1. society
2. unrest and war

INTRODUCTION
In 1993 Scottish CCC published a series of Higher Drama background
information packs about Mother Courage and her Children and eight other
prescribed plays. Under the impetus of the Higher Still development
programme, these packs are now supplemented by a series of learning and
teaching guides to the prescribed plays. The new material has been written
both as a resource for teachers and as a study aid for students working on Unit
2 (Study of a Text in its Theatrical Context) of Higher Drama.
Section A provides a list of the features of each key scene or episode in Mother
Courage and her Children which would be important in any production of the
play. It also provides space for the student to record why each key scene would
be important in his/her intended production.
Section B provides a directory of possible acting pieces in terms of casting,
suitable length and specific challenges to the actor.
All textual references are to the recommended edition of the text which is
published by Methuen, in translation by John Willett, entitled Mother Courage
and her Children, by Bertolt Brecht. The chapter headings which introduce
each scene are taken from this edition.
Other resources for teaching this unit include the following:
• The Arrangements for Drama published in 1997 containing details of
content, suggested learning and teaching approaches, guidance on
assessment and unit descriptors.
• The Subject Guide for Drama, the first instalment of which was published
in 1997, includes guidance on learning and teaching in general, bi-level
teaching, differentiation, workshop approaches to the text, health and safety
guidelines, and ensuring appropriate access for students with special
education needs.
• The National Assessment Bank packages published in 1998 for each unit of
Drama include all checklists, task sheets, marking instructions and guidance
necessary to carry out the internal assessment of each unit.
• A video published in 1998 exemplifies standards of practical performance
for Investigative Drama (Unit 1) and for Acting in both Study of a Text in
its Theatrical Context (Unit 2) and Contemporary Scottish Theatre (Unit 3).
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Epic vs Dramatic Theatre
Epic Theatre presents you with:
Dramatic Theatre presents you with:
- narrative
- drama as an inquiry
- man as alterable and altering
- focuses eyes on the course of the action
- each scene is able to stand alone
- uses montage
- develops in curves
- proceeds in sudden leaps
- man is seen as a process
- social being determines thought
- reason
- a plot
- drama as an experience
- man as unalterable
- focuses eyes on the finish
- each scene leads on to the next
- uses growth
- has a linear development
- proceeds with evolutionary inevitability
- man is seen as fixed
- thought determines social being
- feeling
In Epic Theatre, the spectator:
In Dramatic Theatre, the spectator:
- becomes an observer
- is forced to make decisions
- is confronted with something
- is presented with an argument
- is aroused towards action
- is brought to the point of recognition
- stands aside and studies
- is given a picture of the world
- is involved in a stage action
- is allowed to have feeling
- is involved in something
- is presented with suggestion
- has his capacity for action consumed
- has his/her feelings preserved
- experiences with the characters
- is given an experience of the world
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SECTION A
SCENE 1
(pages 3-13)
Spring 1624. The Swedish Commander-in-Chief, Count Oxenstierna is
raising troops in Dalecarlia for the Polish campaign. The canteen woman,
Anna Fierling, known under the name of Mother Courage, loses one son
to the army.
Why would Scene 1 be important in any production of the play?
Provides the context of the play and gives background to the narrative
• In the opening duologue between the Recruiter and the Sergeant we learn
that we are on the threshold of a fresh war but new recruits are proving hard
to come by. Our natural perspective on war is challenged as the
conversation unfolds and the virtues of war are highlighted. There is order
in war.
• Mother Courage enters with her three children on her cart and introduces
herself through a song as a businesswoman who clothes and nourishes
soldiers - at a price - so that they might fight well in battle. Immediately we
are clear about her position, her role in this process of war.
• Through the direct use of song and the convention of characters meeting for
the first time, we quickly learn a lot about the characters of the title. We
learn of the unconventional fathering of the children. The military
representatives demand papers as proof of identity and as confirmation of
the right of Courage and her family to be part of this war.
• It is not long before Mother Courage tries to make a sale, and for the first
time we see the shrewd businesswoman at work. The military’s hunger for
recruits gets in the way of her sale however, and they try to persuade her
son, Eilif, to sign up. As their encouragement begins to take effect, Mother
Courage - while claiming that she and her family are ‘peaceable folk’ pulls a knife on the Recruiter to indicate she means business. She is not
sacrificing her children to the war.
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• Mother Courage tries another tactic and pretends to have second sight, to
see the mark of death upon her family, thereby rendering them poor
recruits. She carries out the lottery of the black crosses to make her point.
Ironically, in an attempt to prevent her children from being fed to the war,
she secures their fate.
• Having identified Mother Courage’s weakness, and having registered Eilif’s
interest, the Recruiter plans to use his own tactics to get the recruits he
needs. He too is unable to resist the temptation of a business transaction,
and while her back is turned, Mother Courage loses her son, Eilif, to the
war. We are left with the Sergeant’s words which in many ways sum up the
message of the play:
Like the war to nourish you? Have to feed it something too.
Illustration of themes and issues
• This scene is significant because it introduces the four main themes of the
play. War is introduced as the stage upon which the drama will unfold.
Brecht forces us early in the first scene to question the picture of war as
painted by the two soldiers. That it is viewed by them as something
desirable and orderly goes against our natural perception and shocks us into
examining closely the whole concept of war. As this Epic drama unfolds,
the theme of war will be regularly examined by characters we meet in the
play. War is what has thrown them together. It is what they have in
common. It is what they need to survive.
• The central theme of capitalism is established early on in Mother
Courage’s introductory song and is explored further in her description of
herself as a businesswoman. We quickly learn that her aim is to get her cart
and her children safely through the war. As early as Scene 1 we see that she
has to pay for the business deals she makes and the price in this case is her
eldest son.
• This first loss heralds the future loss of her other two children who also
draw a black cross in the lottery charade. Thus Mother Courage’s
philosophy for survival is immediately questioned. She has failed to achieve
her stated aim even before the end of Scene 1.
• Motherhood is another theme that is introduced in this scene. Our normal
expectations of parenthood are highlighted and called into question as we
discover that each of her three children has a different father. By the end of
the scene, Courage’s capitalist philosophy and the responsibilities of
motherhood are already in conflict with one another. Despite her maternal
instinct to protect her children from the war, she loses Eilif to it before the
end of the scene.
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Introduces key characters
• The function of the Recruiter and the Sergeant at the outset is to set the
scene for the play. Brecht uses this duologue to explore and question the
conventional perspectives of war, and to establish one of the major themes
from the very start. Although they are probably from the same social class as
Courage, their role in the war process has clearly determined their
perspective. In relation to Courage, they believe their social status is greater
than hers and this assumption is highlighted for our observation. They are
also used as a theatrical device to introduce and establish the background of
the major characters.
• Mother Courage, the main protagonist of the play, is introduced in this
scene. She is a strong stage presence from the moment she appears,
informing us directly through her song about her work and her thoughts
about this war. As the scene unfolds and we learn about her family and how
she got her name, her character is clearly established. She shows herself to
be both a ruthless businesswoman and a protective mother - determined to
make a living from the war, while at the same time keeping her children
out of it. She is not intimidated by the status of the Recruiter or the
Sergeant. Her attitude clearly tells us that she believes she has every right to
be there, and has just as important a role to play in this war as they have.
She is portrayed as a strong, shrewd, witty personality - all qualities which
she brings into play throughout the drama in her determination to survive at
all costs. Survival is the key to her motivation. In this scene we already see
that her desire for the successful sale of a belt, meaning financial profit, is
the focus of all her concentration and her maternal instincts are cast aside.
Such is the strength of her capitalist philosophy. Yet already she is paying
the price before the scene is complete. Eilif is the price.
• The elder son, Eilif, is portrayed as being loyal and protective towards his
mother when we first meet him. Labelled as the brave one by his mother,
the ‘dashing son’, he is full of bravado and keen to pick a fight. Though
undecided about signing up as a recruit until the close of the scene, he is
eventually swayed by the prospect of bounty money. In some ways this
motivation reflects that of his mother, and yet it is such motivation that tears
him from the family unit.
• Swiss Cheese, the younger son, is shown to be loyal too and obedient to
his mother. His presence in this scene is significant in that he does not put
up a fight or warn his mother of Eilif’s departure. He is described by his
mother as the honest but simple son.
• Kattrin, the dumb daughter, is a passive but strong presence in this first
scene. She is loyal and reliable, described by her mother as having a kind
heart.
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Points to consider
• It is important to note that, ironically, this is the only scene in which we see
Mother Courage and all her children together. The family unit is intact for
only a very short time, and this is the beginning of its disintegration.
Elements of Epic Theatre
• As with each of the scenes in this play our focus is on the course of the
action having been informed of the end results of the scene within the
introductory outline.
• We are forced to question our natural reactions to certain concepts in the
scene:
- the idea of war being orderly, creating a sense of morality
- the idea of peace creating havoc, chaos
- the assumption that three children from the one family should have the
same father
- the humorous play on the term ‘papers’ by Mother Courage highlights
their purpose and questions our assumed interpretation of the term
- the philosophy that you can make a living from war and thrive on its
existence
- the idea that you have to feed something to the war if you want to get
something from it.
• As spectators we are already being forced to stand aside and question what
is happening.
• Argument is repeatedly used to highlight issues.
• We are already aware of the choices that are being made and their
consequences - and, as importantly, of the choices that are not made.
Distancing devices employed
• Use of song to reinforce the action or character or theme and to break the
illusion of reality.
• Directly addressing the audience - to emphasise a key point and also to
break the illusion of reality.
• The Epic Theatre elements outlined above.
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Why might Scene 1 be important in your production of the play?
• As a director, what themes and issues would you want to highlight in this
first scene?
• How do you want the audience to feel towards Mother Courage in this
scene? Bearing in mind Brecht’s theories on acting in relation to the
distancing effect, how will this affect the acting of this character?
• How will this scene introduce your own directorial concepts? What are
they?
