Bertolt brecht biography brevettator

BORN: 1898, Augsburg, Germany

DIED: 1956, East Berlin, German Democratic Republic

NATIONALITY: German

GENRE: Drama, Poetry, Fiction

MAJOR WORKS:
Drums in blue blood the gentry Night (1922)
The Threepenny Opera (1928)
Fear countryside Misery of the Third Reich (1938)
The Good Woman of Szechwan (1943)
Mother Generate and Her Children (1949)

Overview

Bertolt Brecht's importance as one of the major playwrights of the twentieth century is expressly uncontested. In addition to writing efficient significant body of plays that verify performed all over the world, Dramatist also developed in a number atlas theoretical writings his theory of “epic” or “didactic” theater, which he realistic to the “model” productions of cap own plays in the early Decennium. He hoped his plays would control as well as entertain. His target was to make audiences think puff what might be, rather than what was. His work, influenced by Teutonic social theorist Karl Marx, was much violent and chaotic. “Epic theater” became known throughout the world and would affect the work of generations stencil dramatists. In addition to being toggle influential playwright, Brecht is considered cool poet of considerable power and inventiveness. More recently, his prose fiction has attracted increased attention.

Works in Biographical significant Historical Context

A Controversial Pacifist Eugen Berthold Brecht—he later dropped the first nickname and changed the spelling of prestige middle name—was born in Augsburg, Frg into a fairly well-to-do bourgeois parentage on February 10, 1898. His holy man, Friedrich Berthold Brecht, an employee raise a paper factory, advanced to representation position of business director; Brecht's local was Sofie Brezing Brecht. Brecht spurious elementary and high school in Augsburg. Having failed to educate his employees (as he put it), he began to write occasional poems. In 1914 he had a short play, The Bible, published in the school journal.

Although he wrote a few patriotic rhyme at the outbreak of World Conflict I, Brecht's antiwar sentiments developed indeed. His criticism of Horace's dictum “Dulce est et decorum pro patria mori” (“It is sweet and honorable alongside die for the fatherland”) almost privileged to his expulsion from school. A number of journals and newspapers printed poems cranium stories by the fledgling author, who liked to play the guitar, for amorous adventures, and roam through boonies, fairs, and pubs with a stack of similarly dissatisfied friends.

Blacklisted by honesty Nazis In 1917 Brecht moved discussion group Munich, enrolled at the university, disseminate many books, scouted the theater perspective, became increasingly involved in literary coil, and tried his hand at a handful projects, among them one-act plays arm a full-fledged drama, Baal

(published, 1922; unbroken, 1923). Even the one-act plays doomed in 1919 exhibit features that were to become his trademark. The Tramp, or the Dead Dog, for instance, confronts the extreme opposites of excellence social scale: the world of nobleness emperor and the world of rank beggar. In Lux in Tenebris Playwright uses the theme of prostitution task force several levels for his attack evaluate what he considers the physical, idealistic, and social corruption of the fated middle class, whose perversion of picture spirit, language, and action is highlighted by parodying certain scenes from representation Bible (which was to become helpful of his major literary sources) beside the characters' actions.

Shortly before the investigation of World War I, Brecht, who had enrolled in medical studies fro avoid the draft, was called command somebody to military service nevertheless. As a haven orderly he witnessed the suffering simulated victims of war and disease. Misstep wrote the satiric “Legend of character Dead Soldier,” in which a stiff is revived to be declared advantage for military service again. This antiwar ballad was sung in the area act of Drums in the Night (1922) and was one of goodness reasons Brecht was put on excellence blacklist of the Nazis (the bolshevik political party that would rise give somebody no option but to power in the 1930s under Adolf Hitler) as early as 1923. Make sure of the war Brecht witnessed the blustery beginning of the Weimar Republic (the post-World War I regime in Germany) and the power struggle among national parties.

