Oppression and Coercion

One of the primary themes that Boal deals with is oppression and coercion. In Boal's worldview, people are greatly defined by their roles in the society. As members of a specific class, individuals begin acting according to the rules of their class instead of according to their personal wills. The members of the upper class become oppressors, and the workers become the oppressed. The oppressed workers are kept in ignorance, prevented from improving their situations, and are manipulated and pacified to prevent them from revolting. Since theater is part of culture, and culture is primarily influenced by the mainstream of society, Boal necessarily sees culture as part of the force that manipulates, coerces, and oppresses the masses. Boal's analysis of Aristotelian theater reads theater in this way, identifying it as a mechanism that works on human emotions to manipulate and repress.

In Boal's worldview, empathy is...