• What elements of Epic Theatre would you want to employ in this scene?
Describe how you would do this.
• As a director, do you think it is important for your audience to be aware of
the political background against which the play was set? If so, how would
you make the audience aware of this?
• How would you make the universal, political message of the play relevant
to today’s audience through the set design?
• How would you direct those actors playing the parts of Eilif, Swiss Cheese,
and Kattrin? What initial impression would you want to convey to the
audience of these characters?
Notes
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SCENE 2
(pages 13-20)
In the years 1625 and 1626 Mother Courage crosses Poland in the train of
the Swedish armies. Before the fortress of Wallhof she meets her son again.
Successful sale of a capon and heyday of her dashing son.
Why would Scene 2 be important in any production of the play?
Develops narrative
• In the kitchen of the Swedish camp in front of the fortress of Wallhof,
Mother Courage is trying to sell a capon at an exorbitant price to the Dutch
Cook. We see Mother Courage display her business skills with wit and
humour through light-hearted banter with the cook. Their conversation
reveals a mutual abhorrance of war but reliance on it for their livelihood.
• Eilif is brought into the General’s tent and we learn that he is being
commended for his bravery. On recognising the voice of her lost son,
Mother Courage quickly takes advantage of the meal to be prepared in
Eilif’s honour, turning the potential family reunion into an opportunity to
make a healthy profit. She convinces the Cook to purchase the capon at a
steep price. For the second time in the play, the attraction of the profit to be
made in a business deal comes before family.
• We learn the details of Eilif’s heroic deed as Mother Courage plucks the
capon in the kitchen. She undermines the virtue of bravery being celebrated
by Eilif and the General, warning us that bravery will be Eilif’s downfall. In
her opinion, if the Generals could do their job properly, there would be no
need for brave soldiers.
• Eilif sings the ‘Song of the Girl and the Soldier’ which denounces bravery as
stupidity and fatal. This song could be seen as Eilif’s death toll as it is such
bravery that causes his death further on in the play. Eilif’s mother joins in
the song, describing the young soldier’s predictable death and admonishing
those who stubbornly ignore the wisdom of their elders.
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• Mother Courage and her son are reunited. Eilif hugs his mother and is
rewarded with a slap in the face for putting himself in danger for the sake of
heroism. Eilif is cut down to size by his mother. His behaviour is in conflict
with her natural instinct for survival at all costs, and he is reprimanded
physically and verbally for something he was glorified for just moments
before.
Further illustrations of themes and issues
• The theme war is further explored. Its glories and horrors are juxtaposed
through the contrasting perceptions of the characters. The Chaplain’s
presence reminds us that this is a war of religion.
• Mother Courage’s capitalism is explored further in this, the second most
lengthy business deal in the play. Her willingness to exploit any situation
for the sake of maximum financial profit is underlined.
• The virtue of bravery is examined in this scene from two perspectives.
Eilif’s courage, shrewdness and murderous activity are viewed by himself
and the General as qualities to be glorified, honoured and rewarded within
the context of war. Mother Courage views this bravery as a vice which she
predicts will bring about Eilif’s downfall. This also highlights the idea that
is developed further, as each child is lost to the war because of their
indulgence in their respective virtues. Virtues are seen as dangerous
qualities.
• The class system is a theme which is dealt with directly in this scene.
Although Mother Courage observes that the General must be rotten if he
has need of brave soldiers, she does not criticise the class system and
hierarchy which shapes the society she is part of. Brecht, however, does
criticise it implicitly in his very coarse portrayal of the General. In this he is
making a very obvious comment on the Capitalist society which allows such
hierarchies to exist.
Development of character and relationships
• This is the Cook’s first appearance on stage. The scene serves to establish
the beginning of a tender, mutually respectful relationship between the
Cook and Mother Courage - for his part based on the pleasures of
bargaining, and on his admiration for her ready tongue and the shrewdness
with which she exploits for business purposes the honouring of her son. She
is amused by his stubborn determination not to give up and by the passion
with which he handles the capon. Already we see glimpses of his Don Juan
nature, which is later referred to by the jealous Chaplain.
• We are also introduced to the General. Although this is his only appearance,
the General’s presence is nevertheless significant. His purpose here is crudely
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to personify the ruling classes who routinely and patronisingly honour the
younger soldiers. He is blustering and pompous. His presence provides a
contrast with the earnest naivety of Eilif, and is highlighted by Mother
Courage’s disparaging analysis of his weakness as a General.
• Eilif’s naïve desire for heroism exposed in Scene 1 is realised in this scene.
In the presence of the General he is allowed to revel in murder and his
bravery is extolled. His passion for relating the details of his deeds is fuelled
by the General’s encouragement and he gets quite carried away with his
own heroism. The war dance accompanying Eilif’s song could be seen as a
dance of death. Eilif’s behaviour when reunited with his mother shows a
marked contrast to the dashing hero relating his tale. He becomes like a
young boy - in the language he uses and in his desire to impress his mother.
He is consequently shocked by her reaction.
• The Chaplain is also introduced in this scene and his presence is there to
remind us that this is a war of religion. He is however treated with disdain
by the General and this is indicative of the role religion plays in such a war
- it is dealt with cynically and with little respect.
Elements of Epic Theatre
• Again we are forced to consider the course of the action having been
informed of the outcome of the scene within the introductory outline.
• Two years have passed since Scene 1. This timeleap begins to establish the
pattern for this narrative - it happens in leaps and bounds and is not
necessarily linear.
• We are forced to question our natural reactions to certain concepts in the
scene:
- the idea of a virtue being an undesirable and dangerous quality
- the almost immoral length which Courage will go to in order to make a
good profit.
Distancing devices employed
• The use of song and dance to highlight a theme or issue being explored
within the scene - ‘The Song of the Girl and the Soldier’ illustrates clearly
the fatal results of virtue. It also breaks the illusion of reality.
• The theatrical convention of presenting two locations on the stage at once,
and two conversations being delivered intermittently, is taken to an extreme
in this scene - again this breaks the illusion of reality.
• The Epic Theatre elements outlined above.
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Why might Scene 2 be important in your production of the play?
• How would you develop your directorial interpretation in this scene?
• How would you stage this scene keeping in mind the two locations
required and Brecht’s ideas on distancing?
• What kind of relationship would you wish to establish between the Cook
and Mother Courage? How would you achieve this?
• What key issues would you want to highlight in this scene? How would you
achieve this?
• What is the relationship between the General and Eilif and how would it be
portrayed?
• How would you convey the humour of the dialogue between the Cook and
Mother Courage in the first half of the scene?
• How would you direct the scene between the two characters who were not
talking while the other two were engaged in conversation? Would you use
freezing the action, mime or theatre technology?
Notes
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SCENE 3
(pages 21-42)
Three years later Mother Courage is taken prisoner along with elements of
a Finnish regiment. She manages to save her daughter, likewise her covered
cart, but her honest son is killed.
Late summer - 1629
Why would Scene 3 be important in any production of the play?
Develops narrative
This scene is divided into 4 parts:
Part 1: The Surprise Attack
• At the opening of this scene, Mother Courage is to be found black
marketing in ammunition. Although she initially refuses to become
involved in such a crooked deal, the armourer’s desperation to rid himself
of the bag of shot allows her to take advantage. Integrity is forgotten, and
she buys it from him at a cheap price.
• We learn that Swiss Cheese has become paymaster because of his honest
personality. Mother Courage is nevertheless concerned about her younger
son’s stupidity, even if she is pleased that war is off to a lucrative start for
her.
• This business venture is contrasted with domesticity in this scene - Kattrin
and her mother hang out washing, and Yvette, the camp whore, is sewing a
hat. Yet such domesticity can be viewed as preparation for business. Yvette
is moaning about her profession and recalls the betrayal of her first love.
Courage encourages Yvette to expose the betrayal she suffered as a warning
to the idealistic and romantic Kattrin and she does so in her ‘Song of
Fraternisation’.
• The Chaplain and the Cook have now become part of the little group and
both engage in a political analysis of the war. Courage enjoys the banter
and flirts with them both before offering her own thoughts on this war of
religion: she sees through the hypocrisy of those who claim to be waging
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war for Almighty God but who, like her, are in it for what they can get. It is
ironic that she includes herself as one of the hypocrites.
• Kattrin meanwhile has put on Yvette’s hat and is mimicking her way of
walking in an attempt to assert her own femininity and desirability.
• A surprise attack is made on the group, and the chaplain is forced to hide
his religious beliefs by disguising himself in a cloak. Yvette is suddenly
energised into activity at the prospect of new business clients. Swiss
Cheese’s status of paymaster is suddenly no longer desirable, and his
honesty in protecting the regimental cash box becomes a liability.
Part 2: The Arrest of the Honest Son
• Time passes and we find the little group eating their first meal in the
Catholic camp. They have literally switched camps. For his own survival,
the Chaplain has had to adopt the role of Courage’s pot-boy. The cashbox
weighs heavily on Swiss Cheese’s conscience as his instinctive honesty
compels him to return it to its rightful owners.
• As Courage and the Chaplain leave to buy up stores and a protective
Catholic flag the atmosphere changes. Left alone, Kattrin and Swiss Cheese
share a tender and innocent conversation about the changing seasons. His
mind made up, Swiss Cheese decides to return the cashbox. When Kattrin
sees the spy behind the cart she tries to warn him and prevent him from
being caught as he fetches the box from its hiding place. But she fails, and
after an earnest struggle to interpret Kattrin’s frantic signs and sounds, he
kisses her and runs off. We realise that he is running straight into danger.
• On Mother Courage’s return with the Chaplain, Kattrin manages to show
them what has happened. Swiss Cheese is brought in by the spy and the
man with the patch and both he and his mother deny knowing each other.
Swiss Cheese is taken away to be tortured into revealing the whereabouts of
the cashbox.
