Point of View

Point of view is more aptly identified as a narrative device than a dramatic device, and therefore, does not apply to The Caucasian Chalk Circle.

Language and Meaning

Brecht’s epic theatre is a style ubiquitous throughout his works, and utilizes the Verfremdungseffekt (most often translated from German as the estrangement effect or the alienation effect) in order to force his audience or reader’s active participation in analyzing the ideological content on stage. Often times considered didactic, Brecht’s dramaturgical methods were designed to be straightforward, so as not to trick the audience into empathizing with the characters onstage, which would disrupt their active viewing of the narrative.

The major intention of Brecht’s epic theater was to expose social issues within the theoretical framework of a marxist conception of class struggle. By forcing the audience to take the position outlined above in relation...