Aristotle Vs. Brecht

Question 1

Catharsis

Answer 1

• finishing a movie, book or play feeling like having gone through a rollercoaster of emotions
• leaving us feeling purged / satisfied
• purification of purgation of emotions, especially pity and fear

Question 2

story-telling (Aristotle)

Answer 2

• Aristotle let us feel empathy for the protagonist
• laugh for laugh, weep for weep
• ## relate to the protagonist and follow their emotional / psychological journey

Question 3

story-telling (Brecht)

Answer 3

• alienates the audience from the protagonist
• works against catharsis and empathy
• laugh for weep, weep for laugh
• ## often represent the opposite of a value of belief

Question 4

story-telling (nowadays)

Answer 4

• combination of both
• empathy when needed, alienation when needed
• ## challenges complacency by also inclusion

Question 5

Brecht

Answer 5

• German (1920’s)
• Erwin Piscator
• epic theatre was a reaction to socio-political conditions
• epic (focus on narrative / story)
• focusing like this creates characters that are not individualised (are stereotypical)

Question 6

Epic Theatre aims

Answer 6

• procession of events as simply as possible
• disassociation from swayed emotions
• intellectual responses
• detachment from the proceedings
• act for desirable social reforms

Question 7

Epic theatre style

Answer 7

• short separated scenes linked by a story

- past time (separating the audience allows a focus on the moral as social issues)