The Threepenny Opera

Bertolt Brecht’s Verfremdungseffekt is also called “the alienation effect.” This theatrical device, coined by Brecht, is meant to prevent the audience from becoming emotionally immersed in the play. Instead, the audience is supposed to engage with the play and its themes critically. Brecht achieves this through a variety of methods, including breaking the fourth wall, using direct audience address and abrupt shifts in tone, and inserting songs that comment on the action rather than drive it forward. In addition, the songs often contrast with their immediate dramatic context, such as “The Ballad of Mack the Knife,” which presents a brutal criminal with a charming melody, creating a tonal clash that prevents the audience from losing themselves in the story. By constantly reminding the audience that they are watching a constructed performance, Brecht asks them to analyze the underlying social and economic critiques rather than passively absorb the story.