Justice and misuse of power dominant themes in ‘The Caucasian Chalk Circle’

The main theme in The Caucasian Chalk Circle is justice. Apart from justice, the playwright also addresses other issues among them misuse of power, class warfare, religious hypocrisy and motherhood. These issues are brought out in the three stories in the play as the playwright tries to present his idea about ownership.

This article will focus on justice, misuse of power and motherhood.

The Caucasian Chalk Circle is adapted from two parables: The Chinese chalk Circle, where a false claimant is given custody to claim her dead husband’s estate after bribing. However, this is overturned by the Emperor, the guarantor of law, in a retrial.

The other parable is that of King Solomon in the Bible, where two mothers give birth at the same time but one of the babies dies and both women claim custody of the living baby. King Solomon rules that the baby be cut into two and each to take a half. The real mother relinquishes her claim and she is given custody by the king. In the two parables, law is equated to justice because it is through it that justice is seen.

However, in The Caucasian Chalk Circle, this is not the case. The law cannot be relied on to give a just verdict because what prevails is class justice that protects and secures the interests of the ruling classes.

The playwright seeks to emphasise that within this class justice, the poor can only gain justice under exceptional circumstances. Azdak becomes judge only through chance and by mistake. The  prince’s nephew, who is a representative of the ruling class, is denied the chance. It is through this mistake that the poor, who have nothing to bribe with, get justice. This is seen when Azdak receives bribes from the rich, like the invalid, the innkeeper, the blackmailer and the farmers, and rules in favour of the poor like the doctor, the stableman and the granny.

Azdak is saved from persecution through sheer chance when the Grand Duke reinstates him as the judge for saving him. This gives him a chance to rule over Michael’s custody, giving him a chance to end up with the mother, who is caring and loving. Azdak is referred to as the poor man’s magistrate and recourse for those who didn’t have money to bribe. The singer comments; he broke the rules to save the poor and broke law like bread and gave them (pg 82). He dispensed justice using his own fashion but not the law.

Both Azdak and the arbitrator in the dispute over the valley do not use law, but they dispense justice. The two communes sit around a circle and listen to each other, then agree on who should get the valley while Azdak draws a circle and uses it to decide on the child’s custody, emphasizing on natural justice as opposed to class justice. This natural justice is concluded by the words of the singer; what there is should go to those who can make good use of them to benefit others.

Misuse of power

The other theme that is predominant in the play is misuse of power. Those in power take advantage of their position to enrich themselves, oppress and exploit the common man.

At the beginning of the play, misuse of power by the leaders is seen when the Governor is said to have many horses in his stable and many soldiers in his service, which is contrasted with the many beggars at his doorstep and many petitioners in his courtyard. This shows the difference in social classes, where the rich have so much and yet the poor have nothing.

Further misuse of power is expressed by the beggars and petitioners. They complain about high taxes, inspectors taking bribes, their sons being drafted into the army, relatives being falsely accused, their children starving and being maimed in war. These show how leaders have neglected their subjects and are concerned about their own selfish interests like expanding the palace and hiring two doctors for the child.

Misuse of power is also seen in the play-within-a-play when Azdak takes the role of the defendant and the prince’s nephew that of the judge. He exposes abuse of power by the Grand Duke when he orders officials to flog soldiers, rob cash and land owners to sleep with peasants’ wives. He also says that the princes did not send enough people, embezzled funds, sent sick horses and fought for contracts. They also received 3,863,000 piasters for horses not delivered and 8,240,000 piasters for food supplies not produced therefore lost the war but gained material benefits at the expense of the people of Grusinia.

The corporals are also portrayed as people who misuse power. The corporal who is going after the Governor’s child takes advantage of his position to harass the soldiers and members of public. He abuses the soldiers, forces them to sing and forbids them to limp after selling the horses they were supposed to use at a high price. He also commands the ironshirts to grab and kick the fat girl’s husband in the belly and reprimand them for not enjoying it saying that they will never be promoted because they are not committed to their job

Azdak is appointed judge without following due procedure and is not qualified for that position. He misuses his position as the judge. He receives bribes openly and fines his clients even before listening to their cases and does not use the statute book when  making his rulings. He listens to the cases wherever he pleases like in the tavern and on the road. He also takes advantage of clients like Ludovika when he tells her to accompany him to go and “inspect” the scene of crime.

