Brechtian Style

Question 1

Churchill Quote

Answer 1

“I think for writers, directors and actors working in England in the seventies his ideas have been absorbed into the general pool of shared knowledge and attitudes, so that without constantly thinking of Brecht, we nevertheless imagine things in a way we might not have without him.” Churchill.

Question 2

Alienation

Answer 2

Alienation or verfrentungseffekt (distancing between the audience and the actress) – first scene alienation, they are all from different stereotypes, they are distanced from us. Harder to emphasize with them because they are from a different time.

Question 3

Stereotypes

Answer 3

Bertolt Brecht believed that the experience of a climactic catharsis of emotion left an audience complacent. Thus he would create stereotypes as opposed to characters as it stops the audience from feeling empathy towards the characters in the play.

Examples:
Griselda — the stereotypical woman in the patriarchal society.
‘Patient Griselda is the obedient wife whose story is told by Chaucer in “The Clerks Tale” of The Canterbury Tales.’
“But he told me to come. I had to obey him.” (26) – Walter has ownership over Griselda, reference to the marriage vow.

Miss Kidd — the stereotypical mother

Shona — presents herself as her idea of a modern woman