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The Life of Galileo | Themes
Freedom of Thought and Speech
The matter of freedom lies at the heart of the Life of Galileo
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Galileo's telescopic observations strengthened the Copernican theory
that the sun lay at the center of the universe and all other heavenly bodies orbit around it
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In Brecht's telling, Galileo is a scientist who pursues the truth regardless of the effects it
may have on the people, religion, and society within which he lives
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Galileo's lack of concern with the
consequences of his work has him confronting papal decrees, an inquisitor armed with
machines of torture, and his own desire for comfort in his life
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Galileo is threatened with death by burning at the stake if his books are deemed
heretical by the church; the reader's knowledge that further astronomical research has
proved Galileo correct casts this threat as a misguided persecution
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Knowledge and Society
The question of what knowledge individuals should possess is a recurrent issue
throughout the Life of Galileo
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The Infuriated
Monk says that "
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The
nobleman Ludovico is likewise concerned with the structure of society when, in Scene 8,
he cautions Galileo not to continue his research
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Galileo lands squarely on the opposite side of the subject from all three of these
characters
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Moreover, he believes that this
knowledge should be available to all, so much so that he insists that the Florentine court
philosopher refrain from speaking in Latin so that all present (in particular Galileo's
assistant, the lens grinder Federzoni) can understand the discussion
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The Ballad Singer and his Wife in Scene 9 sell Galileo's
pamphlets for two centesimi (2 cents) each in the marketplace
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Brecht's
Galileo believes knowledge should be the possession of all in society, but he is unable to

effectively argue why possessing that knowledge will not have negative effects on society,
or even why the possession of that knowledge would be more important than its
potentially negative effects
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In Scene 4, when Galileo is presenting his telescope and its discoveries to the Florentine
court, the philosopher asks Galileo to consider where his research is leading
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Galilei, the truth might lead us
anywhere!"
Throughout the play, Brecht's Galileo prioritizes the pursuit of scientific truth above
everything except his own survival
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He does not even concern
himself with the impact of his work on his own daughter, whose happiness and married
life he casually sacrifices by refusing Ludovico's request that he stop his research
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Although first composed in 1938 in Denmark, the version of the play most
commonly read in English is the second, 1947 edition; this play contains small revisions
made in the wake of the end of World War II (1939–45)
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The atomic
bomb, both as a technical and social phenomenon, is the classical end product of his
contribution to science and his failure to society
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