Bertolt Brecht
Bertolt Brecht
Eugen Bertolt Friedrich Brechtwas a German poet, playwright, and theatre director of the 20th century. He made contributions to dramaturgy and theatrical production, the latter through the tours undertaken by the Berliner Ensemble – the post-war theatre company operated by Brecht and his wife, long-time collaborator and actress Helene Weigel...
NationalityGerman
ProfessionPlaywright
Date of Birth10 February 1898
CityAugsburg, Germany
CountryGermany
For once you must try not to shirk the facts: mankind is kept alive by bestial acts.
Impact lies in the vicinity of mistakes.
Even hatred of vileness Distorts a mans features.
There are times when you have to choose between being human and having good taste.
Recently my fingers have developed a prejudice against comparatives. They all follow this pattern: a squirrel is smaller than a tree; a bird is more musical than a tree. Each of us is the strongest one in his or her own skin. Characteristics should take off their hats to one another, instead of spitting in each other's faces.
You can't write poems about trees when the woods are full of policemen.
What they could do with 'round here is a good war. What else can you expect with peace running wild all over the place? You know what the trouble with peace is? No organization.
When the leaders speak of peace, the common folk know war is coming.
The law was made for one thing alone, for the exploitation of those who don't understand it, or are prevented by naked misery from obeying it.
Unhappiness doesn't grow on the chest like leprosy. Poverty won't fall off the roof like a loose tile, no; poverty and unhappiness are man's doing.
For art to be 'unpolitical' means only to ally itself with the 'ruling' group.
Reality changes; in order to represent it, modes of representation must change.
Don't expect the theatre to satisfy the habits of its audience, but to change them.
He who is still laughing is he who hasn't heard the terrible news.