Brecht’s Threepenny Opera.

Write an essay in response to the following questions about Brecht’s Threepenny Opera. You may compose one continuous narrative combining your response into one essay, or you may compose a series of smaller essays covering each question. The choice is yours. The ‘alienating effects’ of Brecht’s staging have become standard fare in modern drama. What is it and does it still have an impact of contemporary audiences? Why or why not? Brecht was becoming a committed Marxist when he produced The Threepenny Opera. In his play what evidence do you find of Marxist concepts such as dialectical materialism (that change occurs as economic problems are resolved through conflict), distrust in capitalism, and the desire for a classless society? Discuss the character of Macheath and how he serves as a metaphor for a financial industrialist. How does Brecht ‘alienate’ him? What is the underlying reality of The Beggar’s Friend, Ltd.? How is the business run? What is Brecht trying to tell us about poverty?