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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. The expressionism of the postwar period showed the World as Will and Idea and led to a special kind of _____.

2. After the moral and material collapse of Germany, the country had a vague appetite for _____.

3. An artist from _____ made sketches for Laughton of Galileo.

4. Where did Brecht address the all-German cultural congress?

5. Why was Antigone picked up for production?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is Brecht's view on costumes and masks?

2. How does Brueghel deal in contradictions?

3. Why does Brecht complain about the use of Volkstumlich in the German language?

4. How does Brecht describe his cities after the great war in "From the Mother Courage Model"?

5. What are the conventions of traditional verse and how does Brecht's poetry defy these conventions?

6. Why does Brecht say that mere catastrophe is a bad teacher?

7. How did Neher and Brecht agree and disagree with Aristotle in the style of presentation of Antigone?

8. What is Brecht's view on rehearsal of details?

9. What system of production is present in bourgeois society?

10. What does Brecht see as a good way of judging gestic music with a piece of text?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Explain why Brecht believes theatre should transform society. How does this idea relate to his thoughts on aesthetics? How does it relate to capitalism? Who does he credit with helping him develop transformational theatre and why?

Essay Topic 2

Explain the 'alienation' effect. How do actors achieve this? Why does Brecht say that the Flemish painter, Brueghel, was able to achieve this in his art work?

Essay Topic 3

Compare Brecht's ideas on illusion versus truth in theatre. Why do films lean toward illusion? Why is truth a more appealing aesthetic for Brecht?

(see the answer keys)

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