The Life of Galileo - 1545 Words

The Battle For Truth Throughout the course of history, from era to era, mankind has been on a continuous attempt to perpetuate what they perceive as the truth; and in doing so, embark on a quest to find their true identity and place in life. One must realize that the common theme in all literature is the search for identity and belonging. Bertolt Brecht, author of The Life of Galileo, effectively uses the developing character Galileo Galilei to portray a strong message; a message which five hundred years after the fact has still not been completely comprehended. Through Galileos continuous battle with the Church in prevailing his work, Brecht is telling the readers that in any one mans attempt to propagate the truth, whether it†¦show more content†¦....Everything is irrefutably seen to depend on me, man, the work of God, the creature at the centre, the image of God,.... (Brecht 40) LITTLE MONK: ...Youve won. GALILEO: It has won! Not me, reason has won! (Brecht 40) After the Old Cardinal implicitly tells Galileo that his research and teachings symbolize atheism, he is approached by Clavius whom tells Galileo that he is right and that he is invited to Rome to show his research. It is interesting to see Galileos response in crediting reason for his achievement. It is here where the reader sees Galileos thoughts and perceptions on life; that science and its achievements should not only be credited to the founder yet the society that encourages these findings; that the progress of human kind as a whole should be the objective of inventions. Using Galileo, Brecht continuously stresses these points throughout the play and is making it clear that he is against the notion of the discouragement of ideas, inventions, and thinking. Although external forces such as the church and other characters do not influence Galileos personal belief, there are also internal forces, such as the battle against self, that also influence Galileos perception on both his work and human kind. It is through his experiences with Andrea, the young protà ©gà © of Galileo, that we see the character of Galileo at the beginning of the play. InShow MoreRelatedThe Life of Galileo Themes778 Words   |  4 Pagestreasured above all else? In Bertolt Brechts, The life of Galileo, the idea of the Catholic church controlling information is a central theme. The conflict of intellectual freedom; between the individual and authority. The Life of Galileo  suggests that it is only through the process of questioning – and engaging that society can learn and grow, and one should treasure their intellectual freedom, as depicted through the main character, Galileo. When Galileo discovers new evidence about the rotation ofRead MoreThe Life of Galileo Galilei 609 Words   |  2 Pages Galileo Galilei is considered one of the greatest scientists of all time. He was an Italian mathematician, astronomer, and philosopher who very strongly supported Copernicanism, which is the idea that the earth orbits the sun. It was hard to advocate Copernicanism because it was a very controversial idea during that time. Galileo was a leader in the Scientific Revolution. He made discoveries in the sciences of motion, astronomy, an d strength of materials. In motion, his famous scientificRead MoreThe Life of Galileo Context Essay.1518 Words   |  7 Pagesyoung again. For me, the liberty I do have only brings more questions and confusion into my life. The world doesn’t seem too exciting. As I am now so used to the idea of being ‘free’, in the sense of being able to choose what road I choose, when given boundaries sometimes i react by getting irritated and angry. I am not alone with these sentiments. We all oppose restrictions in different areas in our life. While physical and idealistic imprisonment can push us towards revolt, it is in our reactionRead MoreLife Of Galileo And Top Girls Analysis1542 Words   |  7 PagesLife of Galileo and Top Girls Life of Galileo and Top Girls are two plays that truly exemplify epic theater. They both tell stories in order to call the audience to some form of action, and they both alienate the audience from the characters. Epic theater’s purpose is â€Å"to cause the audience to think objectively about the play, to reflect on its argument, to understand it, and to draw conclusions† (â€Å"Epic Theater†). Therefore, for a work to be categorized as epic theater it must have an argumentRead MoreEssay on Life of Galileo Scene 71713 Words   |  7 PagesLife of Galileo, Scene 7: Brecht delineates the important episodes of the life of Galileo Galilei. The main matter of his life was the conflict between him and the Church. The church ultimately did shut him up but Galileo was still adamant to send his theory wherever he could. He wanted every person in the marketplace to know what he had discovered. And that is why in the very beginning when he faked the telescope he had allowed anyone and everyone who wanted to see the telescope to come and seeRead MoreEssay about The Life and Work of Galileo1360 Words   |  6 PagesThe Life and Work of Galileo Galileo Galilei is considered to be one of the greatest mathematicians of all time. He made life changing discoveries and mystified many with his knowledge. However, not all of his work was accepted well. Galileo challenged the church creating a controversy that will never be forgotten. Galileo Galilei was born in Pisa, Italy February 18, 1564. He was the son of Vincenzo Galilei, a member of a Nobel family, a musician and a mathematician. Galileo, at an early ageRead More The Life of Galileo and the Effects of his Findings on Faith1719 Words   |  7 PagesThe Life of Galileo and the Effects of his Findings on Faith Galileo Galilei was born in Pisa, February 18, 1564. At an early age, Galileo was interested in mathematics and the study of mechanics. His father, a onetime mathematician, pushed him towards the medical profession, which held much greater financial benefits. But the attempts of Galileo’s father were in vein as Galileo soon discovered the works of Archimedes and became extremely interested. Thus, his father reluctantly allowedRead MoreThe Life and Work of John Calvin and Galileo Galilei Essay1156 Words   |  5 PagesJohn Calvin was born July 10th, 1509, in Noyon, Picardy. He was raised up in a staunch Roman Catholic family. Early in his life, Calvin’s father was employed by the local bishop as an administrator at the town’s cathedral. With this newly acquired job, John Calvin’s father wanted Calvin to be a priest. Due to the fact that his family had close ties with the bishop and his noble family, Calvin’s classmates in Noyon were aristocrati c and culturally influential in his childhood. At the age of fourteenRead MoreEssay about Quest for Identity in The Life of Galileo by Brecht1498 Words   |  6 PagesQuest for Identity in The Life of Galileo by Brecht Throughout the course of history, from era to era, mankind has been on a continuous attempt to perpetuate what they perceive as the truth; and in doing so, embark on a quest to find their true identity and place in life. One must realize that the common theme in all literature is the search for identity and belonging. Bertolt Brecht, author of The Life of Galileo, effectively uses the developing character Galileo Galilei to portray a strongRead MoreNicholas Copernicus : The Father Of Modern Science1728 Words   |  7 PagesGalileo Galilei, the most renowned scientist of the Renaissance period, or the â€Å"father of modern science† was known as a jack-of-all-trades: he was an astronomer, physicist, engineer, philosopher, and mathematician just to name a few. But perhaps what he is most known for is spurring the scientific revolution in the late seventeenth century. Galileo challenged what was then considered common knowledge for almost 30 years: for example, the idea of a heliocentric universe. The most controversial of