Bertolt Brecht: Acceptable Theatre for Plato?

The first known theatre (as we know it today) was built in ancient Athens and was a large part of the culture during the life of Plato. No doubt, Plato attended many productions of Greek tragedies and comedies and at one point, his beloved teacher Socrates became the subject of a comedy written by Aristophanes called Clouds. This was the hilarious and farcical account of a school of philosophy established by Socrates within which he is first seen suspended high in the air, in a basket. Perhaps making the assertion that philosophers always have their heads in the clouds! While this may seem rather insulting, it it believed that Socrates and Aristophanes were good friends. So, it was all in good fun, as they say!

Plato, after explaining that he would ban poetry, spoke of the power of Greek tragedy to move one to an emotional state. This, Plato felt, had a sort of bewitching power over the audience. Naturally this is not a good sign for someone who wants everyone to be able to make reasoned judgements for themselves. How can you reason when you are overtaken by emotion?

Plato would be happy to find that German playwright, Bertolt Brecht, would have agreed entirely with this sentiment. Brecht felt as though emotion should be removed from theatrical productions so that the audience could stand outside of emotion and think for themselves. Brecht believed that the theatre should move one to think about society and should serve as social criticism. Perhaps Plato would have been on board with Brechtian theatre? Below is a video explaining theater through the eyes of Brecht. But please, don't let your emotions get involved!  

Sources Cited:

 Aristophanes, and Jeffrey Henderson. 1992. Clouds. Newburyport, Mass: Focus Publishing.

National Theatre Discover. An Introduction to Brechtian Theatre. Video. July 26, 2012.