Life of Galileo
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This article refers to Life of Galileo (play) written by Bertolt Brecht. It focuses specifically on
the relationship between the text and the context Encountering Conflict.
Script
This is essentially a story about what happens when societal authority and individual
conscience clash. Throughout the play, Brecht explores the complexities of the relationship
between an individual and a society, along with the struggles an individual must endure in
choosing between their ideology and their personal safety.
It is important to keep in mind that while much of this text is an accurate depiction of
Galileo’s life and conflict with the Church, the play is a creative work and takes great liberty
with the scientist’s personal life. Be careful in your writing- if you are writing about Galileo
as a man; as opposed to a character in Brecht’s play, make sure you distinguish between the
two clearly.
Brecht’s style
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Biblical references. The story is both centred around the conflict between Galileo
and the Church, and uses this conflict as an allegory for the wider conflict between
scientific discovery and authority. Throughout the play, many characters reference
verses from the Bible in their speech, and perhaps most significantly, in the final
scene, Galileo’s speech contains many biblical references, representing the ways he
has changed (or acts changed) during his imprisonment by the Church.
Dramatic irony. This is when the audience understands what is happening more than
the characters. Because of the audience’s uniquely powerful position in this text,
they are often able to find dramatic irony in comments representatives of the
Church make to Galileo or Virginia. For example, when representatives of the Church
attempt to make fun of Galileo’s theory, they end up looking foolish to the audience
who know much of what he hypothesises is correct.
Unseen events. Some of the critical events of the play occur beyond the audience’s
view, for example, Galileo’s decision to recant.
Setting and stage direction. Brecht gives precise stage directions and instructs they
are to be followed exactly with no movements being unnecessary. He also describes
how the scenes should be set up, in particular, that they should realistically depict
the time period of the play.
Simile. Brecht uses a range of similes throughout the play, but one significant one
while reoccurs is that of Galileo spreading ideas and the dangerous spread of plague.
The Ballad Singer comments: “for independent spirit spreads like foul diseases.”
More importantly though, let’s look at the big ideas of Encountering Conflict which emerge
from Life of Galileo.
Types of conflict
Internal conflict
The central conflict of the play is that between Galileo and his discovery, and the Church
and their oppression, but this clash gives rise to another; one within Galileo. The scientist is
forced to choose between his greatest love; his logic and discovery, or his own personal
safety. Throughout most of the play Galileo is too stubborn to recognise the imminent
threat from the Church, and his recantation takes place out of sight of the audience, but his
internal conflict is reflected upon in the final scene of the play between the protagonist and
idealistic Andrea. Despite not seeing the threat of torture that motivates Galileo to recant,
the audience has an understanding of how difficult this decision is for the protagonist
because of the passion with which he speaks of his discoveries throughout the play. While
Andrea comes to see Galileo’s decision to recant as having a higher purpose; to allow for
further scientific discovery, Galileo confesses it was purely from fear of physical harm. Thus
the internal conflict for Galileo is apparent; he knew he should remain true to his
convictions and refuse to recant, but this knowledge is pitted against his fear. This is a great
example of different types of conflicts bleeding into each other: Galileo fears physical
conflict and so a number of other conflicts spin off of his decision to recant including that
within himself and between himself and his disciples.
Galileo’s findings create a further internal conflict in some of the characters around him.
Many of the characters who Galileo shares his findings with are caught in the intellectual
and emotional crossroads of their faith and their logic. These characters see the proof, but
have held their faith for a long time, and the two beliefs cannot coexist simultaneously in
the eyes of the Church. Characters fall on both sides of this decision; some choosing to
embrace Galileo’s teachings while others reject them in lieu of the Church’s position on the
solar system, including his own daughter.
Societal conflict
The Church argues that Galileo’s findings (and his choice to publish them in Italian rather
than Latin) are tantamount to causing a societal conflict. For the Church, Galileo’s theories
are blasphemous because they do not fit within religious doctrine which states that the
Earth is the centre of the Universe and that everything in the solar system is attached to
glass spheres. Furthermore, by publishing in Italian so that even uneducated people can gain
access to his theories, Galileo challenges the status quo that the Church imposes.
Representatives of the Church voice the threat of such a social upheaval throughout the
play; that his teachings would encourage the slave to revolt against his owner and the dog
against his master.
Galileo: I might write in the language of the people, for the many, rather than in Latin for the
few. Our new thoughts call for people who work with their hands. Who else cares about
knowing the causes of things? People who only see bread on their table don’t want to know
how it got baked; that lot would sooner thank God than thank the baker. But the people who
make the bread will understand that nothing moves unless it has been made to move.
