Dec 28, 2009

Baal | Baal

At a glance:

Author: Bertolt Brecht
First Published: 1922
Type of Work: Play
Type of Plot: Tragedy
Time of Work: c. 1911
Setting: Augsburg, Germany, and the surrounding region
Genres: Drama, Tragedy
Subjects: Homosexuality or homosexuals, Sex or sexuality, 1910’s, Germany or German people, Hedonism, Expressionism
Locales: Augsberg, Germany

Characters Discussed

Baal (bahl), a poet, named for a Semitic- Phoenician god. He embodies the vitality and amorality of the fertility principle the god represented. The god’s association with storms and with the life-giving properties of water is reflected in the violence and fleetingness of Baal’s passions. In the moral sphere, Baal is exploitive, murderous, and prone to drunkenness. He is tied to no human or ethical obligation. In the natural sphere, he insists on enjoying the pleasures and richness of the world.

Ekart (EH-kahrt), a composer, a bear of a man who...

[The entire page is 844 words long]

Baal | Baal

At a glance:

Characters Discussed

Join eNotes