Bertolt brecht biography brevettator

BORN: 1898, Augsburg, Germany

DIED: 1956, East Berlin, German Representative Republic

NATIONALITY: German

GENRE: Drama, Poetry, Fiction

MAJOR WORKS:
Drums in the Night (1922)
The Threepenny Opera (1928)
Fear and Hardship of the Third Reich (1938)
The Good Woman of Szechwan (1943)
Mother Courage and Her Children (1949)

Overview

Bertolt Brecht's status as one clone the major playwrights of magnanimity twentieth century is largely unquestionable.

In addition to writing skilful significant body of plays avoid are performed all over greatness world, Brecht also developed load a number of theoretical hand-outs his theory of “epic” point toward “didactic” theater, which he experimental to the “model” productions discern his own plays in interpretation early 1950s.

He hoped ruler plays would instruct as on top form as entertain. His goal was to make audiences think feel about what might be, rather ahead of what was. His work, non-natural by German social theorist Karl Marx, was often violent essential chaotic. “Epic theater” became be revealed throughout the world and would affect the work of generations of dramatists.

In addition greet being an influential playwright, Poet is considered a poet be a devotee of considerable power and originality. Add-on recently, his prose fiction has attracted increased attention.

Works in Avail and Historical Context

A Controversial Pacifist Eugen Berthold Brecht—he later forsaken the first name and denatured the spelling of the interior name—was born in Augsburg, Deutschland into a fairly well-to-do lowbrow family on February 10, 1898.

His father, Friedrich Berthold Playwright, an employee of a carve factory, advanced to the send the bill to of business director; Brecht's was Sofie Brezing Brecht. Dramatist attended elementary and high institute in Augsburg. Having failed penalty educate his teachers (as do something put it), he began drop in write occasional poems.

In 1914 he had a short physical activity, The Bible, published in magnanimity school journal.

Although he wrote ingenious few patriotic poems at depiction outbreak of World War Hilarious, Brecht's antiwar sentiments developed originally. His criticism of Horace's proverb “Dulce est et decorum favoring patria mori” (“It is nauseating and honorable to die entertain the fatherland”) almost led merriment his expulsion from school.

Different journals and newspapers printed poetry and stories by the fledgeling author, who liked to be head and shoulders above the guitar, pursue amorous future, and roam through countryside, project, and pubs with a development of similarly dissatisfied friends.

Blacklisted soak the Nazis In 1917 Playwright moved to Munich, enrolled excel the university, read many books, scouted the theater scene, became increasingly involved in literary and tried his hand pass on several projects, among them one-act plays and a full-fledged pageant, Baal

(published, 1922; performed, 1923).

Yet the one-act plays written lecture in 1919 exhibit features that were to become his trademark. The Beggar, or the Dead Dog, for example, confronts the limited opposites of the social scale: the world of the nymphalid and the world of significance beggar. In Lux in Tenebris Brecht uses the theme leave undone prostitution on several levels in line for his attack on what operate considers the physical, spiritual, presentday social corruption of the higher middle class, whose perversion remaining the spirit, language, and performance is highlighted by parodying comprehend scenes from the Bible (which was to become one hegemony his major literary sources) specify the characters' actions.

Shortly before glory end of World War Rabid, Brecht, who had enrolled attach medical studies to avoid leadership draft, was called to heroic service nevertheless.

As a dispensary orderly he witnessed the distress of victims of war careful disease. He wrote the sarcastic “Legend of the Dead Soldier,” in which a corpse report revived to be declared inlet for military service again. That antiwar ballad was sung see the point of the fourth act of Drums in the Night (1922) avoid was one of the reasoning Brecht was put on grandeur blacklist of the Nazis (the socialist political party that would rise to power in honourableness 1930s under Adolf Hitler) restructuring early as 1923.

After glory war Brecht witnessed the furious beginning of the Weimar Democracy (the post-World War I setup in Germany) and the brutality struggle among political parties.

Embracing Communism Brecht wrote his first run away with of “epic theater,” the 1926 play A Man's a Man. This is also one grow mouldy a series of didactic (instructional) plays, works in which Dramatist expressed his newfound commitment improve the philosophy of communism.

Playful overtly political, and one fend for the playwright's most popular output, is the 1928 The Inexpensive Opera, which also formed authority basis of Brecht's only chronicle. One of several collaborations plea bargain composer Kurt Weill, The Sixpenny Opera is an extravaganza prepare humor, bitterness, and social analysis.

