s of trade but loses her first son to war. This is tragic because her love as a mother clashes with her greed as a trader.
Eilif’s Tragic Fall: Later, the Commander praises Eilif for bravery. He kills peasants and steals cattle. He even sings proudly,
“The soldier laughs and loads his gun.”
Mother Courage warns him,
“Didn’t I teach you to take care of yourself, you Finnish devil, you?”
But later in the story, when peace comes, the same act of killing peasants is judged as a crime. Eilif is executed. The son who was once a hero becomes a criminal. This is tragic irony.
Swiss Cheese’s Tragic Honesty: Swiss Cheese becomes paymaster. Mother Courage says,
“Don’t forget they made you paymaster because you’re honest.”
But this honesty leads to his death. He refuses to give up the regimental cash box when caught. Mother Courage tries to save him, but she bargains too long. At last, Swiss Cheese is shot. The tragedy is that his honesty becomes his destruction. The mother’s bargaining kills the very son she wanted to protect.
Kattrin’s Tragic Sacrifice: Kattrin is mute and scarred, yet she has a kind heart. In the last scene near Halle, she climbs a roof and beats a drum to warn the villagers of an attack. Soldiers shoot her, but she does not stop. This sacrifice is tragic. The silent girl gives the loudest cry. She saves others but dies herself. Mother Courage loses her only daughter, the last hope of her family.
The Tragic End of Mother Courage: At the end, Mother Courage is alone. She has lost all three children, Eilif, Swiss Cheese, and Kattrin. She is left alone with her wagon. Earlier, she had sung a fortune-telling song with slips of paper. She said,
“So shall we all be torn asunder if we let ourselves get too deep into this war!”
That warning becomes true. This ending is deeply tragic. She knows the truth, but she cannot leave the war. She drags her wagon with nothing left. Her survival is empty. The audience feels the weight of loss, not with tears, but with deep thought.
“Mother Courage and Her Children” is a tragedy in a new form. It does not follow the old style of tragic heroes like Oedipus or Lear. Instead, Brecht shows how ordinary life becomes tragic in war. A mother loses her three children, yet she goes on with her wagon. The play ends in silence and loss. It is a modern tragedy of war and greed.
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