How we cite our quotes: (Scene, Line numbers)
Quote #4
MOTHER COURAGE: […] Look, s'pose some general or king is bone stupid and leads his men up s*** creek, then those men've got to be fearless, there's another virtue for you. S'pose he's stingy and hires too few soldiers, then they got to be a crowd of Herculeses. And s'pose he's slapdash and don't give a bugger, then they got to clever as monkeys else their number's up. Same way they got to show exceptional loyalty each time he gives them impossible jobs. Nowt but virtues no proper country and no decent king or general would ever need. In decent countries folk don't have to have virtues, the whole lot can be perfectly ordinary, average intelligence, and for all I know cowards. (II, 161-172)
If you're in need of moral support, we don't recommend Mother Courage. She turns the usual thinking about virtue on its head. She thinks virtuous behavior is necessary, just a way to compensate for the foolishness of the leadership. This reminds us of Eilif's situation with the general, when Eilif's "deed of heroism" (see II, 47), stealing cattle from peasants to feed the army, is no more than a clever way to deal with a problem the general can't fix himself: starvation.
Quote #5
MOTHER COURAGE: Don't you forget they made you paymaster cause you was honest, not dashing like your brother, and above all so stupid. I bet you ain't even thought of clearing off with it, no not you. (III, 39-42)
When it comes to virtue, honesty is a no-brainer. But for Mother Courage, the fact that Swiss Cheese is "honest," meaning he doesn't lie or cheat or even think about stealing the money entrusted to him, isn't necessarily a good thing. In fact, Swiss Cheese ends up endangering his family and getting himself killed.
Quote #6
MOTHER COURAGE: […] Be thankful you're dumb, then you can't contradict yourself and won't be wanting to bite your tongue off for speaking the truth; it's a godsend, being dumb is. (III, 123-126)
If Swiss Cheese's honesty is hardly a blessing, at least Kattrin's muteness seems to have its benefits, according to Mother Courage. Without a voice, Kattrin can't risk getting into trouble for speaking the truth. Needless to say, we usually think speaking the truth is a good thing, a principle to live by. In Kattrin's case, when she tries to "speak" up to save her mother and townspeople, she loses her life. But does Kattrin still prove her mother wrong?