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</script> </div> </div> <main class='l--content js--fluidType' role='main'> <section class='contentMain js--fluidType' itemscope itemtype='http://schema.org/ScholarlyArticle'> <header class='contentHeader' data-language='en'> <nav class='breadcrumbs js--fluidType' role='navigation'> <a href="/">Home</a><svg class='icon icon--arrow breadcrumbs__separator' viewBox='0 0 500 500'><use xlink:href='#arrow' /></svg><a href="/study-guides">Study Guides</a><svg class='icon icon--arrow breadcrumbs__separator' viewBox='0 0 500 500'><use xlink:href='#arrow' /></svg>The Caucasian Chalk Circle<svg class='icon icon--arrow breadcrumbs__separator' viewBox='0 0 500 500'><use xlink:href='#arrow' /></svg>About The Caucasian Chalk Circle </nav> <figure class='contentHeader__cover'><div class="js--lazyLoad" data-src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71W4WRERDGL.gif" data-alt="The Caucasian Chalk Circle Study Guide" data-width="240" data-class="cover"><canvas class="cover js--lazyLoad__canvas" width="240" height="360"></canvas></div></figure> <span itemscope itemtype='http://schema.org/Book'> <h2 class='contentHeader__title' itemprop='name'>The Caucasian Chalk Circle</h2> </span> <h3 class='contentHeader__subTitle' itemprop='author'> by <a href="/author/bertolt-brecht">Bertolt Brecht</a> </h3> <div class='section__purchase'><a class="button--purchase" role="button" data-analytics="subscription-click" href="https://www.gradesaver.com/the-caucasian-chalk-circle/study-guide/join-now"><span itemprop='name'>Buy Study Guide</span> </a></div> </header> <section> <section class='section section--standard l--contentAdBody'> <nav class='navDropdown'> <a class='navDropdown__link navDropdown__prev is--inactive' title='This is the first section'> <svg class="icon icon--arrowLeft navDropdown__icon" viewBox="0 0 500 500"><use xlink:href="#arrowLeft"></use></svg> </a> <form class='navDropdown__form' data-analytics='navigation-select-submit' role='navigation'> <select class='js--navDropdown select--nav'> <option selected value='/the-caucasian-chalk-circle'>About The Caucasian Chalk Circle</option> <option value='/the-caucasian-chalk-circle/study-guide/summary'>The Caucasian Chalk Circle Summary</option> <option value='/the-caucasian-chalk-circle/study-guide/character-list'>Character List</option> <optgroup label='Summary And Analysis'> <option value='/the-caucasian-chalk-circle/study-guide/summary-prologue'>Prologue</option> <option value='/the-caucasian-chalk-circle/study-guide/summary-act-one'>Act One</option> <option value='/the-caucasian-chalk-circle/study-guide/summary-act-two'>Act Two</option> <option value='/the-caucasian-chalk-circle/study-guide/summary-act-three'>Act Three</option> <option value='/the-caucasian-chalk-circle/study-guide/summary-act-four'>Act Four</option> <option value='/the-caucasian-chalk-circle/study-guide/summary-act-five'>Act Five</option> </optgroup> <option value='/the-caucasian-chalk-circle/study-guide/related-links'>Related Links</option> <optgroup label='Quizzes - Test Yourself!'> <option value='/the-caucasian-chalk-circle/study-guide/quiz1'>Quiz 1</option> <option value='/the-caucasian-chalk-circle/study-guide/quiz2'>Quiz 2</option> </optgroup> <option value='/the-caucasian-chalk-circle/study-guide/bibliography'>Citations</option> </select> </form> <a class="navDropdown__link navDropdown__next" title="The Caucasian Chalk Circle Summary" data-analytics="next-section-arrow" href="/the-caucasian-chalk-circle/study-guide/summary"><svg class="icon icon--arrow navDropdown__icon" viewBox="0 0 500 500"><use xlink:href="#arrow"></use></svg> </a></nav> <h1 class='scale--2 contentHeader__sectionTitle' id='section-title'>The Caucasian Chalk Circle Study Guide</h1> <div class='section__purchase'><a class="button--purchase" role="button" data-analytics="subscription-click" href="https://www.gradesaver.com/the-caucasian-chalk-circle/study-guide/join-now"><span itemprop='name'>Buy Study Guide</span> </a></div> <article class='section__article' itemprop='articleBody' role='article'> <p>Written in 1944 while Brecht was living in America, <a href="/the-caucasian-chalk-circle">The