Part 3: The Bargaining
• Time is running out for Swiss Cheese and Courage is frantically trying to
think of how to raise the money with which to buy her son’s life from the
corruptible military. With the help of Yvette she tries to mortgage her
wagon, her livelihood. Yvette convinces a doting old Colonel to rent the
cart and with this financial security in place, Yvette is sent off to negotiate
for Swiss Cheese’s life.
• The extended family unit is now under siege, and the atmosphere is tense
as they continue with domestic chores. On Yvette’s first return, Courage
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stands her ground, refusing to give up her cart entirely, and the haggling
continues over her son’s life. On her second return, after another failed
attempt at bargaining, Yvette is urged to offer the full amount. With a
sudden utterance in the stillness, Courage knows that she ‘bargained too
long’ and the volley that kills Swiss Cheese rings out.
Part 4: The Denial
• Yvette returns with details of the death, and we learn that they are bringing
the body for a second time to be identified by Courage. Kattrin is not to be
spared the ordeal and they are presented with the body of Swiss Cheese. In
order not to give herself away, Courage is forced to deny him.
Further illustration of themes and issues
• Through an unwillingness to become involved in what she initially
describes as a ‘crooked’ deal with the armourer, we see that when the price
is right, Courage’s greed for profit takes over and scruples are forgotten.
Despite the threat of attack, Courage’s first thought is to save her washing.
Material goods mean money, mean profit. Concern for her family comes
second. This reinforces her motivation throughout. When they are taken
prisoner later, Courage admits that as prisoners, they are parasites, living
like fleas on dogs. Without the dog (the war), the fleas (they themselves),
could not survive. As she voices this analogy Courage is condoning the
situation. As the scene unfolds, Mother Courage is forced to haggle for the
life of her son. This process highlights her capitalist values to the extreme.
Three times she is prepared to reconsider the price, proposing new deals,
trying to clinch the best deal she can. At each instance, she is weighing up
the value of her cart and the security it offers against the life of her son. In
this scene, Brecht is presenting us with a very blatant and ugly picture of the
mechanics of capitalist business. That she keeps her cart (her material
goods), but loses her son, is significant.
• The lively discussion about war between Courage, the Chaplain and the
Cook reveals a very cynical view of the motivation of the leaders and
indeed of the consequences of their actions. Courage sums this up when she
says ‘To go by what the big shots say, they’re waging war for almighty God
and in the name of everything that’s good and lovely. But look closer, they
ain’t so silly. They’re waging it for what they can get. Else little folk like me
wouldn’t be in it at all.’ In this short but significant speech, Courage is
summing up one of the main messages of the play: that war is a
continuation of business by other means.
• For the second time, virtues - in this case Swiss Cheese’s honesty - are
perceived by Courage as being destructive. Swiss Cheese’s admission to
being ‘responsible’ is seen by Mother Courage as dangerous. She twists the
virtuous qualities of his honesty and his conscientious attitude into vices that
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he must rid himself of before they destroy him. As with Eilif, this prediction
comes true and we are forced to look again at her perception of virtues, at
the reasoning behind her argument.
• It is ironic that in order to protect herself, Courage is forced literally to deny
her motherhood, to deny that Swiss Cheese is her son. This happens firstly
when he is brought before her by the soldiers, and secondly when she is
presented with his corpse for identification at the end of the scene. That she
is able on both occasions to steel herself and, showing no emotion, disown
her son, is significant. Only once, as he is being dragged off roughly by the
soldiers, does she let us glimpse her maternal side as she shouts to them not
to twist his arms.
Development of character and relationships
• This scene introduces Yvette, the camp whore, for the first time. We learn
that an early betrayal of her affection has developed in her a cynicism about
love. Her song shows us that the business aspect of love is best. Any other
form of love leads to trouble. We are made aware early on that she and
Courage are very alike in their attitude to war. They use it to their
advantage, to make a living in order to survive. Both have something to
sell. When needed, Yvette is initially glad to help Courage raise the money
for Swiss Cheese’s ransom. But it was also a business deal. The cart was to
be a reward for her if her skills at manipulating the affections of her
Colonel paid off. Yvette enjoys role playing, and we see the skill with which
she switches the charm on and off as she negotiates the deal between
Courage and the Colonel. She too is a skilled businesswoman and there is a
mutual respect between the two women. Although she is willing to haggle
on behalf of her friend, Yvette becomes angry as she learns of Courage’s
attempt to swindle her by paying her from the lost regimental cashbox. Her
anger turns to disgust as the haggling is pushed to its limit and Courage
betrays her son.
• Swiss Cheese is shown to be gentle and kind as well as honest at the
beginning of this scene. The interaction between Kattrin and Swiss Cheese
produces an innocence and tenderness in the relationship between the two.
Mother Courage’s instruction to be honest because he is not bright is taken
literally by Swiss Cheese. In his striving to live up to this one virtue, Swiss
Cheese believes he is doing the right thing by returning the cashbox. His
focus on this prevents him from considering the danger in which he will
place himself. In the poignant scene where he kisses Kattrin goodbye, the
audience is aware that Courage’s prophecy for her son is about to come
true. He is walking out of the scene to his inevitable destruction. Ironically,
he himself is not without bravery, as he reveals in the end. He does not give
himself or his mother away when they are forced to acknowledge each
other.
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• This is Kattrin’s first significant appearance, and we begin to learn about
her motivation. She is portrayed as a young woman who dreams of love,
and the prospect of a husband after the war feeds her hopes and dreams.
Within this context of war however, the only form of love available is
prostitution - as represented in the boots and hat belonging to Yvette which
are the tools of her trade. Kattrin refuses to be swayed by the cynicism of
her mother and Yvette, and tries out the hat and boots - allowing herself to
indulge in her own femininity for a short time. Her compassion and
tenderness are illustrated in the scene with her brother as described above.
• The Colonel’s appearance in this scene is brief but significant. His function
is to illustrate the price that Yvette must pay for her success in life - her
business prosperity. Consequently he is shown as loathsome and lecherous.
• Mother Courage is relentlessly active throughout this scene - whether
hanging out washing, serving meals, making business deals, or haggling for
the life of her son. However, there is a marked change between Mother
Courage at the beginning and at the end of the scene. The confident,
shrewd businesswoman who makes the best of all situations becomes a
woman in turmoil as she struggles to hang on to her cart and her son’s life.
Just before she loses Swiss Cheese, she realises she has haggled for too long.
That she is prepared to haggle for her son’s life at all seems incredible, and
this is reinforced further by her ability to deny him when faced with his
dead body.
• Different aspects of the Chaplain’s personality are shown in this scene. In
the opening discussion with the Cook and Courage, he speaks eloquently
and with conviction about the blessing of being killed in such a war of faith.
His immediate fear for his own safety and demand for a means by which to
disguise his religion when they are attacked, shows that he is not prepared
to uphold this ideal in practice. This is supported by his admission of being
unable to hold a service after they have been taken prisoner, as it might
make trouble for him. When Swiss Cheese’s life is under threat, the
Chaplain is concerned about where the money will come from with which
to survive. He is very dependent on Courage for his comforts - both in food
and companionship. In this way, the Chaplain is very like Courage. Despite
his great idealistic, spiritual theories, when it comes to the crucial point,
such ideology is abandoned and the Chaplain reveals himself to be weak
and pathetic - self-preservation being his driving force.
Elements of Epic Theatre
• Again our focus is on the course of the action rather than the outcome of the
scene.
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• Again we are forced to question our natural reactions to certain ideas:
- the idea of ‘love making the world go round’ - being used as a warning
to Kattrin by Mother Courage
- the idea of not trusting someone because they are a friend - as stated by
the armourer
- the fact that Swiss Cheese’s honesty and desire to do the right thing leads
to his death
- that Swiss Cheese should be found guilty of being conscientious by his
mother - causing Mother Courage to become quite nervous
- the reinforcement of the idea that good can be found in war - when
Courage remarks that war is off to a good start
- the notion that, as Courage insists, being dumb is a godsend
- the idea that to fall in battle in a war of faith is considered to be a
blessing.
• This scene bombards us with the decisions being made by the main
characters, particularly Swiss Cheese and Mother Courage. Their
motivation and the consequences of their actions are highlighted very
directly.
• The key issues being explored are heightened considerably.
• Three years have passed since the previous scene - showing again that the
action happens in leaps and bounds.
Distancing devices employed
• The use of song to highlight a theme or issue being explored with the scene:
- The ‘Song of Fraternisation’ is sung by Yvette at Mother Courage’s
request to warn Kattrin against love.
- The ‘Song of Hours’ which is sung by the Chaplain, narrating the
betrayal and crucifixion of Jesus, compares the fate of Swiss Cheese with
that of Christ.
• The passing of time and the changes in set requirements and action which
occur three times within this one scene.
• The Epic Theatre elements outlined above.
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Why would Scene 3 be important in your production of the play?
• How does this scene develop your overall directorial interpretation?
• In terms of set and staging, how would you incorporate the changes in time,
place and action demanded by this scene?
• Given the contrasting mood and atmosphere between the beginning and
end of this scene, what notes would you give to the actor playing Courage?
• What relationships would you want to establish and develop between the
following pairs of characters:
- the Chaplain and the Cook
- Yvette and Mother Courage
- Swiss Cheese and Mother Courage
- Swiss Cheese and Kattrin?
How would you achieve this?
• How would you direct Part 4 of this scene?
• What do you want the audience to think of Mother Courage at the end of
this scene?
Notes
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SCENE 4
(pages 43-47)
Mother Courage sings the ‘Song of the Grand Capitulation’.
Why would Scene 4 be important in any production of the play?
Develops narrative
• Mother Courage is waiting outside the Captain’s tent. She has come to
complain about damage that has been done to her cart. Against the advice
of the clerk, she refuses to leave.
• The Young Soldier has come to make a complaint about not receiving a
financial reward owed him for rescuing the Captain’s horse. An Old Soldier
is trying to prevent him from complaining - his wisdom has taught him of
the futility of such action. While agreeing with the motivation for his anger,
Courage dissuades him from delivering his complaint. She warns him of the
short life of such anger and points out his immediate obedience when
ordered to sit down.
