad about whom or what you present is not as important as the fact that they feel something. Bertolt Brecht’s Mother Courage and Her Children is a perfect example of a work that doesn’t leave us in very high spirits but touches us in such a way that it becomes even more powerful than if it had. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Throughout the playRead MoreMother Courage and her Children by Bertolt Brecht Essay1015 Words   |  5 PagesPractice WiT- Mother Courage and her Children Topic: Analysis of war as a business in the play mother courage and her children In Brecht’s play â€Å"Mother Courage and her Children† he makes it clear that he thinks that war is a â€Å"continuation of business by other means†. To him war is not an unnatural occurrence or even a mistake made by society however it is one of societies many preconditions and is an unavoidable occurrence. Given that this is Brecht’s opinion there are several dialogues all depictingRead More Gender in Mother Courage and Her Children and M. Butterfly Essay1804 Words   |  8 PagesComparing Gender in Mother Courage and Her Children and M. Butterfly    The term gender is commonly used to refer to the psychological, cultural, and social characteristics that distinguish the sexes (Cook 1). From the idea of gender such notions as gender bias and stereotyping have developed. Stereotypes have lead society to believe that a male or female should appear, act, or in more philosophical terms, be a certain way. What these gender stereotypes are and, whether or not they reallyRead MoreThe Family Ties in Frankenstein, Metamorphosis and Mother Courage and her Children1914 Words   |  8 Pagesfollow along with. There are many examples of this throughout this course, but this paper will focus on how three of them use the family dynamic to connect with the reader: Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, Kafka’s Metamorphosis, and Brecht’s Mother Courage and her Children. One does not have to read far into Frankenstein to get a feel for this idea. 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