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  • Essay / Abuse of power and injustice served in Brecht's Caucasian Chalk Circle

    Brecht's source for the play "The Caucasian Chalk Circle" evolves from the play he saw in Berlin: the Medieval Chinese play by Li Qianfu “The Chalk Circle” in an adaptation by the German poet Klabund. Brecht wrote the play during World War II in 1944, while he was in exile in California, America. Before that, it was the time when he hated the Nazis and Hitler's army followed Brecht to many places. The play was first performed by the students of Carleton College at the University of Minnesota in the United States in 1947. Bertold Brecht created theater to inspire social change in society. In following communism, he was greatly influenced by the writings of Karl Marx, a German philosopher and co-author of the Communist Manifesto. This influence led Brecht to believe that if workers and the poor could understand how the rich oppressed and exploited them, the lower classes could use this knowledge to change the world – to demand higher wages and better working conditions, to stop wars and to protect their rights. To help educate his audience, Brecht created a theater where he could examine events on stage like scientists conducting an experiment. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay. Furthermore, his theater can be seen as the laboratory of human choices, where his characters are constantly given the opportunity to choose from situations that could change lives and push his characters to think. Thus, this theater known as "Epic Theater" created the feeling of detaching the audience from the play and experiencing the emotions of the play in a detached way. He did not want to lead the public to mistake theater for reality. Thus, this theater appeals less to feelings than to reason, leads the audience to “think”. This epic theater uses the “V effect” which creates a feeling of alienation and detachment in the play. While this play also bears some similarity to the King Solomon Bible, where towards the end, like Solomon, it is about two mothers fighting over ownership of a child, similarly here Azdak was related to King Solomon who Natella and Grusha look to for the title. official custody of the child and although Azdak acts like a clown but favors what is right for the child rather than what is the truth and right. Many characters in the play are given some significance, such as Grusha being the virgin mother as the virgin Mary and an official father called Jussup (reminiscent of "Joseph"), while Azdak being the clown as the Christ figure. Brecht was a writer writing during the era of Nazism. where many people were unaware of the things happening around them and where many people believed they would simply ignore the suffering before their eyes and go out with their heads down and their collars held high. Therefore, we should not be stunned by the fact that people did not think to help because charity was only offered by the rich because it is a luxury, if it is practical then the poor can only see the drama from afar. Brecht's theater had the ability to make us stop, notice, and critically question our own assumptions about why the world is the way it is. This piece generally revolves around how difficult it is for the world to act in a certain prescribed moral way and how important it is today for everyone to do what is right in a society built around the idea that there can only be winners and losers, soIs doing good the only justice? Justice is not about doing good, but about discovering what would or would not result from a good decision. Although Azdak, through his abuse of power, rendered a corrupt judgment in favor of Grusha, claiming that Michael was his son and not Natella's, it was somehow for the greater good of the child, because even if he had not done the right deed, he knew what would result. in the right decision for the child. Brecht always thought of the common good. Grusha's selflessness and maternal instinct are shown to be commendable with the motherhood and love she presents to Michael in the play, which he does not fail to receive from his birth mother, Natella. This inspiration from Brecht is taken from the Bible of Solomon and the story of Christ, as it is a reflection of one of the mothers in the story of Solomon who abandons her child to other women in fear that her child will be cut off in two. Likewise, like Grusha's act of gently pulling the child into the chalk circle, as if the child was not his but he still cared more about him than his own blood. The sacrifices she makes for him define her selflessness for the child, this selfless nature results in an adorable character, a person who has the ability to adore a person endlessly, to a certain point where she gives up on love of her life and marries a stranger knowing he is on his deathbed. Abuse of power is when a person is given power but he uses it for his own interest in a falsified way, although Azdak abused his power but it was for the right of the child and for other needy people of Grusinia. While he is not like the governor or Natella or the fat prince or the soldiers, who, under the shadow of their powers, abused them to attack innocent people. At the beginning, the governor of Grusinia abuses power by taking advantage of his life at the expense of the misery of others, because he has many horses in this stable, thousands of beggars at his door, many people who complain about the unnecessary increase in taxes and requests for mercy, these issues instead of being taken into account by the authority are neglected by him and the people are in turn expelled from their palace. Instead of considering big issues as important, he considers these trivial matters, where he worries about body parts lost in the Persian War and allows the water inspector to accept bribes . While people are constantly calling for a reduction in corruption and unnecessary taxes imposed on them, he unnecessarily has two doctors appointed for baby Michael. The governor is once again abusing his power by planning to demolish all the slums to make way for the construction of the east wing garden, which will belong to baby Michael. Even Natella, the governor's wife, abuses her position by mistreating the servants, ordering them around, insulting them, and even using physical violence against them. For example, she beats up a young woman whom she accuses of almost tearing her dress. She said to him: “I am going to kill you; you bitch! » (p.24. scene 2) The Fat Prince abuses power in several ways, he intends to overthrow the governor (his brother) from power. He decapitates him and hangs his head at the entrance to his palace for everyone to see. When Grusha escapes with baby Michael, he orders the Ironshirts to follow Grusha to bring Michael, the heir to the palace, back to be executed. He also takes advantage of his position to appoint his nephew as judge despite his incompetence. This incompetence is revealed in the mock trial and he loses the opportunity and Azdak becomes