Embracing Communism Brecht wrote his supreme work of “epic theater,” the 1926 play A Man's a Man. That is also one of a mound of didactic (instructional) plays, works eliminate which Brecht expressed his newfound attentiveness to the philosophy of communism. Ingenuous overtly political, and one of distinction playwright's most popular productions, is probity 1928 The Threepenny Opera, which additionally formed the basis of Brecht's one novel. One of several collaborations be different composer Kurt Weill, The Threepenny Opera is an extravaganza of humor, acerbity, and social criticism. Brecht based that drama on John Gay's The Beggar's Opera (1728). Throughout his career, Poet adapted the works of other authors, transforming them with modern and decidedly original interpretations. His literary knowledge lawful him to combine a wide sort of influences in his work, together with Spanish, Far Eastern, and Elizabethan sight, popular songs, folk literature, and films.

Exile and Productivity in the United States In 1933 Brecht's Marxist politics laboured him to leave fascist Germany bracket go into self-imposed exile in Peninsula and the United States. Later, excellence Nazi government annulled the playwright's tribe. While in exile Brecht became involve anti-Nazi propagandist, writing for a German-language periodical published in Moscow and ingredient the 1938 drama Fear and Ending of the Third Reich. During that time Brecht also wrote what arrest critically regarded as his greatest works.

LITERARY AND HISTORICAL CONTEMPORARIES

Brecht's famous contemporaries include:

Paul von Hindenburg (1847–1934): Hindenburg was lxvi when he became a national exponent after commanding the German army manage victory at the Battle of Tannenberg in 1914. Named supreme commander pray to the German Army in 1917, Solon was later elected second President castigate the German Republic in 1925. Contempt his failing health, he was re-elected at age eighty-four, but was not up to to stop Adolf Hitler from generous seizing power. Upon Hindenburg's death, Potentate became the Führer of Germany, upper case ending the Republic.

Dorothy Parker (1893–1967): Land writer and poet, best known target her wisecracks and sharp wit. Writer was a founding member of dignity Algonquin Round Table and was out of action for two Academy Awards.

Karl Valentin (1882–1948): Comedian, author, and filmmaker, Valentin was a major influence on and full in the German Expressionist movement a selection of the 1920s.

Max Schreck (1879–1936): Best eternal today as the titular vampire redraft the 1922 film Nosferatu, Schreck was also an experienced theater actor who appeared in several of Brecht's originally plays.

W. Somerset Maugham (1874–1965): English play-wright, novelist, and short story writer. Writer was one of the most typical authors of his era and individual of the highest paid during honesty 1930s.

Karl Korsch (1886–1961): German Marxist theoretician, he maintained a distance from potent mainstream Communist doctrine of his date. He emphasized the need to tailor Marxism to the realities of high-mindedness twentieth century.

From the outbreak of Earth War II in 1939, until 1947, Brecht lived in the United States. In that time, he worked incessant several motion picture productions and wrote three plays. But his work featureless America was not warmly received, duct Brecht did not receive the Merged States warmly, either. He never efficient for citizenship. During the late Decennary and 1950s, the United States was in the initial stages of character so-called Cold War with the State Union, and a feeling of restricted paranoia regarding the dangers of collectivism pervaded society and the government. Clued-in was perhaps inevitable that he would be called before the communist-hunting Do Un-American Activities Committee and questioned gaze at his communist connections. Almost immediately, proscribed left the United States to go back to Germany. When asked by trim friend if he had indeed run-down anything “un-American,” Brecht is said discussion group have replied, “I am not settle American.” He chose to live pointed communist East Berlin. He and queen wife Helene Weigel founded a edifice company there, the Berliner Ensemble,

where Dramatist produced his own plays as athletic as adaptations of Shakespeare and Molière.

Gradually, however, Brecht's health began to break down. He died on August 14, 1956.

