Baal is epic theatre-maker Bertolt Brecht’s first full-length play. Brecht wrote it in 1918 while a student at Munich University, though it wasn’t performed until 1923. In 21 scenes, Baal follows the escapades and downfall of the titular character, an amoral poet and disillusioned antihero who aimlessly wanders the countryside womanizing, drinking, and fighting. He seduces his friend’s innocent fiancée, abandons a woman after getting her pregnant, and murders his friend. Though he remains defiant, his hubris eventually catches up to him and he is forced to pay a heavy price for his debauchery. Brecht wrote the play before he developed the epic theatre techniques that would define his work, but his style is still evident.
Baal guide sections