• As predicted by Mother Courage, the Young Soldier is unable in the end to
sustain the anger to fight his case and demand what is due him. He leaves,
closely followed by Mother Courage. While convincing the Young Soldier
of the pointlessness of his short-lived anger, she has talked herself out of
issuing her own complaint.
Further illustration of themes and issue
• This scene develops one of the main themes of the play - the class struggle
and the inability of the lower classes to win against the ruling classes.
Within this context, war has defined the hierarchical structure, but Brecht is
keen that we see that this is the same in all aspects of society. His Marxist
views are strongly reinforced in this analogy. Brecht recognises that the
weakness of the lower classes results in their inevitable capitulation and
submission. This tendency to capitulate, despite their clear understanding of
what is involved, prohibits reward. Neither the Young Soldier nor Mother
Courage sustain their determination to demand what is due them, and
come away empty-handed. The class divisions are subsequently widened.
In many ways this short scene sums up the message of the play - that in
wartime the big profits are not made by the little people.
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Development of character and relationships
• Courage is obstinate and initially bitter as she awaits an audience with the
Captain. It is ironic that in teaching the Young Soldier about capitulation
through both conversation and song, she learns it herself. She talks herself
out of sustaining her bitterness and anger. Courage, inevitably, ends up
dejected because she recognises her own weakness and angrily
acknowledges that it is because of her class. Through this scene, Brecht is
urging us to feel anger at this state of affairs.
• Like Courage, the Young Soldier represents the lower classes who have
good grounds to demand what is owed them, but who are too weak to
sustain the anger and energy to obtain it.
• The Old Soldier represents the wisdom of experience among the lower
classes. His approach from the outset has been to prevent the Young Soldier
from lodging his complaint as he recognises how futile it is. While he
physically holds the soldier back, Courage puts her point across verbally.
Points to consider
• This is the only time we meet the Young Soldier and the Old Soldier. Their
function is simply to put across the message described above.
Elements of Epic Theatre
• Again our focus is on the course of the action in this short but significant
scene - not on the outcome. We are forced to examine how the submission
comes about and its consequences.
• Man is capable of change - here the decision is taken by both Courage and
the Young Soldier not to stay and complain. That is their choice. Brecht
wants us to feel that they could have chosen differently.
• This scene stands very much on its own and in many ways it might have
been placed anywhere in the play.
Distancing devices employed
• Use of song - ‘The Song of the Grand Capitulation’ - to highlight the main
theme of the scene: that the lower classes submit to the upper classes
because they do not have the power or strength to stand up to them.
• The Epic Theatre elements outlined above.
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Why might Scene 4 be important in your overall interpretation?
• How does this scene develop your overall interpretation?
• How do you want the audience to feel about Mother Courage by the end of
this scene? How will you achieve this?
• What relationship do you want to create between Mother Courage and the
Young Soldier?
• What theme would you want to highlight in this scene? How would you do
this?
Notes
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SCENE 5
(pages 48-50)
More time has gone by. The war is spreading to new areas. Ceaselessly on
the move, Courage’s little cart crosses Poland, Moravia, Bavaria, Italy, then
Bavaria again. Tilly’s victory at Magdeburg costs Mother Courage four
officers’ shirts.
1631 - about one year later
Why would Scene 5 be important in any production of the play?
• In a wrecked peasant’s house after a battle, the Chaplain is attending to the
injured. Despite the Chaplain’s cries for linen to bandage wounded and
dying peasants, Courage refuses to give up valuable officers’ shirts for this
purpose, and she physically blocks the entrance to the cart.
• As the wounded are carried from the house, Kattrin can no longer accept
her mother’s obstinate refusal to provide bandages, and she challenges her
principles by threatening her mother with a plank of wood. The Chaplain
intervenes and defuses the confrontation by physically removing Courage.
He takes the bandages he needs.
• On hearing that there is a baby still alive in the house, Kattrin rushes inside
risking her own life to rescue the unknown child.
• Courage laments the loss of her shirts and snatches a stolen coat from a
soldier who has stolen some schnapps from her. Kattrin rocks the baby in
her arms.
Further illustration of themes and issues
• This scene very directly highlights Mother Courage’s dilemma: she is torn
between saving her goods or saving Kattrin - between the capitalist
philosophy and human life. It literally shows Courage adhering to capitalist
values over the protection and saving of life. Firstly, we see this in her clear
refusal to donate linen to help the wounded. Shirts mean money, and
money means profit. Secondly, we see her torn between saving her shirts
under the threat of them being snatched from her and preventing Kattrin
from rushing into a burning house which threatens to collapse in order to
save a baby. She is literally and metaphorically caught between the two.
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• The concept of motherhood is called up for inspection again in this scene.
Courage acts in a way that she believes is right for her and her family. Her
main concern is to protect the means of survival - the material goods
themselves - at all costs. Her momentary and very significant inability to
decide what to save first - her daughter or her shirts - results from the
conflict between this ideology and her maternal instincts. It is ironic that
Courage, the true mother, hesitates to save her daughter, and yet Kattrin
does not hesitate in saving the life of an unknown baby. Kattrin displays
more natural maternal instincts than her mother and calls into question the
whole concept of Courage’s name.
• The spoils of war are also explored here. At the end of the scene, Kattrin
joyfully lifts the baby into the air, while Courage rolls up the stolen coat
and throws it into the cart. Both women are seen to have their share of the
spoils. The one has goods with which to make a sale, a profit; the other has
a new life which she cannot hold on to.
Development of character and relationships
• Having previously lost her younger son for the sake of the cart, Courage
now shows an even more steely determination to defend her cart and all it
represents, at any price. She has become even more hardened by the tough
bargain she drives. Only when her own daughter’s life might be threatened
do we see her being pulled in opposite directions. The conflict between her
two driving forces is at its most raw in this scene.
• Kattrin’s determination and compassion are brought to the fore in this
scene. We see her summon up the determination directly to defy her
mother’s wishes to the point of threatening her physically. She is prepared
selflessly and unthinkingly to disregard her own safety in order to save
another life. The conflicting and contrasting motivation of Kattrin and her
mother is at its most obvious here. For Kattrin, the protection and
preservation of human life comes before material goods and the pursuit of
profit. For Mother Courage, the opposite is true.
• The circumstances of this scene allow the ‘Good Samaritan’ side of the
Chaplain’s character to come into full use. He immediately and
automatically takes on the role, and his natural instinct to protect and save
life makes him grow in strength. This results in his turning against his
employer, defying her blatantly in order to obtain what he needs to care for
the wounded and dying. This is one of the few occasions when we see the
Chaplain able to make practical use of his professional status and skills in
the context of war.
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Elements of Epic Theatre
• Our focus is again on the course of the action and not on the final outcome.
• This scene presents a very direct picture of Mother Courage having to make
choices. The motivation and consequences of the choices she makes - and
does not make - are highlighted for our inspection.
• The heavy reliance on the use of mime and movement to communicate the
action and message of the play is a convention common to Epic Theatre.
• A year has passed since the previous scene.
Distancing devices employed
• Again we are forced to question and look more closely at certain ideas that
are presented in this scene:
- the idea that victories achieved in war can mean losses to others - not
lives in this case, but goods and profits, as Courage mourns the loss of
shirts which helped save lives.
Why might Scene 5 be important in your production of the play?
• How would you develop your directorial interpretation in this scene?
• How would you stage this scene given the demands made by the set
requirements?
• Given that this scene relies very much on mime and movement to
communicate the action and meaning, how would you direct it? How
would you want it acted?
• How would you highlight the contrasting behaviour and mood of Kattrin
and Mother Courage at the end of this scene?
• What are the main themes and issues presented in this scene? How would
you highlight these for the audience?
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Notes
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SCENE 6
(pages 50-59)
Outside the Bavarian town of Ingolstadt, Courage participates in the
funeral of the late Imperial Commander Tilly. Discussions are held about
war heroes and the war’s duration. The Chaplain complains that his
talents are lying fallow. Dumb Kattrin gets a pair of red boots.
1632 - approximately one year on from the previous scene.
Why would Scene 6 be important in any production of the play?
Develops the narrative
• In a time of prosperity, Mother Courage is to be found engaged in
stocktaking while Field Marshal Tilly is buried. The Chaplain pontificates
on the nature and duration of war and decides that war will live to ‘a ripe
old age’.
• On the basis of this forecast, Courage decides to invest in more provisions
and Kattrin is sent to buy the merchandise. Courage urges Kattrin to take
great care of the goods as the profit they fetch will represent her dowry.
• In a rare moment of relaxation, Courage sits to enjoy a pipe, encouraging
the Chaplain to chop firewood. This is a gently humorous scene with the
Chaplain, who is reluctant to take part in physical labour. He spouts forth
on his hidden and redundant talents in an earnest attempt to impress
Mother Courage and woo her into marriage.
• On her return with a basket full of merchandise, we learn that Kattrin has
been attacked by soldiers whilst on her errand. Having received a deep
wound to her eye she is now permanently disfigured. Courage’s maternal
instinct comes to the fore as she tries in vain to turn this incident into a
blessing for Kattrin with practical but pointless and almost ridiculous
reasoning. In resorting to offering Yvette’s red boots as compensation, she is
offering Kattrin a world in which her only chance of love would now be
Yvette’s world - a world of prostitution in which she too would have to sell
herself for survival. The promises of marriage after the war are now dashed.
Kattrin refuses to be comforted.
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Further illustration of themes and issues
• Capitalist values are again reinforced as Courage debates the notion of
investing in more goods. Only if war continues would this be a good
business move. Again we see war being coldly considered, on the grounds
of good business opportunities. Courage’s concern over the protection of
goods before the protection of her daughter reinforces the strength of these
values.
