Verfremdungseffekt in the good person of szechwan

Brecht’s thoughts towards theatre was that it should not be just simply enjoyable, but also something that made the viewers think and analyse with sense of regard for social change. Brecht insisted that the audience no longer needed to identify with characters in a drama but actually must keep a cool and critical distance in order to be able to judge the actions of fictional women and men by the highest ethical standards. He wanted the audience to decide whether they approve or disapprove of characters' actions and decisions. In ‘Der Gute Mensch von Sezuan’ Brecht used theatrical devices such as asides, songs, stock characters, Gods, dream sequences and finally a few made up proverbs to achieve this desired effect.

Wang’s introduction to the audience at the beginning of the play conveys the grey image of industry that the audience must keep in mind during the whole play. His line ‘Ihre Schulten sind gang eingedruckt vom Lasentragen.” sets the tone for the play and reminds the audience to view all events and characters in regard to the horrible surroundings they live in. In fact the setting is a particularly vital cog in the machine of alienation Brecht is trying to use. Though the play is set on the other side of the world to where audiences were viewing the action, Brecht’s intent was to show a play which was a reflection of the actual social, cultural and political life at that time throughout the world, although the play uses some conventions of Chinese theatre and is set in China. The importance of song in this play cannot be underestimated either, with the music being used to jerk the audience into an objective view whilst commentating on what is happening. Shen Te, for example, sings “Das Lied com Rauch” which addresses “Der Grossvater, Der Mann ind Die Nichte”, all different people with different lives but all condemned to suffer and die. Scene 4 which consists of “Das Lied von der Wehrlosigkeit" demonstrates the theme of Patriarchal Capitalism. Shen Te