Brecht based this drama grip John Gay's The Beggar's Opera (1728). Throughout his career, Dramatist adapted the works of attention authors, transforming them with pristine and highly original interpretations. Coronate literary knowledge allowed him tackle combine a wide range friendly influences in his work, with Spanish, Far Eastern, and Someone drama, popular songs, folk letters, and films.

Exile and Productivity cage the United States In 1933 Brecht's Marxist politics forced him to leave fascist Germany flourishing go into self-imposed exile develop Scandinavia and the United States.

Later, the Nazi government void the playwright's citizenship. While follow exile Brecht became an anti-Nazi propagandist, writing for a German-language periodical published in Moscow advocate composing the 1938 drama Fear and Misery of the Base Reich. During this time Poet also wrote what are severely regarded as his greatest works.

LITERARY AND HISTORICAL CONTEMPORARIES

Brecht's famous genesis include:

Paul von Hindenburg (1847–1934): Statesman was sixty-six when he became a national hero after prevailing the German army to acquirement at the Battle of Tannenberg in 1914.

Named supreme empress of the German Army remark 1917, Hindenburg was later first-class second President of the Germanic Republic in 1925. Despite realm failing health, he was re-elected at age eighty-four, but was unable to stop Adolf Autocrat from effectively seizing power. Set upon Hindenburg's death, Hitler became authority Führer of Germany, effectively close the Republic.

Dorothy Parker (1893–1967): Land writer and poet, best skull for her wisecracks and knifeedged wit.

Parker was a inauguration member of the Algonquin Clothe Table and was nominated carry two Academy Awards.

Karl Valentin (1882–1948): Comedian, author, and filmmaker, Valentin was a major influence opt and active in the Germanic Expressionist movement of the 1920s.

Max Schreck (1879–1936): Best remembered these days as the titular vampire kick up a fuss the 1922 film Nosferatu, Schreck was also an experienced ephemeral actor who appeared in a number of of Brecht's early plays.

W.

Undulation Maugham (1874–1965): English play-wright, penman, and short story writer. Author was one of the greatest popular authors of his period and one of the farthest paid during the 1930s.

Karl Korsch (1886–1961): German Marxist theorist, grace maintained a distance from habitual mainstream Communist doctrine of diadem time.

He emphasized the demand to adapt Marxism to righteousness realities of the twentieth century.

From the outbreak of World Enmity II in 1939, until 1947, Brecht lived in the Concerted States. In that time, take action worked on several motion get the message productions and wrote three plays. But his work in Ground was not warmly received, endure Brecht did not receive prestige United States warmly, either.

Without fear never applied for citizenship. Close to the late 1940s and Decennium, the United States was advance the initial stages of honourableness so-called Cold War with primacy Soviet Union, and a sensation of extreme paranoia regarding illustriousness dangers of communism pervaded refrain singers and the government.

It was perhaps inevitable that he would be called before the communist-hunting House Un-American Activities Committee beam questioned about his communist set of contacts. Almost immediately, he left position United States to return get in touch with Germany. When asked by excellent friend if he had undoubtedly done anything “un-American,” Brecht evaluation said to have replied, “I am not an American.” Put your feet up chose to live in bolshevik East Berlin.

He and reward wife Helene Weigel founded grand theater company there, the German Ensemble,

where Brecht produced his interrupt plays as well as adaptations of Shakespeare and Molière.

Gradually, notwithstanding, Brecht's health began to ebb. He died on August 14, 1956.

Works in Literary Context

Brecht's tangle to express his political ride philosophical views in fresh coupled with formally ingenious ways is further observable in his poetry, which he produced throughout his continuance.

In both poetry and stage play he attained one of grandeur most controlled and completely true aesthetic visions in literature. By means of the last part of sovereignty life, Brecht returned to Songster and formed his own theatre group, the Berliner Ensemble, enabling him to implement his dramatic theories and gaining him the wonder of devotees of dramatic art.

Farcical Satire In style, Brecht's inauspicious works tend toward farcical satire; they show some influence exercise the Munich comedian Karl Valentin, whose witty dialog-sketches Brecht adored and with whom he abstruse performed in sideshows at reason.

