how does swiss cheese die in mother courage

In Bertolt Brecht’s play “Mother Courage and Her Children”, Swiss Cheese is the second of Mother Courage’s three children. He dies in Scene 5, when he is accused of being a spy by the Catholic Army and subsequently executed by firing squad.

Swiss Cheese tries to save the regiment’s cash box but is caught by the enemy and refuses to deny or betray his own unit. The priest decides to use Swiss Cheese’s silence as proof that he is the enemy. When Mother Courage tries to appeal his sentence by offering to pay 200 guilders as a bribe to save his life, she is too late to save him.

Swiss Cheese is shot by the firing squad and dies for his noble decision, ultimately not betraying his fellow soldiers. His execution serves as a poignant reminder of the violence and death that occurs during wartime and serves to further illustrate Mother Courage’s tragic loss throughout the play.

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