• Motherhood is again brought into focus with the realisation that it was the
instructions which Courage gave her daughter that were responsible for the
outcome. Courage shows that she does not read her daughter well. Her
insistence that Kattrin take care of the goods, and her omission to suggest
that she should take care of herself, was taken literally by Kattrin and
resulted in the permanent scar.
Development of characters and relationships
• Courage is anxious and preoccupied with the pros and cons of further
investment for the first half of this scene. It is this obsession that influences
her instructions to Kattrin and which causes Kattrin’s disfigurement. Once
her decision to invest is made however, the increasing prosperity that she is
enjoying allows for a softer and more human side of Courage to be
presented. For the first time too, we see her sitting at rest - not working.
The interaction with the Chaplain exposes her gentle humour, her wit and
cynicism. She talks of the real courage in life that her class has to have in
order to get through each day against all the odds. She deals with the
Chaplain’s advances on practical grounds - viewing marriage as a business
and one in which she has no need of a partner. Emotions and feelings do
not come into her thinking beyond her admission that she likes the
Chaplain. Her need of firewood is greater than her need of the romance
and soul-saving that the Chaplain can offer. We catch a glimpse of a
maternal instinct in her attempt to pacify Kattrin when she returns
wounded. But her reasoning is twisted and futile and leads to her clumsy
attempt to console Kattrin with the red boots; it is as if she is offering her
daughter a future as a prostitute. Although she openly recognises that she
may have gone too far in ordering Kattrin to take care of the goods, she
then conveniently shifts the blame as illustrated in her final condemnation
of war: ‘War be damned’.
• The Chaplain shows an intelligent insight into the dynamics of war during
his initial conversation with Courage. His perception is both practical and
logical - in many ways it could be Courage herself speaking. This contrasts
with the sulky, reluctant way in which he then tackles his chore of chopping
firewood, and he earnestly tries to remind Courage of his true talents and
calling. Unhappy in his role as pot-boy, the Chaplain is trying to re-assert
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his true status and impress Courage into marrying him. He does not want to
have to chop any more wood, and believes that marriage would put an end
to such inferior employment and provide his future security.
• The news that the war is likely to continue brings different reactions from
the two women. While Mother Courage views it as a financially profitable
prospect, Kattrin despairs as the prospect of marriage recedes further out of
reach. Her literal interpretation of her mother’s command not to let the
goods be stolen was tied up with the idea that they represented her dowry,
her future. Kattrin was prepared to sacrifice her own looks for the sake of
her future. Ironically, the sacrifice she made was the key to her future, the
prospect of marriage seems hopeless without her looks. Courage
compounds this by offering Kattrin the red boots as compensation and to
alleviate her own guilt. These represent the only form of love that she can
now look forward to, a love which depends on her selling herself. But
Kattrin sees this bribe for what it is and refuses the boots - thereby,
consciously or not, refusing to adopt the same values as her mother. She
will not sell herself for profit. Inherent in Kattrin’s refusal to accept the
boots that she once coveted is her criticism of Courage and all she
represents. The contrasting motivation of each character is reinforced.
Elements of Epic Theatre
• The process of stocktaking is punctuated by tales of death and destruction.
This juxtaposition shocks us and sharpens our consideration of what is
being presented.
• War is talked about by the Chaplain as a force with an almost human
quality, and is issued with fair and reasonable characteristics. This reflects
the Sergeant’s and Recruiter’s speech at the beginning of Scene 1 and again
challenges our normal view of war.
• Mother Courage’s analogy of humans with trees, where she states that the
good ones are destroyed and the blemished ones are left alone to get on
with their own lives, seems repulsive in many ways, but we are also aware
of the element of underlying truth.
• One year has passed since the previous scene.
Distancing devices employed
• The Epic Theatre elements outlined above.
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Why might Scene 6 be important in your production of the play?
• How would you develop your directorial interpretation in this scene?
• What kind of relationship would you want to establish between Mother
Courage and the Chaplain? How would you achieve this?
• What kind of relationship would you want to establish between Mother
Courage and Kattrin? How would you achieve this?
• What key issues would you want to highlight in this scene? How would you
achieve this?
Notes
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SCENE 7
(pages 59-60)
Sometime between late 1632 and the summer of 1634. Mother Courage is
at the peak of her business career.
Why would Scene 7 be important in any production of the play?
Develops narrative
• This is a short scene which highlights the contrast with the previous scene.
We learn that Courage’s business investment has paid off, and this is
illustrated by signs of great prosperity.
• The condemnation of war, which ended the previous scene, is immediately
retracted in this one.
Further illustration of themes and issues
• The whole concept of war as a business is reinforced in Courage’s dialogue
in this scene, particularly in the first part when she talks of her war and her
business. She announces that war gives people a better deal than peace.
Elements of Epic Theatre
• We know from the introductory outline that Courage is here at the peak of
her career, and therefore we are free to focus on what she is saying through
her song - and to read the picture that Brecht presents.
• The juxtaposition of the two conflicting statements from Courage at the end
of the previous scene and the beginning of this one highlights their impact.
• There is an obvious change of atmosphere from the previous scene. Scene 6
ends on a note of disillusionment where this scene is positive, almost joyful
as Courage celebrates success.
Distancing devices employed
• Directly addressing the audience
• Use of song to underline the theme of war as a viable platform for
successful business
• The use of Epic Theatre elements above.
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Why might this short scene be important in your production of
the play?
• How would you develop your directorial interpretation in this scene?
• How would you highlight the effects of financial success through the acting
of Courage and Kattrin?
• How would you direct Courage in her presentation of the song in this scene
and to what effect?
Notes
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SCENE 8
(pages 60-71)
The same year sees the death of the Swedish king Gustavus Adolphus at
the battle of Lutsen. Peace threatens to ruin Mother Courage’s business.
Courage’s dashing son performs one heroic deed too many and comes to a
sticky end.
Summer of 1634
Why would Scene 8 be important in any production of the play?
Develops narrative
• The possibility of a business deal with an old woman and her son has
awakened Mother Courage. Rumours that peace has broken out interrupt
the proceedings, and Mother Courage is angry as she has just bought up
new stock. This reaction contrasts with that of the old woman who collapses
with shock and happiness when she hears the news.
• All sorts of visitors arrive - all showing how the war has affected them to
some degree. The appearance of a now ‘ruined’ Cook is welcomed by
Mother Courage but threatens the Chaplain’s security within the family
unit. Although both he and the Cook use concern over Courage’s financial
future as fuel for their argument, their motivation is the same. Knowing
how reliable and shrewd Courage’s business sense is, they both want to cash
in on the security she can offer. They antagonise each other in an effort to
keep in her favour. The warm welcome Courage offers the Cook instils in
him the hope that maybe he can become part of this unit. At the same time
the Chaplain’s position is jeopardised. Courage then leaves to sell her goods
while making a profit is still possible.
• Yvette, now the Countess Starkenberg, appears. On recognising the Cook
she unmasks his true identity. We learn that he was her first lover, Puffing
Piet, referred to in Scene 3 as the person who betrayed her love. This
revelation is believed by the Chaplain and the Cook to destroy the Cook’s
chances of being allowed to stay. The tables are now turned. The Chaplain
relishes the prospect.
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• Eilif is brought in and we learn that he is to be hanged for something very
similar to that which he was rewarded for in war-time. On realising that his
mother is not there, Eilif loses his courage and he is led off to his death.
The Chaplain accompanies him.
• Courage returns to announce that peace has come to an end. By chance she
has not yet sold her wares and the means with which to continue making a
living are therefore intact. We learn that the unmasking of the Cook as a
philanderer has had the opposite effect on Courage. She voices admiration
for his spirit, and besides, she now needs someone to help her pull the cart
in the absence of the Chaplain. The truth about Eilif’s fate is not revealed
to her.
Further illustration of themes and issues
• The threat of peace at the beginning of this scene highlights how much all
the remaining key characters rely on war for their survival. Their overall
reaction is one of despair, anxiety, loss, uncertainty, instability. We learn
that war has also turned its back on Eilif, rewarding that which he was once
extolled for with his certain death.
• For the second time, Courage loses her son Eilif to the war. As in Scene 1,
when the distraction of a promised sale gave the military the opportunity to
tempt Eilif into war, here too Courage is engaged elsewhere in selling her
goods for all she can get just when she is needed by her son. Ironically, she
is ‘spared’ information about Eilif at the insistence of the Chaplain. That
she has failed for a second time to achieve her initial goal - to get her cart
and her children safely through the war - renders her even more pathetic.
This is heightened by the lack of focus which she brings to the subject of
Eilif. Although she recognises that the Cook is lying to her, she never
questions why and accepts his story without comment. The need to trade
once war has been declared again is more important than hearing details
about her son. Her line ‘take more than war to steal him from me’
compounds her stupidity and ignorance, and the audience’s growing
irritation with her.
Development of character and relationships
• Courage’s negative reaction to the prospect of peace further reinforces her
capitalist values. In contrast to this, we see an affectionate side to her
personality when she greets the Cook warmly and they share their plight.
For the first time she calls him ‘Cooky’ suggesting a tenderness towards
him. Her reaction to the Chaplain’s outburst and insult is significant. When
he calls her ‘hyena of the battlefield’, she responds by saying she does not
want him around any more. This hints that she doesn’t want to be made
aware of the possible truth in these words. She sees her role very differently.
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It is ironic that in the short interval of the peace, we see her as more
vulnerable. She has lost her context, becomes uncharacteristically
affectionate towards the Cook and panics over her potential ruin. As she
loses focus, the Chaplain gains purpose and strength. By contrast, when she
returns declaring that war has started again, she appears more focused,
more comfortable with the certainty of war. It is significant that her need to
sell at once to minimise her financial loss means that she misses the
opportunity to see Eilif again. At the end of this scene, she reads Cook
wrongly because of her preoccupation with business, stating that it would
take more than war to steal Eilif from her. In one way she is right - it was
the arrival of peace that caused his death.
