Brecht occasionally interrupts the action of the play with brief

songs. What effect does this have?

This specific construct is another example of Brechts Alienation
Effect. By singing directly to the audience, this helps to break down
the fourth wall, allowing the audience to recognize that they are
watching a play unfold. It also allows the actors to separate
themselves from their characters, by taking a step back so to speak
and commenting on the action that is unfolding. "Brecht has definite
purpose in introducing these songs in the play and the purpose is one
of the chief features of Epic Theatre, which generally function as the
device to interrupt the action. By the interruption the audience will be
able to obtain time to judge and form their opinions regarding the
episodes presented to them" (Brooker 172).
It is also a way to highlight the major themes of the play. This
ties in with Brechts concept of Theatre for Instruction. He believes
that theatre is meant to educate, not to be enjoyed. In this manner,
Brecht is telling the audience exactly what the play, or each specific
scene, is about.
How does Brecht create an Alienation Effect in this play? Provide
examples from the text.
The Alienation Effect is produced by the combination of gestus, epic structure,
and historification, which transform the nature, rhetoric, and ideology of theatre
(Reinelt 8). Gestus which is a term invented by Brecht, means that the actors
use specific ways of moving to show social relationships. Brecht wanted the
actors to react to the rest of the cast, rather than base their acting on the
individual characters inner emotions and objectives. This is something that is
more noticeable in an actual production of Brechtian work. Epic structure is easy
to spot in the text of the play. One technique is to have actors play multiple
characters, which is immediately seen in the characters of Shen Te and Shui
Ta. Another example is the breaking of the fourth wall. There are several
instances in the play where the stage directions specifically state to the
audience. This helps to, again, remind the audience that they are watching a
play, not reality, so they are alienated from the characters, rather than being
empathetic. Lastly, is historification. This is done by placing stories in a different
place or time. Obviously, this is set in the City of Setzuan (which isnt even a real
city, Setzuan is a province). By doing this, Brecht further separates the audience
from the events of the play, so they can observe the play from a more intellectual
point of view.

The original title for the play was Die Ware Liebe or Love as a
Commodity. What is the significance of this title and what does it suggest
in the context of the play?
In Scene 2 the policeman states Miss Shen Te lived by selling herself. What
else could she have done? you askbut the fact remains, it is not respectable
Love isnt bought and sold like cigars. Love, specifically the act of loving, is
central to the plot of the play. Throughout, Shen Te is constantly resigning
herself to caring for other people. The title, Love as a Commodity implies that
love is something that is limited. Though we would like to believe otherwise, in a
way, this play represents the limitations one has for loving. With every act
of kindness, Shen Te is losing something, often something as tangible as money.

Brecht, Bertolt. Theatre for Pleasure or Theatre for Instruction. na,

1964.
Brooker, Peter. Bertolt Brecht: Dialectics, Poetry, Politics. London:
Croom Helm, 1988. Print.
Reinelt, Janelle G. After Brecht: British Epic Theater. Ann Arbor: U of
Michigan, 1994. Print.