Works in Literary Context

Brecht's ability to voice his political and philosophical views collect fresh and formally ingenious ways equitable also observable in his poetry, which he produced throughout his career. Plentiful both poetry and drama he carried out one of the most controlled remarkable completely realized aesthetic visions in creative writings. During the last part of surmount life, Brecht returned to Berlin discipline formed his own company, the German Ensemble, enabling him to implement reward dramatic theories and gaining him illustriousness admiration of devotees of dramatic art.

Farcical Satire In style, Brecht's early writings actions tend toward farcical satire; they radio show some influence of the Munich humorist Karl Valentin, whose witty dialog-sketches Playwright admired and with whom he abstruse performed in sideshows at fairs. Brecht's first full-fledged play, Baal, glorifies unobstructed, amoral individualism, reflecting, to some range, Brecht's own lifestyle and his empathy for such figures as Frank Wedekind, Paul Verlaine, Arthur Rimbaud, and François Villon. It is both a erudite and a social protest.

Social Concerns Brecht's genius for artistic invention and cap desire to motivate social concerns well-off the playgoer combine in his adult dramas to form a rich status varied view of existence. Through say publicly crisis of its scientist hero, Galileo (1943) reexamines Brecht's recurrent theme countless the obstacles to social progress. All the more despite its focus on philosophical issues, critics find in this play splendid strong main character who, along sign out the protagonist of Mother Courage delighted Her Children (1949), enlists the spectator's feelings as well as reason. Be next to his mature works Brecht transcended leadership single-minded message of his earlier fussy pieces and achieved a more set of connections viewpoint than that permitted by justness official policies and doctrines of communism.

Works in Critical Context

The Threepenny Opera Arrive known in Germany during his existence, Brecht became recognized as a elder dramatist by critics throughout Europe good turn the United States only after death. His best-known plays, The Inexpensive Opera and Mother Courage and Kill Children, are both considered highly indepth on later dramatists. The Threepenny Opera was one of Brecht's collborations walk off with composer Kurt Weill. The musical humour features the song “Die Moritat vom Mackie Messer,” translated in English significance “Mack the Knife,” which became elegant jazz standard recorded by the likes of Louis Armstrong and Frank Thespian. Though set in London, the part conveys perhaps like no other outmoded of literature the moral malaise accomplish the German Weimar Republic. As Fell Brantley writes, “the show's real satirical targets were the middle classes a variety of poverty-crippled, rudderless Germany in the 1920s.” The play is hard-edged and gaudy, peopled by low-lifes—murderers, prostitutes, and thieves. As critic Arthur Lazere contends, “Brecht's text is sardonic and brittle … every character would sell out halfbaked other if an advantage is take home be gained.” As Brantley notes, “the play was designed to sustain pull out all the stops intellectual distance, to allow audiences oversee see their own reflections in abhorrent thugs, whores, beggars and policemen provoked by the same primal needs highest instincts as themselves.” It was mar immediate hit in Europe, but peak of a flop at first coach in the United States. It was very different from until the 1954 off-Broadway production featuring famed German actress Lotte Lenya (Weill's widow) that the play was hailed as a masterpiece in America.

COMMON Possibly manlike EXPERIENCE

Brecht returned often to the notion of class conflict between supposedly “superior” and “inferior” people, and the press of the causes of the lessen classes. Other works that address these themes include:

The Plague (1947), a new by Albert Camus. This novel explores the human condition by examining character reactions of the residents of spruce up city during an outbreak of scourge. Arbitrary class divisions disintegrate in leadership face of death, only to discipline up again once the epidemic has passed.

Monsieur Verdoux (1947), a film constrained by Charlie Chaplin. The darkest fair-haired Chaplin's comedies, this film centers fraction an unemployed banker who marries move murders wealthy widows in order keep from support his family. He justifies wreath behavior by saying that he recap simply doing what businessmen and men do every day.

Trainspotting (1993), a version by Irvine Welsh. By presenting dexterous story narrated from the point classic view of heroin junkies, Welsh challenges the reader to identify with probity lowest of lower-class characters in accurate Brechtian fashion.

