Mother courage
Background
Mother Courage was written by the German Dramatist Bertolt Brecht, with significant contribution from Margaret Steffin (German actress, writer and translator.) 
This play is set during the Thirty Years Wars. The Thirty Years war was a religious war. It lasted from 1618 to 1648, starting as a battle among the Catholic and Protestant states that formed the Holy Roman Empire. However, it gradually developed into a European war; it became less about religion and more about which group would ultimately govern Europe. The conflict changed the geopolitical face of Europe (politics & international relationships), the role of religion, and nation-states in society (an ideal in which cultural boundaries match up with political boundaries.) During this time there were more than 8 million deaths, including 20% of Germany's population - it is one of the most destructive and brutal conflicts in human history. https://www.history.com/topics/reformation/thirty-years-war. 
Mother Courage was written in the early years of WW2, in the year 1939 and during the rise of Hitler. By the mid 1930's, Hitler's political objectives and intentions had become very clear to Germany and to writers, making him a well known name. Brecht knew this name and hated it. In fact, he called Hitler 'The Great Bandit.' 
Despite the play being written when Brecht was in Sweden, Mother Courage is concerned with the Germany of the past, and the Germany of Brecht's present. The play is a warning against capitalism and the consequences of war -  Brecht was passionate on this since, living in Germany, he was experiencing this first hand. It would appear he is threatening a repeat of the Thirty Year War as a warning. The Thirty Year War developed from a religious war into a war of who would govern Europe - Hitler was showing promise of wanting to govern Europe, therefore threatening a repeat of history.
War-times follow a capitalist structure where the lower class (e.g soldiers and traders) have no real way of gaining for the war, therefore having no change. It is the upper-classes who were awarded for their efforts. This message is shown through the play.

Epic theatre
Mother Courage is a good example of an epic play. It does not develop a conflict in terms of characters, but follows Mother Courage through twelve years, crossing through Europe from Scandinavia to Italy and back again to Central Germany to show the affect the Thirty Years War had on her and her dependants. Mother Courage's opinions fluctuate throughout the play to show how she is in the process of adopting whatever stance is required to keep her business afloat. This reveals to the audience that the Capitalist mindset drives her every move - business comes first. Courage's story begins long before the play opens and does not end with the final curtain. She walks off to find more of the same. This kind of open ending is a feature of epic drama.

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