Understanding Drama Mother Courage and Her Children by Bertolt Brecht Themes, Characters, and Summary

 

About Bertolt Brecht:

• He was born on February 10, 1898, in Augsburg, Germany.
• He studied medicine at Munich University but later focused on literature and theater.
• In the 1920s, he started writing plays, and his first notable play was "Drums in the Night" in 1922.
• Brecht was influenced by Marxist ideas, which shaped his thoughts on society and art.
• He created something called "epic theater," which made audiences think about what they saw rather than just enjoy it.
• Some of his famous plays are "The Threepenny Opera," "Mother Courage and Her Children," and "The Caucasian Chalk Circle."
• He fled Germany in 1933 to escape the Nazis and lived in various countries.
• Brecht returned to East Germany in 1949, where he established the Berliner Ensemble theater company.
• He passed away on August 14, 1956, in East Berlin.

About "Mother Courage and Her Children":

• It was written in September 1939 in Stockholm, Sweden, and first performed in 1941 in Zürich.
• The story is set during the Thirty Years' War (1618–1648) in Europe and deals with themes like war, capitalism, and motherhood.
• The play is written in the style of epic theater.

Main Characters:

• Mother Courage (Anna Fierling): She runs a wagon business, selling goods to soldiers to survive during the war. Her focus on money leads to the loss of her children.
• Eilif: Her oldest son, who becomes a soldier and is known for his bravery, but this eventually leads to his downfall.
• Swiss Cheese (Feyos): Her honest and simple-minded second son, who works as a paymaster for the army.
• Kattrin: Her mute daughter, who is kind and brave despite not being able to speak.

Summary of the Play:

• Mother Courage travels with her three children during the war, selling goods from her wagon.
• She is proud of having shown courage in business during battles, but as her sons are drawn into the war, she predicts they will die.
• Eilif joins the army, and Swiss Cheese is eventually executed after trying to protect money belonging to the army.
• Kattrin, despite her disability, tries to protect people by warning them with a drum, but she is killed by soldiers.
• In the end, even after losing her children, Mother Courage continues her business with the army, highlighting how the cycle of war continues.

Main Themes:

• The play explores how war and profit are connected and critiques those who benefit from war while others suffer.
• It examines motherhood and the sacrifices made, focusing on how Mother Courage's pursuit of profit leads to tragedy.
• Brecht uses techniques to make the audience think critically rather than just feel for the characters.
• The play delivers a strong message against war, showing its damaging effects on human lives.