Mother Courage and her Children Essay example - 1551 Words

Mother 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 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†¦show more content†¦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 para site 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 economic context; though the magnitude of this pity is significantly reduced, and it is of a more detached quality, than if the play were presented in a more emotive style. The downfall of Mother Courage is far from orthodox in Aristotelian terms. Whereas a tragic hero would conventionally die as a result of a reversal of fortune, Mother Courage is the sole survivor of herShow MoreRelatedThe Titular Character Of Mother Courage And Her Children1378 Words   |  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 wr itten 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 audience 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 MoreEssay about Mother Courage and Her Children1589 Words   |  7 PagesMother 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:Read 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, an d Swiss Cheese. And over the course of the years she loses all three of her children during The Thirty-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. The beginning of the story is a series of letters between an explorer named Walton and his sister, Margaret. These content of these letters suggest that WaltonRead More Empathy in Brechts The Good Person of Szechwan and Mother Courage and Her Children2414 Words   |  10 PagesLittle Empathy in Brechts The Good Person of Szechwan and Mother Courage and Her Children Brecht is very successful in creating a form of drama where empathy plays little part. In The Good Person of Szechwan it would seem that every action and word is an attempt to alienate us and halt any identification one may chance to make. The indiscernible use of names for characters exaggerating the oriental sound of them is immediately noticeable i.e. Wang, Shin Sun, Shen Te, Shu Ta, etc.

Antigone vs. Iliad Essay - 948 Words

Love is a very powerful emotion. In both Antigone and The Iliad there are many different types of love portrayed. The love one has for their child for example, or the love for a close family member or friend. There is also the love one experiences when they feel they have found their mate in life. In examining the excerpts from Antigone and The Iliad I was able to draw the conclusion that Antigone portrays the different types of love in a more realistic way. When I read The Iliad for the first time the portrayal of love that stood out the most to me was the love Priam had for his son Hector. Priam being the king of Troy risked his life by walking onto the enemys war camp in order to beg the man that killed his son for the†¦show more content†¦Achilles felt he had lost someone very close to his heart. Achilles also felt that Patroclus had been killed in an unfair manner. Achilles felt Hector should have been punished for the wrongful death of Patroclus even though the boy had Achilles armor on and Hector thought he was fighting Achilles at the time. Achilles had the mindset that Hector should have known better than to go up against a boy. The portrayal of Achilles in the scene where he is told about Patrocluses death is what moved the story more toward fiction for me. Achilles had to have his moment of stricken grief that was extremely over exaggerated. â€Å"A black cloud of grief came shrouding over Achilles. Both hands claw ing the ground for soot and filth, he poured it over his head, fouled his handsome face and black ashes settled onto his fresh clean war-shirt. Overpowered in all his power, he sprawled in the dust. Achilles lay there, fallen† (82). In reality a grown man would not act like this especially a part god warrior. The fit Achilles threw is something a child would do. I found his behavior very unlikely and unrealistic. In contrast, Antigone had many similarities in the story to The Iliad. For example, Antigones love for her brother was also that of someone who is very close to your heart. Another similarity I found was that Antigone felt her brother had been treated in an unfair manner when heShow MoreRelatedAntigone Moral Dilemma1253 Words   |  6 Pagesquestion in the play Antigone by Sophocles is the value of human law vs. divine law. In this tragic play a newly appointed king Creon declares to his people that treason was committed during battle, and one of the two brothers (Polyneices) killed shall not be buried according to the Gods, but instead He shall be left unburied for all to watch the corpse mutilated and eaten by carrion-birds and by dogs (Sophocles, 1900.). This dilemma is felt by many, especially Antigone (sister of the deceased)Read MoreAn Ideal Hero: Greek vs. Roman Essay1527 Words   |  7 Pages(war), Iron (mining, deforestation, crime). 4. Dominant and alternate cultural themes in the Iliad Audience: upper-class men Purpose: cultural propaganda. Greek Heros= models of courage skill to men (what to be) women (what to look for- sense of security). a. Dominant Theme: warrior code of personal honor and glory b. Contrasting themes: Family principle, simple country life vs. war, admiration of enemies. 5. Literary works by Homer Blind poet Homer - represents theRead MoreAnalysis Of Homer s The Iliad 3570 Words   |  15 PagesInterdisciplinary Studies Dr. Packer Eric G. Shuping March 3, 2015 Final Paper Homer’s poem, The Iliad, explains to us how the Trojan War started with Paris stealing Menelaus wife, Helen, and affected the lives of the Greek and Trojan people. The gods and warriors all desire to earn their honor to prove they are great, which Homer proves that it ends disastrously at times. Homer’s definition of honor in Iliad shows us that the gods, Greeks, and Trojans will do anything to prove their honor, while in