a judge. Abuse of power is also shown in the play in a play where Adzak, as a judge, abuses his power by illustrating blatant abuse ofpower and position. He exploits court clients by first demanding bribes before presiding over cases and openly accepting bribes. After each case, he says ".......I accept" and extends his hand. His abuses are also visible through the recruitment of five hundred lawyers to defend him. He also takes advantage of clients like Ludovica where he offers to accompany Ludovica, the innkeeper's daughter-in-law, to the scene of the rape so that the court can "inspect" it. He fines Grusha and Simon for contempt of court and pockets the proceedings by saying he will need the money later. He asks for forty piastres from Grusha and Simon after signing the divorce from Grushapapiers. He adopts a very unusual way of running a court where he never uses the state book and often asks the grandmother to sit in the judge's seat, which should never happen. Thus, Azdak is a simple civilian and without any education he is made to sit on a judge's seat, it is normal that he displays his lack of competence. He denounces the Grand Duke's abuse of power when he orders officials to whip soldiers, steal money and landowners to sleep with peasants' wives. Although Azdak is seen abusing all his powers and making people a victim of his greed and incompetence in education, he has some experience and fairness in thinking about the means of the heart for the poor classes. Class injustice is a subject that Brecht dealt with heavily in all of his plays, as communitarianism was an important belief that was largely implanted in his mind by the learnings and philosophy of Karl Marx. Although Azdak uses his power recklessly, he uses his power to rule in favor of the poor. Adzak, Brecht's exceptionally righteous character shows justice through his abuse of power, where although he takes the form of the rich, he gives to the poor and needy. Therefore, it makes the poor believe that they too can get justice in exceptional circumstances. Soldiers and Ironshirts are also shown abusing power. They use their whips to drive away the crowd waiting to deliver their petitions to the governor, when the crowd wants to take a look at the heir, baby Michael, they are whipped. As Grusha travels north, the Ironshirts that the singer calls "Bloodhounds", Trap-setters" and "Butchers" are on the highway after her. They mercilessly harass Grusha with a barrage of questions, a sign of their vindictiveness and sexual orientation, thereby abusing their power. Corporals are also portrayed as people who abuse power. The corporal who attacks the governor's child takes advantage of his position to harass soldiers and citizens. He mistreated the soldiers, forced them to sing and forbade them to limp after selling the horses they were supposed to use at a high price. He also orders the Ironshirts to grab and kick the fat girl's husband in the stomach and berates them for not taking advantage of it saying they will never be promoted because they are not hired in their work. For the debate on justice, the play uses the child's dilemma and debates the communes on the valley. So what is justice? Who should get it? It cannot only be granted as something just or belonging to its rightful owner, but rather it has a feeling to which justice is subject. Although Azdak is presented as a clown who is an imbecile, the justice he delivers is up to the standards of the greater right and it is not an expected or ready-made response from him, even if he is corrupt and famous foraccept open bribes. Justice will never come from "willing judges" like Prince Kazbeki's nephew, although he is well incarcerated and educated than Azdak, but Azdak's antics are different, such as demanding bribes in court from rich, comments on the accepted corruption but although he takes fully from those who are satisfied, he at the same time gives generously to the needy. He says, “It is good that justice does it in the open” as he moves in a caravan among the people. Everything he does or says satirizes the justice system. He asks Grusha: “You want justice, but do you want to pay for it? When you go to the butcher, you know you're going to have to pay” (Scene 6, p. 91). The rich are accustomed to equating money and rank with truth, but it is their truth and not impartial justice. From Azdak's comedic theater to the courtroom, he creates crazy logic for people who need help to get it, despite the law. “His balance was crooked,” explains the singer. Although Grusha is afraid of not having the child she cried her sweat and blood for, she intends to reprimand Azdak for his corruption, as her character was called throughout. But when Azdak, because of his status as an impartial judge in cases of the poor, gives judgment in favor of Grusha, the Singer states the principle of justice that Azdak uses: "what exists will belong to those who are good to it, so/Children in kindergarten. . . the valley of the troughs” (Scene 6, p. 97). The play opens and closes with true justice served. Justice in Grusinia is hard to find, where the honest and fair person like Grusha was punished and the corrupt people like the Fat Prince, the Governor, his wife were given money, good food and a palace as a refuge for them. While these people made the best of things and honest people had to suffer. Talk about justice; The play and the Prologue essentially deal with two similar contradictions. The first of these questions is: who should own the farm, those who have legal possession but have left it unprotected from invaders or those who have no legal right but have protected it and have best plans for its collective use? And the other is: who should have the child, the one who gave birth and let him die or the one who did not give birth but saved him from all perils and can teach him to be a better citizen ? Both conflicts are resolved by finding which side of the conflict holds the overall good of society. Brecht criticizes the judiciary in the play because for him, justice works for the welfare of the maximum and not for something fair and just. Brecht highlights the corruption, prejudice, alignment with those in power and the partiality of the legal system to which the inhabitants of Grusinia are victims. In this period of war when all systems of state government were withdrawn and suspended, the judge's seat was vacant and Azdak occupied it. It was the time when Grusinia was in total chaos. In these bloody, corrupt and anarchic times, Azdak comes to deliver justice. His judgments are unjust by current standards of justice, but simply by the utilitarian theory of justice. As we have already mentioned, the Fat Prince wishes to install his nephew as judge. This nephew also watches over the Fat Prince, which shows once again that the ruling classes are at constant war with each other and that it is the poor who must suffer. There are many illegal things, as Azdak says, hidden under the guise of justice. We have always seen that inherited assets are passed from one generation to another on