Compare and contrast Brechtian and Aristotelian Theatre.

This sounds like an essay topic, so I'll give you a few
points of comparison to get you started.  Please also use the link below to more
information on writing a comparison/contrast
essay.

1. Probably the most important difference
   between the two is that Brecht wanted his audience to think intellectually
   about the performance that they were witnessing, while Aristotle argued
   that audiences, especially those witnessing a Tragedy, should be drawn in
   emotionally, experiencing the tragic circumstances along
   with the hero of the play.


2. Aristotle did not actually
   write or produce theatrical performances, he was a philosopher and offered theoretical
   ideas about the nature and purpose of drama in his work Poetics. 
   Brecht was a director, writer and producer of his own theatrical productions.  So, while
   Aristotle presented theoretical ideas about theatre, Brecht
   presented practical applications or stagings of actual
   performances.


3. Aristotle proposed that the drama
   (especially Tragedy) is a journey of a main character to a cathartic self-awareness. 
   For Brecht, dramatic theatre exists as a vehicle to create social change, not to reflect
   the internal workings of an individual soul.  So, Aristotle's focus was
   man's internal life, while Brecht's focus was on
   the external, the social
   order.

For more on Aristotle,
his Poetics, and Brecht, plus some tips for creating a
comparison/contrast essay, please follow the links below.