Analysis Of Bertolt Brecht's 'The Life Of Galileo'

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Name: Brenda Chai Jia Ern Matrics No: AEC 130008 Course: ACEA 2304 Twentieth Century Drama Lecturer: Dr Nicholas Pagan Paper #1, Option 4: “Hanna Arendt detects in Brecht’s plays the idea that to change a “bad” world into a “good” one you have to become “bad” yourself. Discuss by looking carefully at Galileo and the characters around him in The Life of Galileo”. In the play ‘The Life of Galileo’ by Bertolt Brecht, some of the characters held personal reasons and beliefs which consequently display the unpleasant side of humanity. Each firmly believes that their thoughts and actions are justified. For instances, Galileo Galilei and the Roman Catholic Church. In my opinion, it is a necessity to be “bad” for the betterment of the world. As the saying goes, “You have to be cruel to be kind.” However, there are some who have good intentions but their actions have ironically changed the world from “bad” to “worse”. Galileo becomes “bad” (in the eyes of the Roman Catholic Church) for the sake of enlightening his people. …show more content…

In the end, he recanted his work to avoid the torture sentence by the Inquisition. Sad to say, the words of his student Andrea Sarti rings true: “Unhappy the land that has no heroes!” (Scene 13). With an autocratic ruler such as the Roman Catholic Church in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, the people will forever be clouded from all good sense. Reference 1. Brecht, Bertolt. The Life of Galileo. London: Methuen, 1963. Print. 2. "Tracts." The Galileo Controversy. N.p., 2014. Web. 27 Oct. 2014. 3. "The Horrors of The Church and Its Holy Inquisition." The Horrors of The Church and Its Holy Inquisition. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Oct. 2014. 4. Gaglioti, Frank. "Giordano Bruno, Philosopher and Scientist, Burnt at the Stake 400 Years Ago." Giordano Bruno, Philosopher and Scientist, Burnt at the Stake 400 Years Ago. N.p., 16 Feb. 2000. Web. 29 Oct.

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