Characters
Anna Fierling
Anna Fierling, famously known as Mother Courage, is a seasoned camp follower in her forties who skillfully maneuvers through the complexities of the Thirty Years' War by selling supplies from her canteen wagon to both warring sides. Her audacious dash through the bombardment of Riga to sell her bread before it went stale earned her the nickname "Mother Courage." She is a tenacious haggler and tradeswoman who thrives on the chaos of war, dreading the peace that might end her profits. Despite possessing some endearing attributes, she stands as the embodiment of the author's critique of war and the opportunists it breeds. Throughout the war, she remains entangled, even as she watches her three children—each fathered by a different man—fall victim to the very conflict she exploits.
Mother Courage's cynical perspective on life is encapsulated in "The Song of the Great Capitulation," which advocates the abandonment of romantic dreams for the acceptance of life's harsh realities. Similarly, "The Song of the Great Souls of This Earth," which, although sung by someone else, mirrors the tragic fates of her children, underlining that virtues such as bravery, honesty, and compassion can lead to one's downfall. Her belief that virtues are "a sure sign something's wrong" underscores her inability to grasp the true lessons of war, as she continues her trade relentlessly to the very end.
Eilif Noyocki
Eilif Noyocki, Mother Courage's eldest son, is celebrated for his intelligence and bravery. Defying his mother's wishes, he joins the army and initially garners praise for his valor. However, the warped values of war become evident when, during a brief respite of peace, Eilif is executed for an act of theft that had once made him a hero. His story serves as a poignant reflection of Brecht's condemnation of war, which distorts moral codes and values. The act that brought him commendation in wartime becomes his downfall in peace, highlighting the arbitrary and brutal nature of war's ethics.
Swiss Cheese Feyos
Swiss Cheese Feyos, the younger son of Mother Courage, is characterized by his honesty and simplicity. His integrity earns him the responsibility of handling the regimental treasury. However, his steadfast refusal to disclose its location during a Catholic assault leads to his capture and execution. Despite Mother Courage's desperate attempts to negotiate his ransom, he is executed, and when his body is presented for identification, she disowns him, fearing for her own safety. Swiss Cheese's life and death underscore the tragic irony of pure honesty in a deceitful world. Born to a Swiss military engineer and a drunkard, he is ultimately buried in an unmarked mass grave, a testament to the anonymity of war's victims.
Kattrin Haupt
Kattrin Haupt, Mother Courage's only daughter, bears the scars of a soldier's brutality, leaving her mute. Her life is marked by a profound compassion, a trait that ultimately costs her life. She is fatally shot while drumming on a rooftop to warn a town of an approaching attack, sacrificing herself for the safety of others. Kattrin is inherently drawn to children and beauty, exemplified by her admiration for Yvette's red boots. Her kindness is further illustrated when she offers the Chaplain shirts to bandage the wounded. Despite her mother's protests, she bravely rescues a child from a burning building, enduring yet another assault that leaves her disfigured. Kattrin's ultimate act of heroism is a testament to her selflessness, as she gives her life to protect her mother and the townspeople.
Yvette Pottier
Yvette Pottier, a young and attractive prostitute, has become calloused by the harsh realities of war. Her "Fraternization Song" narrates her loss of...
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innocence at sixteen to an enemy regiment's cook who subsequently abandoned her. Mother Courage uses Yvette's story as a lesson for Kattrin, warning against the perils of sentimentality. Yvette later becomes involved in the unsuccessful negotiations to save Swiss Cheese's life and eventually marries an old colonel, achieving prosperity. Initially led into prostitution by her liaison with the Cook in Flanders, she later marries the colonel's brother and secures financial stability following his death, reflecting the war's paradoxical capacity to both destroy and enable survival.
The Cook
The Cook, Peter Lamb, is infamous for seducing the young Yvette, and like Mother Courage, he navigates a career within the war's tumult. Upon inheriting a small tavern in Utrecht, he invites Mother Courage to join him, but she declines, unwilling to leave Kattrin behind. Introduced as part of the Swedish Army, he is characterized by his fondness for a particular pipe and is deemed a scoundrel by Yvette. Despite his affinity for war, he yearns for a peaceful civilian life, offering a glimpse of his complex nature. The Cook also performs "The Song of the Great Souls of This Earth," a poignant testament to the devastating impact of virtuous traits amidst war's chaos.
The Military Chaplain
The military chaplain represents the cynical involvement of organized religion in wartime. Initially aligned with the Swedish Army beside the Cook and Eilif, he finds refuge with Mother Courage during a Catholic attack. He travels with her and Kattrin for several years, contributing by chopping wood and offering assistance. A staunch supporter of war, he refers to the conflict as "a special one, a religious one," and views it as a necessary evil, even promoting its inevitability and supposed benefits. Despite briefly resuming his clerical duties during peacetime, his advocacy for war remains, as does his rivalry with the Cook for Mother Courage's companionship. His character highlights the moral complexities and contradictions of war and the institutions that sustain it.
Mother Courage
Mother Courage is the central character around whom the play revolves. She is a middle-aged woman with three children, each from a different father: two sons named Eilif and Swiss Cheese, and a daughter named Kattrin. She operates a mobile canteen that sells food and various goods. As a ruthless businesswoman, she follows the war wherever it leads, capitalizing on the commerce it generates. Formerly known as Anna Fierling, she earned the nickname "Mother Courage" after an incident in Riga where she bravely drove her canteen through a bombardment to sell bread and emerged unscathed.
Throughout the play, Mother Courage consistently shows that maintaining her business is her top priority. She attempts to prevent her sons from being recruited for the war, not out of concern for their safety, but because she needs their assistance to push the wagon. When she fails and Swiss Cheese is captured and sentenced to death, she haggles over his ransom until it's too late to save him. Despite her hard-nosed demeanor, she has a soft spot for her daughter, Kattrin, who is simple-minded and mute. Mother Courage rejects the Cook’s proposal to run an inn together because he refuses to let Kattrin join them. By the end of the play, all three of her children have died, leaving Mother Courage to pull the canteen alone.
