What Role Does Religion Play in the Drama “Mother Courage and Her Children?”

Answer

What role does religion play in the drama “Mother Courage and Her Children?” 

In Bertolt Brecht’s (1898-1956) “Mother Courage and Her Children” (1939), religion is portrayed as a tool for manipulation and hypocrisy rather than a source of true faith or comfort.

Religion as a Tool for Survival and Manipulation: The chaplain in the play is supposed to represent spiritual guidance, but he often acts selfishly and contradictory to religious values. For instance, when the situation becomes dangerous, the chaplain abandons his Protestant faith and disguises himself as a Catholic priest to avoid being executed. This shows how religion is used more as a survival strategy than a source of moral direction in times of war.

Hypocrisy: The play highlights the hypocrisy of religious figures who, instead of offering real help or comfort, justify the violence and brutality of war. The chaplain claims,

To fall in battle is a blessing, not an inconvenience,

This line suggests that dying in war is noble. However, he quickly abandons these ideals when his life is at risk. This double standard reveals Brecht’s criticism of how religion is often exploited to support war and maintain power.

Kattrin’s Sacrifice – Faith vs. Human Action: When peasants pray for help during the crisis of saving innocent villagers, it is not divine intervention but Kattrin’s courageous act that saves the village. A peasant’s wife says:

Pray, poor creature! Pray! Nowt we can do to stop the bloodshed.

The Peasant’s wife believes she is hopeless in stopping the slaughter of the encroaching army. While she prays, Kattrin launches into action, climbs to the roof, beats the drum, and alerts the villagers. Kattrin continues beating the drum to alert the villagers until the soldiers shoot her down.

In essence, Brecht illustrates that religion, rather than being a true source of guidance, often reinforces the destructive forces of war and power.