Meaning of a Monologue from Hamlet Free Essays

The proverb means one should be true to oneself. One should try to have his own identity by being himself or herself. This line is a monologue by Polonium, one of the characters of William Shakespearean â€Å"Hamlet†. We will write a custom essay sample on Meaning of a Monologue from Hamlet or any similar topic only for you Order Now This line requests/ advices a person to be truthful in his life. By engaging oneself into self deception, one will only lead his way to menace. The only way to success is through an honest and straightforward life. If we are honest then automatically we will get the friendship of honest people. We all have different thoughts and hopes. All the thoughts and hopes are very different and does not match with others. We also call all these thoughts and hopes as dreams. Our dream can be anything. The dream we see must be real and not some thin which Is Inappeasable on earth. A person can dream of being a dancer or a singer or a swimmer or a cyclist or a runner or a tennis champion or a artist or a cinema artist and these dreams are Just endless. Hen a child see a dream which moms very close and a attachment rises to our heart. We start our Journey of being of what we have dreamt. We try our best to be successful. These dreams are not as easy as It looks. The journey has a lot obstacles In Its path but Is our dream Is real then no one In the world can stop us for making a goal to our alms. A very Important thing Is trust In yourself. Elf this trust Is there then we will never lose a competition. So as a fact we should never stop Instead continue walking Into our life. How to cite Meaning of a Monologue from Hamlet, Papers

Unforgettable Moment free essay sample

When I arrived at the area of the stadium I saw hundreds of peoples. A lot kinds of peoples. All of them have look very happy. At that time, with age as young as I, I feel so excited and enthusiasm. My whole body also able to taste it. The area of the stadium is full with stall, stall that sold everything that connected to football such as jersey, football merchandise, teams flag and many else. I also do not miss to get my favourite team jersey which is Selangor FC and also well-known as The Red Giants. After satisfied walking around the stadium compound. Me and my brother decide to enter the stadium. After my first food step in the stadium the feel of excited strike me again. If the outside of the stadium I can see hundreds of peoples, at the inside I can see thousands of peoples. The place is so crowded and noisy, when I talked to my brother he cannot hear what I am talking about even he is right next to me. We will write a custom essay sample on Unforgettable Moment or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page After take a seat, I saw every corner of the stadium and the stadium is so huge . At that moment, I bet this must be the biggest stadium in the world. Before the match started all peoples in the stadium need to stand up and sing the national anthem, Negaraku . I sing it with enthusiasm. My adrenalin is rising at the moment. The national anthem ends with a thunderous applause by supporters who come, and again the feel of excited strike me again. Match on that day involving Selangor FC and Perak FC. During the match I did not stop cheering for my favourite team. I think I almost lost my voice on that day. After the 90 minute full game, whistle is blown and match that day ending in a draw. Although the match ending in a draw which do not affect my enjoyment of the day. After all, I back home with feeling very happy. When I arrived at home and I rewind what just happened to me will become my special moment in my life, and guest what, I am true ,the first experience to step foot in stadium watch my favourite team play has become my unforgettable, sweetest and special moment to me until now, and probably until forever.