• This scene considerably develops the character of the Chaplain. At the
outbreak of peace, we see him putting on his clerical garb. It is ironic that
only now as peace is declared does he feel able to dress the part with
confidence - now when his role as army chaplain in theory will no longer
be required. He finds a new sense of his status when dressed in these
garments and preaches against blasphemy, openly insulting Courage by
calling her the ‘hyena of the battlefield’. This new courage which he finds
within himself identifies her for what she is. It must be recognised,
however, that up until this point he too has been living off the war while
relying on Courage for his survival and security. He has been a parasite on
the ‘hyena’. Courage’s reaction to the prospect of peace disgusts the
Chaplain, and the interaction between the Chaplain and Courage touches
upon many of the themes of the play. As he grows in strength with a need
to expose the truth, he shows that he is no longer willing to submit to her.
Courage’s reaction is to declare that she no longer has any use for him. His
sermon has had an adverse effect on Courage and, realising that he still has
to rely on Courage, the Chaplain is left somewhat deflated and finds
himself crawling to the Cook, begging him to let him stay.
• The Cook, like Courage, is also a victim of peace. The sharing of their
common fate brings them closer together. Like the Chaplain, Cook knows
that Courage can be relied upon to make the best of the circumstances and
can provide him with the food and the companionship he needs. He enjoys
bickering with the Chaplain and feeding his jealousy, confident of Courage
on the basis of her positive reaction to his arrival. He dreams fondly of the
war days and admits to be hiding from peace. Ironically, without war he is
lost, he has no identity and in this way he is similar to Courage herself.
• Although it is apparent when Yvette enters that she has profited from the
war in material terms, she has aged considerably, is much fatter, and is
physically damaged as represented by her use of a walking stick. This is the
price that she has had to pay for her survival.
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Elements of Epic Theatre
• With the knowledge of what is going to happen as outlined in the
introduction, our focus again is on how the narrative unfolds.
• Our natural perception of peace being desirable is challenged by all the key
characters in this scene.
• The virtue of being steady is questioned, especially by Courage, who
regards steadiness as an undesirable quality.
• We are forced to look differently at the Chaplain through his statement
‘since I’ve come down in the world I’ve become a different person.’
• As the year and season are given, this scene, unlike other scenes, is
pinpointed quite particularly.
Distancing devices employed
• The elements of Epic Theatre listed above.
Why might Scene 8 be important in your production of the play?
• How would you develop your directorial interpretation in this scene?
• How would you want Courage, Cook and the Chaplain to relate to each
other in this scene?
• How would you want Eilif to be portrayed as we see him for the last time
in this scene?
• How would you stage this scene?
• What key issues would you want to highlight in this scene? How would you
do this?
• What would you want the audience to think of Mother Courage at the end
of this scene?
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Notes
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SCENE 9
(page 72-78)
It is the seventeenth year of the great war of faith. Germany has lost more
than half her population. Those who survive the bloodbath are killed off
by terrible epidemics. Once fertile areas are ravaged by famine, wolves roam
the burnt-out towns. In the autumn of 1634 we find Courage in the
Fichtelgebirge, away from the main axis of the Swedish armies. The winter
this year is early and harsh. Business is bad and there is nothing to do but
beg. The Cook gets a letter from Utrecht and is sent packing.
Why would Scene 9 be important in any production of the play?
Develops the narrative
• On a winter morning, during bad times, Mother Courage and the Cook
stop outside a parsonage to beg for food. They discuss the terrible state of
war. Courage learns that the Cook is moving to a tavern in Utrecht which
he has inherited. He invites Courage to go along.
• While Courage is informing Kattrin of the prospect of their new, peaceful
future, the Cook interrupts, and in an aside to Mother Courage makes it
clear that he does not want Kattrin along. He insists that the inn could only
provide a living for two people, not three. In addition, he adds that
customers would not want to look at Kattrin’s face. Kattrin overhears this
from the cart.
• Courage and the Cook sing the ‘Song of the Temptations of the Great’ as
Courage considers the Cook’s offer. She ponders the fact that this could be
her last chance of settling down. Nevertheless, she decides against it, but
goes with him to get soup.
• Kattrin decides to spare her mother the need to choose between the Cook
and herself. She packs her things into a bundle and places the Cook’s
trousers together with her mother’s skirt. The message she leaves is clear.
• Just as Kattrin is about to leave, Courage catches her. Feeding her the hot
soup she insists that she was never going to leave her, on account of the cart,
she adds. She determines to get rid of the Cook’s things, and they both
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throw them out of the cart. Courage and Kattrin then harness themselves to
the cart and leave.
• On his return the Cook finds his belongings strewn on the ground. In
silence he gathers them up and sets out for Utrecht alone.
Further illustration of themes and issues
• At the beginning of this scene we discover that war is no longer finding
much to feed on. Devastation and destruction are rife. Courage paints us a
picture where people have reached desperation point and are rumoured to
have resorted to animal behaviour and cannibalism to survive. We are
shown a picture of war at its ugliest. While Courage appears disgusted by
this, there is irony embedded here. In order for her to have survived she has
sacrificed two of her own children by feeding them to the war. This recalls
the words of the Recruiter at the end of Scene 1 when he insists that you
have to feed the war something in order to live off it.
• The theme of motherhood is dealt with directly in this scene. Courage’s
immediate assumption that the Cook’s offer included Kattrin reinforced her
perception of her daughter and herself as a family unit, thereby highlighting
her maternal side. Her initial consideration of Kattrin in making the
decision is admirable but in a way patronising. There is a sense that, in her
effort to convince Kattrin, she is also trying to convince herself that this
would be the best course of action. We admire her final decision to turn
down the offer on account of Kattrin. Her response of shock and anger in
catching her daughter about to leave is also motherly, reflecting the care
and affection she has for her daughter. Before she allows herself to expose
these feelings directly however, Courage turns them away by insisting that it
was on account of the cart and not of Kattrin that she could not take up the
Cook’s offer. Whether or not she says this to prevent Kattrin from feeling
guilty, or because she genuinely did not want to give up the cart, is open to
interpretation. The earlier conversation with the Cook might suggest that
she is protecting Kattrin, and this would again reinforce the audience’s
awareness of Courage’s maternal instinct. But there is also the suggestion
that she would not give up her independence, her means of survival, as
represented by the cart. It must be remembered that the Cook suggested
that Kattrin keep the cart if Courage was to go with him to Utrecht. This
poses the question of whether it was Kattrin that she would not leave or her
cart. Motherhood and capitalist ideology may well be in conflict again in
this scene.
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Development of character and relationships
• At the beginning of this scene, Courage the survivor is optimistic despite the
dire circumstances in which she finds herself. Unlike the Cook, she believes
they will be fed. Her optimism is a necessary dimension of her survival she must be fed, therefore she will be fed. She nevertheless admits her
tiredness: the effects of age and the difficult times have got to her. She is
therefore open to Cook’s proposal of sharing a living from the inn - the
timing is right in many ways as she outlines to Kattrin. The decision she has
to make between Kattrin and the Cook - between continuous hardship and
the struggle to survive on the one hand and security, companionship and a
settled lifestyle on the other - is a difficult one for her. She shows indecision
initially, but this is short lived and she returns to her original decision - to
get through the war with her cart and her children. She does try to charm
‘Cooky’ into changing his mind, but they have known each other too long
and she respects the practicality of his decision.
• In contrast to Courage, the Cook is despondent at the opening of this scene.
It is clear that Courage and he have become close through the years and
they understand each other. The Cook’s invitation to share the inn is first
and foremost a business arrangement. The idea of companionship and
affection is never broached by the Cook - that is left unsaid. Although he
shows respect for Courage, his business head rules his heart and he will not
allow himself to change his mind.
• Kattrin’s selflessness is highlighted further in this scene. In one respect her
compassion towards all living creatures seems almost pathetic as we hear of
her secretly tending to hedgehogs that have been caught under the wheels of
the cart. (One could go so far as to say that this symbolised the life that the
cart has destroyed in its journey for survival. This also reinforces the human
quality which Mother Courage gives the cart.) However, we are then made
aware of her bravery in her willingness to sacrifice her own security and
companionship for that of her mother. She makes the decision to leave,
thereby taking the difficult decision from her mother. The question as to
whether Kattrin believes her mother would have gone without her anyway
is an interesting one. It brings us back us to the question: Was it the cart or
Kattrin that Courage refused to give up?
Elements of Epic Theatre
• Again we are forced to look at how the narrative unfolds rather than at the
end result - given the introductory outline.
• Mother Courage is again faced with a choice which we see her deliberating
over. The decision she has to make is highlighted for us, and we are forced
to consider the consequences of her decision - of the choice she did make
and the one she did not make.
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• A year has passed since the last scene.
Distancing devices employed
• The use of song to highlight a theme or issue being explored within the
scene - ‘The Song of Solomon’ warns against virtuous activity and
highlights honesty, bravery and unselfishness. Ironically Courage describes
her children by reference to these virtues, which have been the cause of
Eilif’s and Swiss Cheese’s deaths. The song heralds Kattrin’s imminent
death in Scene 2.
• Depending on how the scene is directed, the song could be delivered
directly to the audience, and this could incorporate those sleeping in the
parsonage. This method of presentation is supported by the use of the
Cook’s introduction of ‘Ladies and gentlemen’ at the beginning of the song.
• Those elements of Epic Theatre listed above.
Why might Scene 9 be important in your production of the play?
• How would you develop your directorial interpretation in this scene?
• How would you show the effects of the war through the acting of Courage
and the Cook?
• What kind of relationship would you want to establish between the Cook
and Mother Courage?
• ‘The Song of Solomon’ takes up a considerable part of this scene. How
would you direct it?
• How would you direct the section where Kattrin is alone and is preparing
to leave?
• How would you stage this scene - given that Courage and Kattrin leave
with the cart before the end of the scene?