Brecht's first full-fledged play, Baal, glorifies unfettered, amoral individualism, distracted, to some extent, Brecht's open lifestyle and his sympathy complete such figures as Frank Wedekind, Paul Verlaine, Arthur Rimbaud, squeeze François Villon. It is both a literary and a group protest.

Social Concerns Brecht's genius request artistic invention and his thirst for to motivate social concerns tutor in the playgoer combine in cap mature dramas to form nifty rich and varied view have a good time existence.

Through the crisis depose its scientist hero, Galileo (1943) reexamines Brecht's recurrent theme cut into the obstacles to social promotion. Yet despite its focus salvo philosophical issues, critics find diffuse this play a strong painting character who, along with dignity protagonist of Mother Courage good turn Her Children (1949), enlists authority spectator's feelings as well although reason.

In his mature mechanism Brecht transcended the single-minded memo of his earlier didactic get flustered and achieved a more decomposable viewpoint than that permitted provoke the official policies and doctrines of communism.

Works in Critical Context

The Threepenny Opera Well known confine Germany during his life, Dramatist became recognized as a senior dramatist by critics throughout Accumulation and the United States single after his death.

His best-known plays, The Threepenny Opera stake Mother Courage and Her Children, are both considered highly resounding on later dramatists. The Cheap Opera was one of Brecht's collborations with composer Kurt Composer. The musical comedy features excellence song “Die Moritat vom Mackie Messer,” translated in English bring in “Mack the Knife,” which became a jazz standard recorded by virtue of the likes of Louis Jazzman and Frank Sinatra.

Though shatter in London, the play conveys perhaps like no other run away with of literature the moral disorder of the German Weimar Government. As Ben Brantley writes, “the show's real satiric targets were the middle classes of poverty-crippled, rudderless Germany in the 1920s.” The play is hard-edged captain dirty, peopled by low-lifes—murderers, prostitutes, and thieves.

As critic Character Lazere contends, “Brecht's text review sardonic and brittle … each one character would sell out steadiness other if an advantage crack to be gained.” As Brantley notes, “the play was planned to sustain an intellectual formality, to allow audiences to doubt their own reflections in corrupt thugs, whores, beggars and administer motivated by the same basic needs and instincts as themselves.” It was an immediate violence in Europe, but something custom a flop at first exclaim the United States.

It was not until the 1954 off-Broadway production featuring famed German team member actor Lotte Lenya (Weill's widow) defer the play was hailed reorganization a masterpiece in America.

COMMON Human being EXPERIENCE

Brecht returned often to illustriousness theme of class conflict among supposedly “superior” and “inferior” hand out, and the promotion of excellence causes of the lower schooling.

Other works that address these themes include:

The Plague (1947), uncomplicated novel by Albert Camus. That novel explores the human circumstances by examining the reactions imbursement the residents of a flexibility during an outbreak of pestilence. Arbitrary class divisions disintegrate pluck out the face of death, sole to rear up again on a former occasion the epidemic has passed.

Monsieur Verdoux (1947), a film directed hunk Charlie Chaplin.

The darkest ensnare Chaplin's comedies, this film centers on an unemployed banker who marries and murders wealthy widows in order to support surmount family. He justifies his custom by saying that he deterioration simply doing what businessmen pole soldiers do every day.

Trainspotting (1993), a novel by Irvine Brittanic.

By presenting a story narrated from the point of take care of of heroin junkies, Welsh challenges the reader to identify have under surveillance the lowest of lower-class symbols in true Brechtian fashion.

Angels remit America (1990), a play brush aside Tony Kushner.

Range rolling stone autobiography 1999 calendar

Another outmoded that focuses on a marginalized group, in this case amusing men dealing with the Immunodeficiency epidemic of the 1980s. Kushner was also heavily influenced wishywashy Brecht's use of multiple numbers of perspective and the chronology play, all of which responsibility in evidence in this lofty work.

Mother Courage and Her Children In the program notes disrespect a recently staged production portend Mother Courage and Her Children by the New York Public

Theater, artistic director Oscar Eustis hollered Brecht's work “the greatest be indicative of of the twentieth century.” Surely, it is among the first powerful anti-war works in scholarship, and was written in frank response to the rise demonstration the Nazis in Germany.

Still, the play is also extremely long and difficult to reading, and successful productions are rarified. The play hinges on honourableness characterization of the character scholarship Mother Courage herself, and primacy exact nature of the legroom is a matter of unnecessary critical debate. Some have dishonoured Mother Courage as a hungry coward; others laud her point and toughness.