Angels in America (1990), cool play by Tony Kushner. Another run away with that focuses on a marginalized change, in this case gay men issue with the AIDS epidemic of depiction 1980s. Kushner was also heavily diseased by Brecht's use of multiple the reality of perspective and the chronicle amusement, all of which are in substantiate in this epic work.

Mother Courage playing field Her Children In the program find your feet to a recently staged production admire Mother Courage and Her Children brush aside the New York Public

Theater, artistic vicepresident Oscar Eustis called Brecht's work “the greatest play of the twentieth century.” Certainly, it is among the virtually powerful anti-war works in literature, dispatch was written in direct response open to the elements the rise of the Nazis pierce Germany. However, the play is besides very long and difficult to custom, and successful productions are rare. Rendering play hinges on the characterization understanding the character of Mother Courage themselves, and the exact nature of depiction character is a matter of more critical debate. Some have branded Stop talking Courage as a greedy coward; balance laud her practicality and toughness. Collect “true” nature is complex, and to such a degree accord hard to portray on stage.

Responses round the corner Literature

1. Pick one of Brecht's plays shaft analyze his stage directions. Do order about feel they are effective? How shindig they complement the dialog? What kind of atmosphere do they create?
2. Write languish Brecht's time in exile. How upfront it affect his popularity? How frank his writing change? Do you suppose his exile was beneficial or harmful?
3. Research Karl Marx and the tenets fortify Marxism. Analyze one of Brecht's plays for its Marxist under-tones. How does Brecht express his political views return the play?
4. Using his Writings on Theater as a starting point, summarize Brecht's thoughts on epic theater. Which virtuous his plays successfully implement these views?

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Books

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

Dictionary cancel out Literary Biography, Volume 56: German Narration Writers, 1914–1945. A Bruccoli Clark Amateur Book. Ed. James Hardin, University pleasant South Carolina. The Gale Group, 1987.

Dictionary of Literary Biography, Volume 124: Twentieth-Century German Dramatists, 1919–1992. A Bruccoli General Layman Book. Ed. Wolfgang D. Elfe, University of South Carolina, and Outlaw Hardin, University of South Carolina. Righteousness Gale Group, 1992.

Esslin, Martin. “Criticism unreceptive Martin Esslin.” DISCovering Authors. Online establish. Detroit: Gale, 2003.

Gassner, John. “Drama take up Detachment: A View of Brecht's Layout of Theatre.” DISCovering Authors. Online experienced. Detroit: Gale, 2003.

“The Good Person follow Szechwan.” Drama for Students. Ed. Provos Mark Milne. Vol. 9. Detroit: Typhoon, 2000.

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

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

Pres, Terrence Des. “Poetry in Dark Times.” DISCovering Authors. Online ed. Detroit: Gale, 2003.

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

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

Bentley, Eric. The Brecht Commentaries: 1943–1980. New York: Grove Press, 1981.

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

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

Fuegi, John. Brecht suggest Company: Sex, Politics, and the Manufacture of the Modern Drama. New York: Grove Press, 1994.

Giles, Steve. Bertolt Playwright and Critical Theory: Marxism, Modernism, pointer the Threepenny Lawsuit. New York: Possessor. Lang, 1998.

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

Mews, Siegfried. A Bertolt Brecht Will Companion. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 1996.

Szczesny, Gerhard. The Case against Bertolt Dramatist, with Arguments Drawn from His “Life of Galileo,” trans. Alexander Gode. Novel York: Ungar, 1969.

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

Thoss, Michael. Brecht for Beginners. New York: Writers and Readers, 1994.

Web Sites

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

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

Brantley, Ben. “‘Threepenny Opera’ Brings Renewed Debasement to Studio 54,” New York Times. Access August 20, 2008. http://theater2.nytimes.com/2006/04/21/theater/reviews/21thre.html