• What would you want the audience to think of the Cook and of Mother
Courage at the end of this scene? What message would you wish to
reinforce through your direction?
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Notes
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SCENE 10
(page 79)
Throughout 1635 Mother Courage and her daughter Kattrin travel the
highroads of central Germany in the wake of the increasingly bedraggled
armies.
Why would Scene 10 be important in any production of the play?
Further illustration of themes and issues
• This very short scene provides us with a physical image of what Courage
may have given up by her decision to use war for her livelihood, and also
by her refusal of the Cook’s offer. The picture of the little house around
which roses have been nourished, and now can be seen in full bloom, is an
attractive and wholesome one. In some ways, this image could symbolise
the stability that Courage gave up in order to profit from the war. It suggests
that investment in domesticity would have resulted in the survival of her
family - instead of the loss of all of her children.
Elements of Epic Theatre
• Again we are able to focus on the words of the song - as it suggests Courage
and Kattrin do - rather than the characters themselves. The song and
nothing else is the focus of the scene.
• This scene highlights the decision that Courage has made in the previous
scene - focusing our attention on the message of the song and on the
contrasting paths that she had to choose from.
• It takes place at some point in the following year.
Distancing devices employed
• The use of song to highlight a theme or issue is the focus in this scene.
• The use of the Epic Theatre elements above.
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Why might this short scene be important in your production of
the play?
• How would you reinforce your directorial interpretation in this scene?
• How would you want it to be acted by Courage and Kattrin given that the
focus is on the song which they are not singing?
• How would you stage this scene? Would the singer(s) be on stage or off
stage?
Notes
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SCENE 11
(pages 80-86)
The emperor’s troops are threatening the Protestant town of Halle. The
stone begins to speak. Mother Courage loses her daughter and trudges on
alone. The war is a long way from being over.
January 1636
Why would Scene 11 be important in any production of the play?
Develops the narrative
• At the outset of this scene three soldiers and an ensign arrive at a Peasant’s
farm where Mother Courage and Kattrin are staying. We learn that a
surprise attack is being planned on a town nearby. Mother Courage is in
town buying up goods. By threatening their livestock, the soldiers blackmail
the Peasant’s son into guiding them to the town.
• The Peasant and his wife discover that the surrounding woods are crawling
with men and decide that there is nothing they can do to warn the town
without endangering their own lives. As this is clearly not an option, they
entreat Kattrin to kneel with them and pray.
• During the prayer Kattrin learns that the lives of the young children in
Halle are under threat. She stops praying, fetches a drum from the cart,
climbs up onto the roof of the barn and starts to beat the drum loudly to
warn the townsfolk of the imminent invasion. Despite their endeavours the
Peasant and his wife cannot make her stop.
• On hearing the drum, the soldiers and the Ensign return and make several
attempts to entice Kattrin from the roof. If this drumming continues, their
plans to invade the town by surprise will be ruined. They promise to save
her mother, threaten to smash the cart and finally threaten her own life.
Kattrin’s response is to drum harder.
• On the Ensign’s order the soldiers fire their gun and Kattrin is killed. In the
last moments of the scene, a distant drumming is heard from the town and
we realise that Kattrin’s signal has worked. Her death has not been in vain.
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Further illustration of themes and issues
• This is the only scene in the play in which Mother Courage is not present.
As when she lost Eilif and Swiss Cheese, Courage is again occupied in
making a business deal (this time in a nearby town in the middle of the
night) when she loses Kattrin. Despite her past experiences it would seem
that Courage still has not learnt from them. Again, enacting her capitalist
values (making that business deal to minimise financial lost) have come
before protecting her daughter.
• This is Courage’s third and final loss in the play. Despite her initial
objective to get her children safely through the war, she has lost each one of
them to it. Her cart is all she has left. The fact that she has succeeded in not
losing it only goes to emphasise what she was prepared to protect at all
costs.
• As this is the only scene in which Mother Courage is not present at any
time, her absence is very significant. It suggests that she has abandoned her
motherly duties even further. This argument is given weight when we
realise that she left Kattrin, her dumb daughter, with complete strangers, in
the middle of the night and in dangerous times. The question of
motherhood is again brought into focus. Kattrin’s decision to put her own
life at risk comes directly after she hears of the young children in Halle
whose lives are in danger. This reinforces her own compassion and
maternal instincts: it is the fact that they are children which induces Kattrin
to put her own life at risk. This contrasts the maternal instincts of Mother
Courage and of Kattrin. In Courage, these are limited and often
overpowered by her adherence to her capitalist values. Kattrin’s maternal
instinct, on the other hand, shows no bounds. Her compassion is so great
that she sacrifices her own life in order to save the lives of unknown
children. In some ways, Kattrin is the courageous one and could be seen to
be more of a mother figure than Courage - her children being those that she
saved.
• Kattrin’s virtue, her compassion for others, brings about her own death.
Mother Courage’s cynical and twisted perception of virtues being dangerous
to their possessors as highlighted in the ‘Song of Solomon’ (Scene 9) has
proved true. The virtue of Eilif, Swiss Cheese and Kattrin have brought
about their death. The prophecies made by Mother Courage in the lottery
charade in Scene 1, when each of her children drew a black cross, have
come true. The fact that it was Courage herself who deliberately drew on
the black crosses in order to prevent her children from becoming part of the
war process is full of irony. Courage can be seen to be personally
responsible for their deaths. She sealed their fate.
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Development of character
• Kattrin’s compassion is seen at its greatest in this penultimate scene, as she
makes the ultimate sacrifice to save the lives of others. Although she is
labelled ‘dumb’ and ‘a cripple’ by the peasants, Kattrin turns out to be the
bravest and most courageous character. Unlike the peasants, and indeed
Courage herself whose strongest instinct is for self preservation, Kattrin’s
motivation to preserve and protect the lives of others is greater than her
instinct to save herself. Before she climbed on to the roof to give the signal
to the townsfolk, she had heard the peasants say that such action would
inevitably lead to her death. So she clearly knew what she was doing from
the outset.
Points to consider
It is interesting to note the stage directions in the section where the soldiers are
trying to get Kattrin to stop drumming. That she drums even harder when the
soldiers promise to save her mother from the town is an interesting direction.
Also when they threaten to smash up the cart, Kattrin is said to look towards it
pitifully but continues drumming nevertheless.
Elements of Epic Theatre
• Again our focus is on the course of the action rather than the outcome.
• The fact that the Peasant is prepared to sacrifice his own life but not that of
the livestock which represent his means of survival challenges our natural
expectations.
• This scene happens approximately one year later.
Distancing devices employed
• The Epic Theatre elements listed above.
Why might Scene 11 be important in your production of the play?
• How would you develop your directorial interpretation in this scene?
• What main themes would you want to highlight in this scene? How would
you achieve this?
• How would you stage this scene, bearing in mind the demands of the set?
• How would you want the military figures to be portrayed in this scene?
How would you achieve this?
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• How would you want the part of Kattrin to be acted in this scene?
• What would you want the audience to think about Kattrin’s death at the
end of this scene?
Notes
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SCENE 12
(pages 86-88)
Before first light. Sound of the fifes and drums of troops marching off into
the distance.
January 1636
Why would Scene 12 be important in any production of the play?
Develops the narrative
• The peasant family are keen for Courage to leave as she has caused much
trouble already. Courage is initially unable to comprehend that her
daughter is dead. She sings her a lullaby.
• Courage is finally convinced by the Peasant’s wife that Kattrin is dead. Her
realisation activates very practical behaviour and, having fetched a tarpaulin
from the cart, she covers the body. She then accepts the Peasants’ offer to
bury Kattrin and gives them money for the expenses. She harnesses herself
to the cart.
• Keen to get back to business, Courage urges a passing regiment to take her
along. Pulling the cart behind her, she struggles to join them. We are left
with the sound of the regiment singing in the background - the four last
lines echoing the song Courage sang in Scene 1. War is continuing, a living
can still be made from it.
Further illustration of themes and issues
• Despite her difficulty in coming to terms with Kattrin’s death, Courage
makes a business deal with the peasants to bury her. Even at this most
traumatic moment the natural process of mourning is replaced by the kind
of transaction that Courage is most at ease with. The deliberate counting
out of money and the handshake only go to reinforce the process. Courage
has decided that she cannot wait to bury her own daughter but must grab
the opportunity of the passing regiment to get back into business. Her
capitalist ideology prevails: business comes first as it has done throughout
the play.
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• This is the third and last child that Courage has lost in the play. At the
beginning of the scene, Courage is unable to accept the loss of Kattrin - the
shock is too much and leads to denial. Courage never referred to her sons’
lives after the war but she regularly referred to Kattrin’s. She believed that
Kattrin would always be with her and her loss is therefore very hard to
accept. However, when she eventually does accept that Kattrin is dead, no
time is given to mourn this loss.
• The lullaby which Courage sings at the beginning of this scene is quite
significant. Firstly it is a very motherly thing to do, so for a short time her
behaviour seems quite natural and understandable. Secondly, it reveals her
quite startling and misguided belief that her children had so much
compared to other children - which is the opposite of the truth. Through
this song we realise that Courage thought she was doing her best for her
children - that she was being a good mother. But by leaving Kattrin to be
buried by strangers, she shows how much more important her business is
than her motherly responsibilities.
Development of character
• Courage now seems more pitiable than ever. In contrast to the first scene in
which she revelled in the prospect of living off the war, she now appears
feeble and pathetic. She blames the peasants for Kattrin’s death, arguing
that they should not have mentioned the children to Kattrin. When they
retaliate, arguing that Kattrin would have been fine if Courage had not
gone into town to get her cut, she ignores them. The business role that she
adopts so easily on the realisation that Kattrin is dead, only confirms that
Mother Courage has learnt nothing from her experience. She has lost all
her children and still cannot see that she is responsible. She cuts a pitiful
figure as she struggles to catch up with the regiment, to get back to business.