The fat prince takes advantage of his position to make his nephew the judge despite his incompetence. This incompetence is revealed in the mock trial and he loses the opportunity and Azdak is made the judge.

MOTHERHOOD

Motherhood is the other theme in the play. Brecht explores motherhood based on humanity and social relationships as opposed to motherhood determined by blood. Natella, Michael’s biological mother lacks humanity and does not have social relationship with her own child.

At the beginning of the play, the two doctors take care of the child and she is even jealous of him for the love he receives from his father and complains that her husband only does everything for him and nothing for her. This lack of social relationship is seen when she concentrates on packing her dresses and boots and forgets the child when escaping from the coup.               

Grusha’s humane and compassionate nature is seen when she takes the child and spends the whole night with him despite the warnings she gets from the other servants.

One of the servants says: “If he had plague, he couldn’t be more dangerous.”

Grusha responds and says: “He hasn’t got the plague. He looks at me! He is human!”

In the morning she flees the city with him to protect him from the ironshirts who are looking for him to kill him. She walks for a long distance with the child on her back and is harassed by the corporal and the ironshirts.

On the way  to the northern mountain, she faces many challenges, takes risks and makes many sacrifices, such as spending her two week’s wage to buy milk for the baby, enduring the mistreatment and poor living conditions in her brother’s house, giving up her love for Simon and marrying a “dying” man.

She risks her life by escaping with the child, hitting the corporal on the head, crosing the rotten bridge to save Michael from the ironshirts.

Her motherly and caring nature is seen when she fights for Michael in court. She says that she has taught him how to live with people, to be responsible, and would like to continue teaching him. She refuses to pull the child saying she brought him up and won’t tear him to bits, showing how caring and loving she is. This is contrasted with Natella, who pulls the child because she doesn’t care about him but wants to use him to access her late husband’s estate.

The next article will be on the stylistic devices in The River and The Source.

We sincerely apologise for the wrong cover of The River and The Source in last Saturday’s article. Keep reading and sending your comments.

The writer is a teacher at Alliance Girls High School. [email protected]

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The plot

Theme of war is crucial in book

BY KIARIE RANJI

In Betort Brecht’s The Caucasian Chalk Circle, the theme of war is explored. This theme runs throughout the book, from the prologue to the very end. There are three kinds of war mentioned — one in retrospect and the other two running concurrently with the story as it progresses.

The Nazi war (Second World War) is mentioned in retrospect and by the time the story starts, the war is over but its effects are still evident. In the prologue, we are told goat-keepers abandoned their beautiful valley to run away during the Nazi war. The effect of this war is reflected in the wounded soldiers sitting on the right.

The girl tractorist tells the delegates how they had a hard time to draw the irrigation scheme in a situation of war where they couldn’t even get a pencil to draw with.

The second kind of war is the continuing conflict between Grusinia and Persia. The effect of this is captured in the second part of the book titled ‘The noble child.’ One of the petitioners waiting to see the Governor in the church compound talks of losing his leg in the Persian war. Another begs the Governor to release his only remaining son from the army because he lost all the others during the war.

The third kind of war is the civil conflict that erupts when the Governor is overthrown by the Fat Prince. The soldiers are after the Baby Michael because they want to kill him and within hours of the Governor being captured and beheaded by the iron-shirts, the “sky becomes red” (symbolism for war). The iron shirts at Nuka also talk of this civil war when they say how they beat and killed the rioting carpet weavers and were paid for it.

One character who enhances the theme of war is Jussup who married Grusha at the Northern Mountain. Jussup becomes a malingerer because he did not want to be drafted into the war. We are told that he had been sick for a whole year meaning that the war between Grusinia and Persia has taken a full year.