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Bertolt Brecht

Bertolt Brecht

2 7.2
A German writer of plays and poems who created epic theatre
  • proper noun
  • /ˈbɛrtoʊlt brɛkt/
: Bertolt Brecht
  • Many directors have been inspired by Bertolt Brecht's theories of epic theatre.

Examples

  • Did you read any plays by Bertolt Brecht?

  • She wrote her thesis on Bertolt Brecht and his impact on political theatre.

  • Many directors have been inspired by Bertolt Brecht's theories of epic theatre.

  • The works of Bertolt Brecht remain influential in modern drama classes.

  • The works of Bertolt Brecht are studied in drama classes worldwide.

  • She wrote her thesis on Bertolt Brecht and his impact on political theatre.

  • The works of Bertolt Brecht remain influential in modern drama classes.

Synonyms

Brecht
vsBertolt Brecht
7 7.4

A German writer of plays and poems who created a style of theatre that shows social problems

means the same but uses the full formal personal name

Surface Forms

Morphology

Bertolt + Brecht

This is a proper name referring to a specific person; knowing the constituent name parts does not allow a B1 learner to infer biographical information (that he was a German dramatist and poet). Proper names are arbitrary referents rather than compositional phrases, so the meaning is not derivable from the parts.

Etymology

Bertolt Brecht used plain sets and had actors speak to the audience to stop people from getting lost in the story. That's why his name is linked to a theatre style that makes audiences 'think' rather than just 'feel'.