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Terms
Guilders were gold coins frequently used throughout Europe (particularly in the Holy Roman Empire) from the 13th through 18th centuries.
Guilder Quotes in Mother Courage and Her Children
The Mother Courage and Her Children quotes below are all either spoken by Guilder or refer to Guilder. For each quote, you can also see the other terms and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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Scene 2
Quotes
EILIF. I laughed. And so we got to talking. I came right down to business and said: “Twenty guilders an ox is too much, I bid fifteen.” Like I wanted to buy. That foxed ’em. So while they were scratching their heads. I reached for my good sword and cut ’em to ribbons. Necessity knows no law, huh?
COMMANDER. What do you say, keeper of souls?
CHAPLAIN. Strictly speaking, that saying is not in the Bible. Our Lord made five hundred loaves out of five so that no necessity should arise. So when he told men to love their neighbors, their bellies were full. Things have changed since his day.
COMMANDER. (laughing) Things have changed!
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Scene 3
Quotes
I’m letting you have the bullets for two guilders. Dirt cheap. ’Cause I need the money. The Colonel’s been drinking for three days and we’re out of liquor.
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Guilder Term Timeline in Mother Courage and Her Children
The timeline below shows where the term Guilder appears in Mother Courage and Her Children. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Scene 1
...the Recruiting Officer’s suggestion, the Sergeant buys a belt from Mother Courage for half a guilder, hoping this will save him.
(full context)
Scene 3
...army property, which could get her in trouble. She talks the officer down to a guilder and a half, then sends Kattrin to make the payment.
(full context)
...The Colonel jealously tells her not to trust the Lieutenant and agrees to pay 200 guilders for the wagon. Mother Courage has two weeks to pay the money back if she...
(full context)
...follow through with the promise she has already made: to give One Eye the 200 guilders as a bribe to save Swiss Cheese, who is facing a court marshal in an...
(full context)
...a few minutes. Then, Yvette returns to explain that One Eye will only take 200 guilders, and Mother Courage agrees. Yvette runs off, and Mother Courage wonders if she “haggled too...
(full context)
