Brecht - Arturo Ui

Questions

"[…] In Ui the problem was on one hand to let the historical events show through, an on the other to give the 'masking' (which is an unmasking) some life of its own, ie it must - theoretically speaking - also work independently of its topical references. among (sic!) other things, too close a coupling of the two plots (gangster plot and nazi plot) - that is, a form in which the gangster plot is a symbolical version of the other plot - would be unbearable, not least because people would constantly looking for the 'meaning' of this or that move, and would always be looking for the real-life model for every figure. this (sic!) was particullarly difficult[...]"

1st apr 41

Bertolt Brecht, Journals 1934-1955, John Willett (ed.), Methuen London 1993.

What is the historical context?

America - Germany

What role does it play in Brecht's drama?

Gangster - Nazis

4

The resistible  rise of Arturo Ui is not just a drama about Hitler and the Nazi regime.

Brecht wants us to think further.

Make list of the characters in Arturo Ui and try match them with members of the NSDAP