No, there's nothing we can do. (To Kattrin:) Pray, poor thing, pray! There's nothing we can do to stop this bloodshed, so even if you can't talk, at least pray. He hears, if no one else does.

This excerpt comes from Scene Eleven, the scene of Kattrin's murder. Here, upon discovering a Catholic regiment readying for a surprise attack on the town of Halle, the peasants with whom Mother Courage has left her wagon immediately capitulate. They are certain that there is nothing they can do and support each other in their belief. Ultimately, the only "action" possible for them is an appeal to God. Certainly their reaction recalls the "Song of the Great Capitulation." In the Model Book, Brecht underlines the horrifyingly ritual character of their surrender. Years of war have frozen them into patterns lamentation. The Model Book identifies this capitulation as one of the most alienating element of this more conventionally dramatic scene, a scene that could easily entrance the audience with its pathos. By elaborating their capitulation, the play invites the spectator to consider the peasants through critical eyes. Though silent, Kattrin will intervene where they fail, saving the children of Halle. She does not address her voice silently to God but to the town's defenses.