Brecht positions the Church as an evil force here in that it opposes change- even when that
change could be for the good of scientific discovery and, further, mankind. Through this
allegory Brecht is able to critique authority which uses power and threats to quash scientific
discovery and any questioning of the status quo. Importantly, he’s making a comment here
not just on the example of Galileo and the Church- but on all attempts to quash scientific
advancement and broader understanding throughout history. Think broadly about all of the
other things this play could relate to, such as climate change, and that Brecht implicitly
comments on, such as the ethics of human experimentation during the Holocaust.
Interpersonal conflict
Galileo is not positioned as an infallible character and is depicted as having a rather abrasive
and, at times, condescending manner of dealing with others. He has repeated verbal and
intellectual conflicts with other characters throughout the play. Nonetheless, the aggressive
way in which he purports his views communicate his humanity to the audience, making it
easier to sympathise with his decision to recant, and are part of the way he is successfully
able to convince others of his theories, even when they are reluctant to hear them. This
determination in his speech and desire to share his theory eventuates in his downfall with
the protagonist unable to see the danger the Church poses to him as clearly as other
characters because he has grown accustomed to experiencing conflict when he shares his
views.
One of the more substantial interpersonal conflicts displayed is that between Galileo and
Andrea. The latter’s utter devastation at Galileo’s decision to recant plays itself out on stage
and becomes a source of resentment towards the former mentor. It is only at the conclusion
of the play when Galileo gifts Andrea his work that the conflict begins to resolve itself.
Andrea: Like the man in the street we said ‘He’ll die, but he’ll never recant.’ You came back:
‘I’ve recanted, but I’m going to live.’—‘Your hands are stained’, we said. You’re saying:
‘Better stained than empty.’
Causes of conflict
Significantly, while Galileo can be seen to cause a conflict through spouting untraditional
theories, it is the Church that is positioned as the aggressor within the play. Brecht suggests
that, while Galileo’s words and decisions spark the conflict, this is a conflict that must take
place because it is against an oppressive authority. In this way, Galileo and his followers are
positioned as victims against the much larger and more powerful Church. Galileo tells them:
“truth is born of the times, not of authority.”
It is worth considering Galileo’s decision to publish in Italian rather than Latin in relation to
the causes of conflict. This decision is a large part of why the Church reacts to the scientist
so aggressively- because they see it as challenging the social structure that enables them to
be powerful. This raises interesting questions about freedom of information and the
decision between what is safe and what is right.
Responses to conflict
The Church responds to the conflict they see Galileo as having sparked with aggression and
threats, leading to fear and submission from Galileo and Virginia. In contrast, Galileo’s pupils
think he should (and believe he has before the bell tolls) respond with stoicism and bravery
in the face of such threats. It is not until Galileo presents Andrea with his hidden manuscript
that the younger man is able to forgive his former teacher for what he sees as allowing the
Church to oppress crucial scientific discoveries. Andrea’s criticism is untested as he is not
threatened by the Church in the same way as Galileo, but his stinging words still raise an
interesting comparison between different characters’ responses to conflict.
Another interesting comparison is between Virginia and Galileo. While Virginia has entirely
resigned herself to the limitations set by the Church during her father’s captivity, Galileo
continues to produce his secret manuscript and publish it through Andrea despite his
external appearance of submission; as seen through him constantly referencing the Bible
throughout the last scene.
Aftermath of conflict
The impact of the conflicts throughout the play is explored in the final scene between
Andrea and Galileo. Clearly affected by his captivity by the Church, Galileo’s speech and
demeanour are altered. Andrea has hardened and initially treats his former teacher with
some disdain. The bitter exchange between the two men is intended as a small scale
personal and interpersonal representation of the aftermath of the conflict, while Andrea’s
words, and the background knowledge of the audience, show an awareness of the wider
consequences for humankind as a result of religious oppression of scientific discovery
throughout Galileo’s lifetime and beyond. In this way, Brecht depicts both small scale and
large scale implications of the oppression of ideas; the personal emotional crises it
generates and the wider social and intellectual problems it breeds.
Roles within conflict
Brecht depicts the Church as the aggressors that create conflict in this play, despite Galileo’s
active role in disrupting the social structure at the beginning of the play. The Church is
represented as capable of oppression because of their well-established and wide reaching
power. Galileo is complexly portrayed as a victim, but not an innocent one; after all his
failings are evident throughout the play and he steals the idea for the telescope for personal
gain. Furthermore, through the allegory that the play forms, society is also portrayed as a
victim because of the loss they experience at the hands of religious oppression. Some
characters can be seen to be bystanders because of their lack of action, but equally their
lack of action can be seen to position them as enablers of the Church’s oppression, and
thereby involved in the conflict.
Source: Engage Education