The Caucasian Chalk Circle :: essays research papers

The Caucasian Chalk CircleThe Caucasian Chalk Circle by Brecht uses epic theatre to bring forth an idea ormeaning for the reference to consider while entertaining the audience. Epic theatre involves the use of alienation techniques to distance the viewer from the story but still concentrate on the boilers suit meaning. The person who just views the story would likelytake it as fantasy and not reach the true depth of the play. Brecht shocks the viewer by making the events and actions in the play "strange and abstract" this contrasts with dramatic plays where the audience sympathises and relates to the characters of the play. The theme throughout the play is natural justice versus class justice. The title has links to other parables and stories sooner it. The Chalk Circle, a Chinese play involved a legal action where the false take upant was granted custody due a bribe to claim her dead husbands estate. This however was overturned by the emperor moth, the guarantor of the law, in a retrial as the emperor was the father. This particular story is a whisper to the result of Grushas trial. The emperor is portrayed as the epitome of justice and gives a true verdict. The trial scene is also adapted from the parable of King Solomon. Solomon the paragon of justice and faithfulness oversees the trial of two mothers, one child is dead the other alive, they seek custody of the alive child. The king asks the child to be cut in half, the true mother relinquishes her claim and thus gains custody of her rightful child. In these two whispers the law is shown to be equated with justice, however Brecht seeks to highlight that within Grusinia this is notthe case and it takes a greedy Azdak who despises the upper classes to give a justverdict.The class justice presented in the novel has close links to the Marxist view of the law, with the law parcel all, but in reality it protects and secures the interests of the ruling classes. The play seeks to emphasise that withi n this class justice the poor can onlygain justice beneath exceptional circumstances. Azdak as the judge and arbiter of justice has come to this position only through a matter of chances and mistakes. Firstly he harbours the Grand Duke from Shauva, consequently he confesses to the Ironshirts only to be made judge because the Duke escaped.