Caucasian Chalk Circle</a> was initially intended for Broadway. It never quite made it there, but was instead premiered by students at Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota in 1948. Brecht's source for the play is most likely Klabund's Circle of Chalk, which was based on an ancient Chinese play written in 1300 A.D. with the same name. Brecht adapted this story into parable form and changed the setting to Soviet Georgia near the end of World War II. </p><p>Brecht wrote the play for the Viennese actress Luise Rainer, who already had experience playing a figure like Grusha in Klabund's play. Unfortunately, she and Brecht quarreled and parted company forever before the play was produced. </p><p>The play was initially translated by Eric Bentley. The first edition of The Caucasian Chalk Circle was mostly true to the German text with the only serious omission being that of the Prologue. The reason for this omission is related to the fact that Brecht was forced to appear before the House Un-American Activities Committee in Washington in October, 1947. Since the play was about to be published at this time, the publication of the Prologue was postponed at his request. This caused two false rumors to start: one, that the prologue was written after the original text, and two, that Bentley himself had initiated the omission. Neither of these rumors was true. </p><p>The play itself is unusual for Brecht because it has a relatively happy ending; everything works out for Grusha. At the same time, The Caucasian Chalk Circle is clearly a Communist play: whoever can make the best use of resources in order to provide for others deserves to get those resources. Implicit in this Communist moral is also a secularized version of the Biblical Christ story. With typical anti-religious fervor, Brecht parallels Christ's story through the life of the drunken judge <a href="/the-caucasian-chalk-circle/study-guide/character-list#azdak">Azdak</a>. Furthermore, The Chalk Circle is itself a version of Solomonic Law, based on the Biblical story of Solomon and the baby. When two women came to Solomon, both of them claiming the same child, he ordered the child cut in half. The true mother chose to instead give the entire baby to the other woman, thereby revealing to Solomon that she was in fact the mother. </p><p>The play did not gain popularity in the United States until the 1950s. The first professional production took place at Hedgerow Theater in Philadelphia in 1948 and was directed by Eric Bentley. Soon thereafter The Caucasian Chalk Circle became Brecht's most popular parable in the United States.</p> </article> <footer class='contentFooter'> <nav class='nextPrev' itemprop='pagination' role='navigation'> <a class="nextPrev__link nextPrev__next" title="The Caucasian Chalk Circle Summary" data-analytics="next-section-link" href="/the-caucasian-chalk-circle/study-guide/summary"><svg class="icon icon--arrow next__icon" viewBox="0 0 500 500"><use xlink:href="#arrow"></use></svg> <strong>Next Section</strong> <span class='nextPrev__section'>The Caucasian Chalk Circle Summary</span> </a></nav> <a class="button--purchase" role="button" data-analytics="subscription-click" href="https://www.gradesaver.com/the-caucasian-chalk-circle/study-guide/join-now"><span itemprop='name'>Buy Study Guide</span> </a> <section aria-label='How To Cite The Caucasian Chalk Circle Study Guide in MLA Format' class='citation is--hidden' itemprop='citation' role='tooltip'> <h5 class='citation__title'>How To Cite https://www.gradesaver.com/the-caucasian-chalk-circle in MLA Format</h5> <span class='citation__content'>J. 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a noble woman? </span> </a></p> </div> <div class='question--featured__answer' itemprop='suggestedAnswer acceptedAnswer' itemscope itemtype='http://schema.org/Answer'> <span itemprop='text'><p>Act One appears to end with Grusha's act of charity when she picks up Michael and takes him with her. Instead, Brecht points out to the audience that they should not be seduced by how good Grusha appears to be. In reality, she is a thief who has...