This is my analysis for the play, Mother Courage and Her Childern, my objective is to disseminate the knowledge that i have gain to my fellow peers.
The theatrical , Mother Courage and Her Childern, display the struggle of living during
1624 of the Thirty Years War. This infamous mother of three gives the virtues
of bravery, honesty, kindness and wisdom, respectively, Eilif, Swiss Cheese,
Kattrin, and Mother Courage. Where Eilif joins the war, Swiss Cheese wanting to
return the money, Kattrin saving the baby from the house, and Mother Courage
experience throughout her life. However, even with her critical pedagogy from
her own experience, her children will be an exchange for her selfishness during
the war. This is due to her encouragement of the war and the promoting of
mother Courage’s business. Also the whole play revolves around the idea of
profiting from the war and thus becoming the major folly for Courage.
The
protagonist of the theater was mother courage and her motivation throughout the
war was make money and survival. The antagonist was the Thirty Year War, yet
the motivation of it was to turn man into an inhuman monster. The conflict that
was place upon Mother Courage and the war was that it turned her into a despicable
mother. Such as, trading her wagon to save her son, Swiss Cheese, life or when
Kattrin dies, she just continues on her journey for money. This demonstrates
that the war has set mother courage values to only survival and that no
sacrifice will end the war or herself. Furthermore,
I see the repeat of the theme where war is contributed into business. To me, I agree with the theme but I do not
agree with the sacrifices, thus it is essential to earn money for a living and
to feed the children. But Mother Courage should of care more for her children
than herself, which she did not so all her children ended up dead. I believed
that If she would not been so greedy of money or even learn her mistakes after
Swiss Cheese dies, there would have been hope for her last daughter. Therefore,
the war indirectly took her flesh as payment for being egocentric.
When
the play first started with the singing, it shocked me. This gave me the
feeling of the older generation. The costume, music, and light also had their
huge affects towards the understanding of the play. I believe that the whole choreograph
and directing made me never flaunter away from the stage. Especially, Mother
Courage, she was the most influential actor on stage. I was fascinated by the
way she memorized and empresses her lines. I can feel the passion she hold for
money and the war. The actress expression, clothing, and voice; really help
feature the properties of a business women that strives to survive. I least intriguing actor was Kattrin, yet I
did not see the emotion that was supposed to be exerted from her. The facial
feature that was demonstrated throughout the play felt raw. She did not give
enough to me on the characteristic of being stupid. This is because Kattrin is
mute and the only skills that will be portrayed to the audience are her
movements and expression. An example for this is when she runs into the burning
house to save the baby. She gave an expression of dignity and courage, which
she is not suppose to have. I know that throughout the play she gains that
value, but her whole individuality will never lose that outlook. Instead of
petting the baby like a doll and give a characteristic as if she is compared to
the baby. She holds it with a care of a mother, which Mother Courage never
shows throughout the play. Therefore, the theater is fixed to an array in which
the only important elements to reality are survival of the fittest and money.
The stage design helped integrate and intensify the
period during the Thirty Year War. An example of it is when Mother Courage
sells her chicken to the cook and next to them is a wooden divider that
separated the kitchen from the dinner. Since I sat in the front row, I can
identify the wooden crate being used as a table and the barrels used as chairs.
With these objects used as tableware, I can distinguish the lack of money
within the period of war and the owner of the dinner having to use their own
imagination to create and conserve furniture. Furthermore, the outerwear of the
performers wear gives a great effect of the generation, since our generation of
women is popular to wear jeans instead of skirts or dress. The prostitute,
Yvette, is a great example to the clothing difference and maquillage. Since her
attires are based on a dress and the cosmetics that were worn are heavier than
my generation. Nevertheless, the stereotypical characteristics of a prostitute
in my generation are body exposing clothes.
This also gives a hint that the women in that generation are more
protective of themselves than the generation now. Since we also see Yvette
dating a veteran solider and the way she flirts to maintain his attention
instead of just letting him have his way with her. To conclude, this
production’s setting and the accouterment that was worn throughout gave the
perception of selfless individuality in protecting oneself.
Near the closing scene of the play, the cook sings
outside for dinner and Mother Courage is depressed because she is deprive of
her belongings. He sings with the blue night and with the illumination, it flow
with him a melodramatic mood. The desperate cook sings with the luminous blue
glow and it give a symbolism of death and sorrow. Another aspects of light was
that it helps narrates the actors movement or spotlight. Since I sit in the
front, my eyes are usually wandering viciously to keep up with the performers. So
when they are under their spotlight, it is easier for me to keep my perception
on them. Nevertheless, when the stages light dim down to a cloudless color, I
know that the performers onstage are rearranging the set and this gives me a
heads up to disregard them for a brief moment. Furthermore, from time to time
that I proceed with the play, a musical will appear. This is shown through
countless actors from beginning to end. Where in the beginning, mother Courage
is stop to present her identification and papers to sell. She then burst into a
melody with her children on her personal profile and her profession. This gives
me a brief fact on Mother Courage and the war that is going to be unfolding
throughout the play. Then as the theater continues I can hear each of the
singing performers’ tale and the emotions that were inside of them. This as well
is giving me extra information of the characters that was not shown during the
performance. Also I can hear the gun shot that was played repeatedly in the
play. With the gun going off, I can feel as if I was part of the stage and
being at the time of the war. Thus, the melody and illumination was actively
carried on within the play, it can help intensify the understanding of the
emotional presence of the playwright.
In the beginning of the play, I felt as if the play was
platitudinous after the chorus introduction. But I was mistaken and since the
time Mother Courage had introduced herself and her children, it has become
phenomenon. She has awed me with her performance and sensational memorization.
Furthermore, each character that was presented along with Mother Courage had
marvelously done their part. With the singing to dance and then onto the
acting, this theatrical play was astonishing. I was glad I had bought tickets
for the front row and was able to be an audience of a wondrous play.
Please do not plagiarize, since i have submitted this on turnitin.com. Thank you.
