Shen Te
E616179
Shen Te is the central character in Bertolt Brecht’s play "The Good Person of Szechwan," a compassionate but struggling woman whose attempts to live morally in a corrupt society force her to adopt a harsher alter ego.
Statements (46)
| Predicate | Object |
|---|---|
| instanceOf |
fictional character
ⓘ
theatrical character ⓘ |
| alterEgoRole | Shui Ta is a ruthless, pragmatic businessman persona NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| appearsIn | The Good Person of Szechwan NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| appearsInForm |
prose dialogue
ⓘ
songs ⓘ |
| associatedWithConcept | Verfremdungseffekt (alienation effect) NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| centralThemeRelation |
conflict between morality and survival
ⓘ
critique of capitalist social relations ⓘ |
| characterTrait |
compassionate
ⓘ
generous ⓘ morally conflicted ⓘ self‑sacrificing ⓘ |
| createdBy | Bertolt Brecht NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| createdForForm | stage play ⓘ |
| dramaticArc | from hopeful beneficiary of divine aid to desperate user of a harsh alter ego ⓘ |
| facesConflictWith |
economic hardship
ⓘ
exploitative neighbors ⓘ |
| firstAppearedIn | The Good Person of Szechwan NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| firstPerformanceYearOfWork | 1943 ⓘ |
| gender | female ⓘ |
| hasAlterEgo | Shui Ta NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| hasLoveInterest | Yang Sun NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| hasMedium | theatre ⓘ |
| hasMoralDilemma | choosing between helping others and preserving her own livelihood ⓘ |
| hasNameOrigin | Chinese‑sounding name chosen by Brecht ⓘ |
| hasOccupation | prostitute ⓘ |
| hasRelative | Shui Ta NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| influences | interpretations of female agency in Brecht’s theatre ⓘ |
| isFrom | Szechwan NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| isJudgedBy | the gods at the end of the play ⓘ |
| isSubjectOf |
literary criticism on ethics and capitalism
ⓘ
theatrical performance studies ⓘ |
| languageOfWork | German ⓘ |
| laterHasOccupation | tobacco shop owner ⓘ |
| narrativeFunction | embodiment of the problem of being good in a corrupt society ⓘ |
| receivesGift | money from the gods to start a business ⓘ |
| receivesHelpFrom | the gods in The Good Person of Szechwan NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| roleInWork | protagonist ⓘ |
| setIn | a fictionalized Szechwan in China ⓘ |
| strugglesWith | maintaining goodness while ensuring survival ⓘ |
| symbolizes | the impossibility of pure goodness under oppressive conditions ⓘ |
| undergoesTransformation | adopts male disguise as Shui Ta to protect herself ⓘ |
| usedAsExampleOf | Brechtian character designed to provoke critical reflection ⓘ |
| workGenre |
didactic play
ⓘ
epic theatre ⓘ |
Referenced by (2)
Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.