Points to consider
• It is significant that Courage still does not know at the end of the play that
Eilif is dead. This poses the question of how she would have reacted if she
had known the facts. Because she believes that Eilif is still alive, there is a
suggestion that her determination to join the regiment immediately could
be seen to be for his sake - as long as one of her children is alive she must
continue with the business.
Elements of Epic Theatre
• We are again forced to focus on how the narrative unfolds rather than the
outcomes of this last scene.
• Courage’s final decision not to bury her child but to pay others to do so and
return to business is the main focus of the scene. The choices open to her
are presented clearly to us and the consequences of her choice revealed.
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• Unlike the other scenes in the play, this scene takes place within hours, if
not minutes, of the previous scene. It very clearly continues the narrative.
Distancing devices employed
• Song is used twice in this scene - the first time more naturally by Courage
in the lullaby. It nevertheless is clearly presenting a meaningful picture and
has a distancing effect - not least because it seems out of character.
• Likewise, the background singing which concludes the play and
accompanies Courage’s struggle to join the regiment serves to reinforce the
idea that Courage has not learnt from her experiences but is determined to
continue to survive off the war. That the last four lines are a repeat of those
sung by Courage herself in Scene 1 is significant. It reinforces the idea that
Courage’s attitude to war remains unaltered. The old, weak, solitary figure
she presents now is very different to that of the first scene when she sang
these words with relish.
• The elements of Epic Theatre listed above.
Why might Scene 12 be important in your production of the play?
• How does this scene conclude your directorial interpretation of the play?
• What theme(s) would you want to highlight in this scene? How would you
do this?
• How would you direct the section with Courage singing the lullaby? What
effect would you want to create?
• How do you want Mother Courage to be portrayed in this final scene?
What do you want the audience to think of her?
• Given its significance, how would you present/direct the song at the end of
the scene?
• What image do you want to be left in the minds of the audience? Why?
• What message do you want the audience to take away?
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Notes
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DIRECTORY OF ACTING PIECES
SECTION B
Acting roles
Mother Courage
An excellent female role. Courage is forthright, abrasive and intimidating, but
also humorous and witty. There is a range of opportunities within the text to
show all aspects of this main female protagonist. The role is demanding but
challenging. It requires an ability to be physically comfortable with the
character, and to be able to portray her with energy and force. The role
demands that the two aspects of the character are evident - the protective
mother and the shrewd businesswoman - and the turmoil of the conflict
between the two must be felt. This is a good part for strong actors to
communicate and develop their skill.
The Cook
A real character part. The Cook is a physical man - passionate about food and
women. He enjoys people and companionship. He is a harmless Don Juan
but also a good businessman. In many ways he is Mother Courage’s soul mate.
At times he can be morose, but he is generally jovial; he likes the good things
in life. He is both suave and acerbic - a tough but likeable campaigner. This is
a strong character part offering the opportunity to employ an accent.
The General
A cameo role. The General is a pompous, arrogant character whose purpose is
to show the off-hand and patronising behaviour of the upper class. He is a
loud, drunken presence when he appears in Scene 2 - almost stereotypical.
There is opportunity to develop challenging voice and movement work in this
character, but with a sensitivity and awareness of purpose to avoid caricature.
Yvette
This is a challenging role. Yvette is a businesswoman - but she is also the
camp whore. She is both cynical and caring with a friendly disposition. She is
described as having a provocative gait, so a physical ease is called for. The
actor playing this role must be able to show all the facets of the character - the
manipulative whore, the kindly friend and the businesswoman. The role is
physically and vocally challenging and demands versatility in movement,
gesture and vocal skills. There is also the opportunity to use accent if desired.
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Eilif
A naïve, idealistic character keen to be involved at the cutting edge of the war,
and to enjoy the excitement it offers. He is loyal and immature - just a boy at
heart - but likes to show bravado and aggression. He revels in the heroic deeds
he has accomplished, is keen to impress and is easily impressed. A bit of a
show-off, arrogant, energetic. His bravery leads to his downfall.
Swiss Cheese
More thoughtful and ponderous than his brother, Swiss Cheese is labelled as
slow and simple by his mother. He deliberates on his actions, thinking things
through with care. He wants to be well thought of by being honest and doing
the right thing. As with Eilif, he is loyal to his mother and wants to put right
the situation with the cashbox to stop her from worrying. He has a gentle and
sensitive nature, as illustrated in his scene with Kattrin. He is also naïve and
gullible. Not too challenging a part, but the actor requires skill in being able to
show a range of traits.
The Chaplain
A character who shows both strength of conviction and good sense as well as a
weak and rather pathetic disposition. He loves the sound of his own voice and
in many ways is like a fish out of water in the war. He can be both wise and
foolish - full of contradictions. Despite his grand spiritual ideology, he is often
as cynical as Courage herself, and when it comes to the crucial point, selfpreservation is his driving force. He dislikes physical labour and is prepared to
go as far as proposing marriage to Courage to ensure his own security.
Opportunity for using accent.
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Recommended acting pieces
Page reference: 3-13 (Scene 1)
Opening line: RECRUITER: ‘How can you muster a unit in a place like
this?’
Closing line: SERGEANT: ‘Have to feed it something too.’
Casting: 2 male and 1 female
Characters: Recruiter, Sergeant, Mother Courage
(plus Eilif and Swiss Cheese read in - Kattrin can support if required)
Approximate length: 12 minutes
Comments: This is the opening scene of the play in which the characters
are introduced. It is a good scene for two males and a strong female. The
Recruiter and the Sergeant are given an opportunity in the opening
dialogue to establish one of the main themes of the play, and later to
develop their personalities and their relationship in their interaction with
Mother Courage and her children. It offers a strong and significant acting
opportunity for the actor playing Courage. Her motivation is clearly
established and the scene demands a very direct, physical performance exposing many of her personality traits. There is also the opportunity to
present the song if required.
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Page reference: 13-20 (Scene 2)
Opening line: COOK: ‘Sixty hellers for a miserable bird like that?’
Closing line: MOTHER COURAGE: ‘. . . look after yourself? You
Finnish devil!’
Casting: 1 female and 3 male
Characters: Mother Courage, the Cook, Eilif and the General
Approximate length: 14 minutes
Comments: This scene builds on the development of the relationships
between two pairs of characters with the focus alternating from one pair
to the other. The focus is on wit, humour and shrewd business tactics for
the actor playing Courage. Not the most challenging extract for Courage,
but an enjoyable one. This is the most lively scene in the play for the
Cook, which offers the opportunity to use an accent. This is the only
significant extract that Eilif has; in it he is impressing and being
impressed. A lot of movement skills are required. The part of the
General is a challenging one in this scene. Although a cameo role, it
requires considerable vocal skills. This is the best scene in the play for
four actors and can be very effective. Timing is important as is a
sensitivity to the demands of the split scene.
Page reference: 30-35 (Scene 3)
Opening line: SWISS CHEESE: ‘. . . I been sitting around with nowt to
do . . .’
Closing line: MOTHER COURAGE: ‘And don’t you twist his shoulder!’
Casting: 1 male
Characters: Swiss Cheese (plus Mother Courage, Chaplain, Kattrin,
Sergeant and Man with a patch to read in)
Approximate length: 7 minutes
Comments: This is the most substantial acting piece for Swiss Cheese.
The focus initially is on the delivery of single lines but requires a lot of
significant silent acting as Swiss Cheese ponders his situation and reacts
to the others in the scene. It builds towards a tender scene with Kattrin.
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DIRECTORY OF ACTING PIECES
Page reference: 37-42 (Scene 3)
Opening line: MOTHER COURAGE: ‘They say Sergeant’s open to
reason . . .’
Closing line: SERGEANT: ‘Chuck him in the pit. He’s got nobody knows
him.’
Casting: 2 female
Characters: Mother Courage and Yvette (plus Colonel, Chaplain and
Sergeant read in)
Approximate length: 9 minutes
Comments: A very dramatic scene from start to finish - full of dramatic
tension building towards the execution of Swiss Cheese. Both are
challenging roles in this extract - this is the only substantial acting piece
for Yvette. The actor playing Yvette has to portray the full range of her
personality - switching from the friend to manipulative prostitute to
businesswoman. Versatility and physical confidence is required. There is
also an opportunity for adopting an accent. This scene is also very
challenging for the actor playing Mother Courage. It is significant in that
it deals directly with the central themes of the play. It shows her at her
most vulnerable as she haggles for the life of her son. It is probably the
most demanding acting piece for this character, one in which her inner
turmoil and tension are externalised. Portraying the denial of her son
when she is presented with his dead body is a real challenge.
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Page reference: 53-59(Scene 6)
Opening line: CHAPLAIN: ‘. . . there’s peace in war too; it has its
peaceful moments . . .’
Closing line: MOTHER COURAGE: ‘Where Eilif is God alone knows.
War be damned.’
Casting: 1 male and 1 female
Characters: Chaplain and Mother Courage
Approximate length: 10 minutes
Comments: This is the only really substantial acting opportunity for the
part of the Chaplain, but it is an effective one allowing for all aspects of
his personality to come to the fore. There are good chunks of speech and
sections of dialogue with Mother Courage which are effusive, romantic
and humorous. A varied, challenging extract - one which provides
opportunity for accent work.
Page reference: 72-78 (Scene 9)
Opening line: COOK: ‘It’s dark, nobody up yet.’
Closing line: MOTHER COURAGE: ‘. . . Get hitched, it looks like
snow.’
Casting: 1 male and 1 female; or two female
Characters : Mother Courage and the Cook (plus Kattrin supporting)
Approximate length : 12 minutes
Comments : A very challenging but effective scene for both actors quite intense. Both the characters are in focus throughout. A lot of
interaction and reaction is required as the relationship between the Cook
and Mother Courage develops towards its conclusion. A marked contrast
between this and the extract with the same characters described above in
Scene 2. The focus is on the more serious side of each character,
although the song provides an opportunity for a vaudeville-style double
act if required.
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