</p></span> </div> </section> <figure class='participants--featured' itemprop='author' itemscope itemtype='http://schema.org/Person'> <div class="js--lazyLoad" data-src="https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/03b2639d9b0d82f220a7895f1560d9f4?r=pg&s=30&d=retro" data-alt="" data-width="30" data-class="avatar participants__avatar"><canvas class="avatar participants__avatar js--lazyLoad__canvas" width="30" height="30"></canvas></div> <figcaption class='participants__detail'> <div class='participants__asked'> Asked by <span itemprop='author'>natasha s #437192</span> </div> Answered by <span itemprop='contributor'>jill d #170087</span> <time class='participants__activity js--days-ago' datetime='2023-09-18T09:23:44Z' itemprop='dateModified'> on 9/18/2023 9:23 AM </time> </figcaption> </figure> <section class='question--featured__more'> <a role="link" class="link--more" href="/the-caucasian-chalk-circle/q-and-a/are-we-meant-to-view-grusha-as-a-noble-woman-248390">View All Answers</a> </section> </article> <article class='question--featured' itemscope itemtype='http://schema.org/Question' role='article'> <section class='question--featured__details'> <div class='question--featured__question'> <p> <a itemprop="url" role="link" class="question--featured__link" href="/the-caucasian-chalk-circle/q-and-a/point-out-the-signs-that-indicates-all-is-not-well-with-the-security-of-the-governors-palace-248391"><span itemprop='name'>Point out the signs that indicates all is not well with the security of the Governor's palace.</span> </a></p> </div> <div class='question--featured__answer' itemprop='suggestedAnswer acceptedAnswer' itemscope itemtype='http://schema.org/Answer'> <span itemprop='text'><p>The main sign that all is not well with the palace's security can be found in the fact that the Fat Prince infiltrates the palace so easily. </p></span> </div> </section> <figure class='participants--featured' itemprop='author' itemscope itemtype='http://schema.org/Person'> <div class="js--lazyLoad" data-src="https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/03b2639d9b0d82f220a7895f1560d9f4?r=pg&s=30&d=retro" data-alt="" data-width="30" data-class="avatar participants__avatar"><canvas class="avatar participants__avatar js--lazyLoad__canvas" width="30" height="30"></canvas></div> <figcaption class='participants__detail'> <div class='participants__asked'> Asked by <span itemprop='author'>natasha s #437192</span> </div> Answered by <span itemprop='contributor'>jill d #170087</span> <time class='participants__activity js--days-ago' datetime='2023-09-18T09:20:52Z' itemprop='dateModified'> on 9/18/2023 9:20 AM </time> </figcaption> </figure> <section class='question--featured__more'> <a role="link" class="link--more" href="/the-caucasian-chalk-circle/q-and-a/point-out-the-signs-that-indicates-all-is-not-well-with-the-security-of-the-governors-palace-248391">View All Answers</a> </section> </article> <article class='question--featured' itemscope itemtype='http://schema.org/Question' role='article'> <section class='question--featured__details'> <div class='question--featured__question'> <p> <a itemprop="url" role="link" class="question--featured__link" href="/the-caucasian-chalk-circle/q-and-a/what-is-juxtaposed-in-the-noble-child-248633"><span itemprop='name'>What is juxtaposed in "The Noble Child"?</span> </a></p> </div> <div class='question--featured__answer' itemprop='suggestedAnswer acceptedAnswer' itemscope itemtype='http://schema.org/Answer'> <span itemprop='text'><p>The scene titled, <em>The Noble Child</em>, juxtaposes the differences between the lives of the peasants, who are poverty stricken and suffering with the opulence of the who has more as a infant than they will ever have in their lifetimes. </p></span> </div> </section> <figure class='participants--featured' itemprop='author' itemscope itemtype='http://schema.org/Person'> <div class="js--lazyLoad" data-src="https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/03b2639d9b0d82f220a7895f1560d9f4?r=pg&s=30&d=retro" data-alt="" data-width="30" data-class="avatar participants__avatar"><canvas class="avatar participants__avatar js--lazyLoad__canvas" width="30" height="30"></canvas></div> <figcaption