Interpretation of mother courage - brecht simply explained - leisure

In the short interpretation of "Mutter Courage", in addition to an outline of the content and the central motifs, an insight into the historical background is given.

Bertholt Brecht wrote the theater play “Mother Courage and her children“In exile in Sweden in 1938 and 1939. At the center of the work written under the influence of the National Socialists ruling in Germany and the outbreak of World War II is the examination of the war and its social and economic mechanisms. The premiere took place in Switzerland in 1941. The most influential staging is the one performed in 1949 by Berthold Brecht in the Deutsches Theater. The epic theater developed by Berthold Brecht is of central importance for an interpretation of “Mutter Courage”. Contrary to the classic theatrical view, the audience in the epic theater should not be touched emotionally, but should be able to view and judge them from a distance by means of alienation and information given beforehand.

Historical background and content
The play "Mother Courage and Her Children" takes place against the background of the 30-year war, which after the Reformation as a so-called religious war between 1618 and 1648, large parts of Germany and the surrounding area countries devastated. The main character of the mother Courage is a so-called marketer, i.e. a traveling trader who follows the armies that move through the country with her three children. Even if she fears war and tries to keep her sons out of it, it feeds her at the same time. This conflict ultimately leads to their two sons ending up in the army and becoming victims of the war. When the mute daughter is finally defaced by soldiers and marriage seems impossible, the war broke out the mother Courage lives, you take everything. In addition to the children, soldiers, a pastor and a soldier whore also play important roles.

Historical templates and controversy
In an interpretation of "Mutter Courage" one can include the Simplicissimus von Grimmelshausen, first published in 1668, which grapples with the 30 Years’ War and is an important source. Since the work takes very clear Marxist positions, it was boycotted at times during the cold war in the West. At the same time, the form and content of the piece, which are not based on socialist realism, led to a controversial interpretation of "mother courage" in the GDR despite the great success.