Page 34 - The International Journal of the Royal Society of Thailand Vol.XIII-2021

The International Journal of the Royal Society of Thailand
Volume XIII – 2021

social issues which underlie the dramatic narrative. The society of Szechwan, as
depicted by Brecht, […] is a society where poverty governs every action, turning

some people to crime of different sort (Compare Mccullough, C. 2006: 125).

In the play, irony blurs the distinction between economics and the morality
of “goodness” that the Gods are searching for by the help of dialectic thought
pattern. The presence of Shen Te and Shui Ta is rather to reserve the play’s dialectic

and didactic purpose of Brecht’s “Epic theatre”. There must be consistency within
the character’s development in a good play or we don’t believe in the character.
From Buddhist perspective, all the contradictions, differences, also many incon-

ceivable social and economic preconditions of the events in the drama have apparently
made the action of the characters in the play unrealistic, inexplicable, and under
various circumstances, impossible. The “good deeds” of Shen Te lead to bad
consequences. Her intention to survive demands unfriendliness. It is here that
we need to understand certain aspect of what Buddha has discovered in the law

of nature that everyone, not the will of the Gods, is responsible for his deeds.
It is impossible not to receive or avoid the consequences of his deeds, either
good or bad, quickly in this life, or later in the next lives. It is the social circumstances

that govern every action, but lead to all malice and the grimness of life as in the
remarks of Brecht and some literary critics. These certain aspects of Brechts and
some literary experts simply contradict the Buddhist law of nature on cause
and effect (Karma). Shen Te could have behaved differently, if her deeds had
been governed by consciousness and wisdom in Buddhist tenets. The cause of

wickedness is, therefore, not the outside world, but man himself through his
greed and discontentment with everything. In this respect, the parable play is anti-
Buddhist par excellence. Further, in the drama, there is only a little precondition

of capitalism in Szechwan. The town, as described by Brecht, in which it is difficult
to survive, is full of poverty and hunger. In Szechwan, there is no rich employer,
no proletariats. The tobacco factory is too small and the employment relationship
too merciful, so that the exploitation of workers is principally out of question.
The factory, through Shui Ta, even offers a workplace for the lazy people and the

ones who have nothing to do. Obviously, “good” deeds result from the apparent
“bad” deeds of Shui Ta.

24 Bertolt Brecht: “The Good Person of Szechwan” – Anti-Capitalist, Anti-buddhist?