class='participants__detail'> <div class='participants__asked'> Asked by <span itemprop='author'>natasha s #437192</span> </div> Answered by <span itemprop='contributor'>jill d #170087</span> <time class='participants__activity js--days-ago' datetime='2023-09-18T09:17:21Z' itemprop='dateModified'> on 9/18/2023 9:17 AM </time> </figcaption> </figure> <section class='question--featured__more'> <a role="link" class="link--more" href="/the-caucasian-chalk-circle/q-and-a/what-is-juxtaposed-in-the-noble-child-248633">View All Answers</a> </section> </article> </div> <section class='actions--centered'> <a class="button" rel="nofollow" href="/the-caucasian-chalk-circle/q-and-a/new">Ask Your Own Question</a> </section> </section> <div id='singleton'> <div class='l--content grid--1up'> <div class='grid__item js--hideOnBodyId__study-guides relatedContent'> <h3>Study Guide for The Caucasian Chalk Circle</h3> <p>The Caucasian Chalk Circle study guide contains a biography of Bertolt Brecht, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.</p> <ul class='linkList'> <li class='linkList__item'> <svg class="icon icon--arrow linkList__icon" viewBox="0 0 500 500"><use xlink:href="#arrow"></use></svg> <a class="linkList__link" title="The Caucasian Chalk Circle Study Guide" href="/the-caucasian-chalk-circle">About The Caucasian Chalk Circle</a> </li> <li class='linkList__item'> <svg class="icon icon--arrow linkList__icon" viewBox="0 0 500 500"><use xlink:href="#arrow"></use></svg> <a class="linkList__link" title="The Caucasian Chalk Circle Summary" href="/the-caucasian-chalk-circle/study-guide/summary">The Caucasian Chalk Circle Summary</a> </li> <li 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Caucasian Chalk Circle…</a> </div> <div class='grid__item js--hideOnBodyId__literature-essays relatedContent'> <h3>Essays for The Caucasian Chalk Circle</h3> <p>The Caucasian Chalk Circle literature essays are academic essays for citation. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of The Caucasian Chalk Circle.</p> <ul class='linkList'> <li class='linkList__item'> <svg class="icon icon--arrow linkList__icon" viewBox="0 0 500 500"><use xlink:href="#arrow"></use></svg> <a class="linkList__link" href="/the-caucasian-chalk-circle/essays/negligence-and-irresponsibility-in-bertolt-brechts-the-caucasian-chalk-circle">Negligence and Irresponsibility in Bertolt Brecht’s “The Caucasian Chalk Circle”</a> </li> </ul> </div> <div class='grid__item js--hideOnBodyId__wikipedia relatedContent'> <h3>Wikipedia Entries for The Caucasian Chalk Circle</h3> <ul class='linkList'> <li class='linkList__item'> <svg class="icon icon--arrow linkList__icon" viewBox="0 0 500 500"><use xlink:href="#arrow"></use></svg> <a class="linkList__link" href="/the-caucasian-chalk-circle/wikipedia/introduction">Introduction</a> </li> </ul> <a class="link--more" href="/the-caucasian-chalk-circle/wikipedia/introduction">View Wikipedia Entries for The Caucasian Chalk Circle…</a> </div> </div> </div> </section> <footer class='pageFooter' itemscope itemtype='http://schema.org/WPFooter' role='contentinfo'> <section class='pageFooter__content'> <nav class='navPartners' role='navigation'> <ul> <li class='navPartners__ios'> <a title="GradeSaver on the App Store" data-analytics="ios-store-click" href="https://apps.apple.com/us/app/gradesaver/id582726279"><img alt="GradeSaver on the App Store" src="/assets/footer/ios-841136218c39bf917a6b5e4999fac197ac36b0d709778128bf05a7a7050b8808.png" width="119" height="40" /> </a></li> </ul> <button name="button" type="submit" id="pmLink">Privacy Manager</button> </nav> <nav class='navSecondary' role='navigation'> <div class='footerNavLinks'> <ul> <li><a rel="nofollow" href="/contact">Contactez-nous</a></li> <li><a href="/faqs">Q&R</a></li> <li><a href="/about">A propos denous</a></li> <li><a rel="nofollow" href="/privacy">Politique de Confidentialité</a></li> <li><a rel="nofollow" href="/terms-of-use">Conditions d'Utilisation</a></li> <li><a rel="nofollow" href="/disclaimer">Clause de Non Responsabilité</a></li> </ul> <div class='p--copyright'>Copyright © 1999 - 2025 GradeSaver LLC. 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