Language Throughout The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui Brecht utilises a variety of linguistic techniques, all of which aid his dramatic purpose; to enforce upon the audience the
Candidate Name: Bethany Weston Candidate Number: 4570 Centre Name: Oulder Hill Community School Centre Number: 33237 Unit 1 Play: The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui Language Throughout The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui Brecht utilises a variety of linguistic techniques, all of which aid his dramatic purpose; to enforce upon the audience the thought that any future occurrence of their society allowing such a dictatorship to be established, must be prevented.Brecht wished to parody Shakespeare, and so borrowed particular lines and scenes from his plays to do so. For instance, just as in Shakespeare’s ‘Richard III’, Arturo Ui woos and wins over the widow of the man he has murdered. Also, as in Macbeth, Ui has a nightmare vision in which he sees his victim, Roma. Brecht again draws on Shakespeare in his use of Mark Anthony’s ‘Friends, Romans and countrymen’ speech from ‘Julius Caesar’. The impact of Ui’s repetition of the line about Brutus is greater because of the echoes in the audience’s minds of Brutus’ extreme act of treachery, which is reflected in Ui’s actions.Brecht mixes several different linguistic styles to achieve communication of the idea of conflict and incompatibility within society, to the audience. Shakespearean verse is only one example of these styles. Shakespearean verse is made evident in the play by the broken strings; ‘The name is Ui… The gangster? Yes, in person.’ These broken strings indicate that Brecht is attempting to get a certain number of syllables per line. In this case about ten syllables per line to suit the Shakespearean form of iambic pentameter. The Shakespearean verse enforces a rhythm into the dialogue, which appeals to the audience’s sense of hearing more, as it would not seem monotonous.
Therefore the audience may become more involved and interested in what is being said, and so will receive Brecht’s message clearly. In the prologue, the use of rhyming couplets is presented by Brecht; ‘Containing, for the first time, as you’ll see/ The truth about the scandalous dock subsidy.’ This enables the audience to remember the information they’re given in the prologue, more easily than if it was in prose, or without a rhyme scheme. Brecht’s reasoning for using rhyming couplets here could be to draw the audience’s attention to particular words or phrases being said by the Announcer. Alternatively he ...
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Therefore the audience may become more involved and interested in what is being said, and so will receive Brecht’s message clearly. In the prologue, the use of rhyming couplets is presented by Brecht; ‘Containing, for the first time, as you’ll see/ The truth about the scandalous dock subsidy.’ This enables the audience to remember the information they’re given in the prologue, more easily than if it was in prose, or without a rhyme scheme. Brecht’s reasoning for using rhyming couplets here could be to draw the audience’s attention to particular words or phrases being said by the Announcer. Alternatively he may have enforced this rhyme scheme into the prologue so that when it changes, an impact is made on the audience and they realise that what is being said in order to change this rhyme scheme, must be significant. For instance, the rhyme scheme changes when Ui is introduced; ‘And lastly Public Enemy Number One/ Arturo Ui. Now you’ll see/ The biggest gangster of all times/ Whom heaven sent us for our crimes/ Our weakness and stupidity!’ This demonstrates how the rhyme scheme changes from the ABAB pattern that runs throughout the rest of the prologue, to the ABBA pattern presented here. In this case, the change in rhyme scheme would be to draw the audience’s attention to Ui, and make them realise the significance and power of his character; having the power to change the literary structure of the play must mean he has significant physical power within the play.Communist language is also presented in the prologue, as the speaker addresses the audience as equals; ‘Friends, tonight we’re going to show’. This reflects Brecht’s communist beliefs, which he wished to convey through the play and does so here.The linguistic techniques used in this play also feature in the naming of characters. This is as, whereas most characters are given specific names, such as ‘Dogsborough’, some of the characters are merely given a description of their role, rather a name, such as ‘Actor’. This is, as the unnamed characters are only significant in how they affect others, or expose aspects of other characters, rather than in how their character develops or reacts to others. For instance, the Actor is significant in conveying the contrast between Ui’s character, and how he wishes to be. He also conveys the extremes that Ui is prepared to go to; to obtain the power he wishes to gain.Brecht also uses proverb and idiom in the play; ‘Short, says the proverb, are the legs of lies’. He uses this, perhaps to enable the audience to relate to and understand what he is attempting to convey about particular characters, in this case Givola: from this proverb we as the audience understand that Givola is perhaps a sly character, who’s talented at using words to talk people into or out of certain situations.The language by the characters in the play is very much colloquial to the part of America that the play is set in; Chicago. For instance when Clark exclaims to Ui in Scene Ten, ‘Cool it, Ui!’ This is language that is native to this part of America, and is used by Brecht to enforce a sense of authenticity into the play. This may seem ironic however, as we as an audience aware of Brecht’s beliefs in epic theatre, would perhaps expect this sense of authenticity and realness not to be a significant factor to the playwright.Brecht also employs the linguistic technique of alliteration throughout the play. For instance, in Scene 1a Flake states of Ui, ‘Because, he says, the shopkeepers would rather/ buy cauliflower than coffins.’ This makes an impact on the audience, as it emphasises the sinister nature of the gangster’s business.Personification is also used by Brecht, in reference to Chicago, as when Clark states in scene 1a, ‘It looks like Chicago/ The dear old girl, while on her way to market/ Had found her pocket torn and now she’s starting/ To scrabble in the gutter for her pennies.’ The personification is extremely effective here, utilised by Brecht to convey the severe state of depression in Chicago: by conveying the City as a girl, Brecht depicts the vulnerable state of Chicago. This state is then what Ui takes advantage of and exploits in order to gain power.Brecht also conveys a strong sarcastic view of certain elements in the play. For instance, also in scene 1a, Mulberry is overtly sarcastic about the gangsters’ way of business when he exclaims, ‘Bombs and machine guns! New conceptions of salesmanship!’ This demonstrates how Brecht uses characters in the play to communicate his own personal views on certain facets of history; in this case Hitler’s rise to dictatorship.Ui’s development of language is explicitly evident as the play progresses, and Ui gains power: His speeches grow in length and he becomes more eloquent; not least due to the lessons he himself takes from the satirical Actor in scene 6, conveying his conscientiousness and determination. The audience sees the development in his confidence when expressing his fascist views. Brecht uses Ui’s long speeches to communicate to the audience, a shock of reality, and so these speeches lend themselves to and aid Brecht’s dramatic purpose. For instance, in scene 7, Ui expresses his views on the worker; ‘…a worker is somebody who works./ But when you strike, when you stop working, then/ You’re not a worker anymore./ Then you’re a menace to society. And that’s/ Where I step in.’ Here, the ominous realisation, that someone with such drastic views can have such power and influence.Discounting Ui’s language, which develops throughout the play, the language used by other characters remains simplistic. This could be a technique used by Brecht, to convey to the audience that there are no underlying ideas to the plot and remind them that this play does not take the form of other conventional plays that adopt the technique of Aristotelian or dramatic theatre, but rather uses the epic theatre technique.The eloquent speech developed by Ui as the play progresses contrasts greatly to the simplistic language used by others in the play. This emphasises the mannerisms of a dictator such as Hitler, an aspect that Brecht may’ve wished to highlight in order to point out to the audience what they should be wary of in a man with influential power.The play closes with an epilogue that takes a form similar to that of the prologue; written in rhyming couplets. By starting and ending the play in the same way Brecht reinforces his message to the audience, giving the play the form of full circle.Brecht utilises metaphor in this epilogue, referring to Ui as an ‘ape’ and fascism as ‘The womb’. This expresses blatantly Brecht’s views on Hitler and Ui, giving them the characteristics of apes, and perhaps more importantly articulates Brecht’s moral message that people such as Hitler and Ui are being created in ‘The womb’ of fascism, and as long as we let them and do not resist, they will come to power again.As well as using several linguistic techniques, we’re presented with a number of literary parallels used by Brecht, which give the play a wealth of echoes, reinforcing the sense and power of the evil personified by Ui. For example, in the visit of Mr and Mrs Dullfeet to Givola’s flower shop, Brecht creates a direct parallel with a famous scene, set in a garden, from Goethe’s Faust, where Mephistopheles softens up Martha, as Givola does Mrs Dullfeet; ‘So is a/ Beautiful woman’, while Faust is preparing the ground for Gretchen’s ruin. Brecht alternates the appearance of the couples, Givola and Dullfeet and Betty and Ui, just as Goethe scripts his scene. Gretchen’s well-known line to Faust: ‘Now tell me, how do you feel about religion?’ is paralleled and extended through parody, by Brecht in the section of dialogue beginning; ‘Now what, Mr Ui, does religion mean to you?’