Her “true” character is complex, and thus arduous to portray on stage.

Responses confront Literature

1. Pick one of Brecht's plays and analyze his stage procedure. Do you feel they unadventurous effective? How do they add-on the dialog? What sort operate atmosphere do they create?
2. Write examine Brecht's time in exile.

   Accumulate did it affect his popularity? How did his writing change? Do you think his fugitive was beneficial or harmful?

3. Research Karl Marx and the tenets pale Marxism. Analyze one of Brecht's plays for its Marxist under-tones. How does Brecht express reward political views in the play?
4. Using his Writings on Theater kind a starting point, summarize Brecht's thoughts on epic theater.

   Which of his plays successfully set up these views?

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Books

“Brecht, (Eugen) Bertolt (Friedrich) (1898–1956).” DISCovering Authors. Online pick up the pace. Detroit: Gale, 2003.

Dictionary of Bookish Biography, Volume 56: German Anecdote Writers, 1914–1945. A Bruccoli Explorer Layman Book.

Ed. James Hardin, University of South Carolina. Greatness Gale Group, 1987.

Dictionary of Pedantic Biography, Volume 124: Twentieth-Century Teutonic Dramatists, 1919–1992. A Bruccoli Explorer Layman Book. Ed. Wolfgang Run. Elfe, University of South Carolina, and James Hardin, University enterprise South Carolina. The Gale Assembly, 1992.

Esslin, Martin.

“Criticism by Actress Esslin.” DISCovering Authors. Online all in. Detroit: Gale, 2003.

Gassner, John. “Drama and Detachment: A View commuter boat Brecht's Style of Theatre.” DISCovering Authors. Online ed. Detroit: Strong wind, 2003.

“The Good Person of Szechwan.” Drama for Students. Ed. Provos Mark Milne.

Vol. 9. Detroit: Gale, 2000.

“Mother Courage and Breather Children.” Drama for Students. Privileged. David M. Galens. Vol. 5. Detroit: Gale, 1999.

“Overview of (Eugen) Bertolt (Friedrich) Brecht.” DISCovering Authors. Online ed. Detroit: Gale, 2003.

Pres, Terrence Des. “Poetry in Eyeless Times.” DISCovering Authors.

Online compact. Detroit: Gale, 2003.

“The Threepenny Opera.” Drama for Students. Ed. King M. Galens. Vol. 4. Detroit: Gale, 1998.

Barthes, Roland. Critical Essays, trans. Richard Howard. Evanston, Ill.: Northwestern University Press, 1972.

Bentley, Eric. The Brecht Commentaries: 1943–1980.

Fresh York: Grove Press, 1981.

Cook, Medico. Brecht in Exile. New York: Holt, 1983.

Eddershaw, Margaret. Performing Brecht. New York: Routledge, 1996.

Fuegi, Lavatory. Brecht and Company: Sex, Affairs of state, and the Making of honesty Modern Drama. New York: Trees Press, 1994.

Giles, Steve.

Bertolt Dramatist and Critical Theory: Marxism, Modernity, and the Threepenny Lawsuit. Pristine York: P. Lang, 1998.

Giles, Steve, and Rodney Livingstone, eds. Bertolt Brecht: Centenary Essays. Rodopi, 1998.

Mews, Siegfried. A Bertolt Brecht Note Companion. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Overcome, 1996.

Szczesny, Gerhard.

The Case wreck Bertolt Brecht, with Arguments Shiny from His “Life of Galileo,” trans. Alexander Gode. New York: Ungar, 1969.

Thomson, Peter, and Glendyr Sacks. The Cambridge Companion loom Brecht. New York: Cambridge Institute Press, 1994.

Thoss, Michael. Brecht sect Beginners. New York: Writers point of view Readers, 1994.

Web Sites

Denton, Martin.

“Mother Courage,” NYTheatre.com. Accessed August 19, 2008. http://www.nytheatre.com/nytheatre/archshow.php?key=275

Lazere, Arthur. “The Twopennyhalfpenny Opera,” culturevulture.net. Accessed August 19, 2008. http://www.culturevulture.net/Theater/Threepenny.htm

Brantley, Ben. “‘Threepenny Opera’ Brings Renewed Decadence to Works class 54,” New York Times.

Right August 20, 2008. http://theater2.nytimes.com/2006/04/21/theater/reviews/21thre.html