How many individuals today consider their core values? What would the response of a teenager be if they were confronted with a question concerning their virtues? A typical teenager would most likely have no idea. It can be argued that the lack of awareness of core values in today’s society is rather frightening, just how would individuals cope if they are tested in a time of conflict, especially in a civilisation where we encouraged to be selfish, greedy and oblivious to our beliefs. It is true that conflict tests our fundamental values and in a lot of cases, illustrates what those values are.
In Bretch’s play “life of Galileo” we witness the rise and fall of Galileo Galilei, an enthusiastic scientist who holds strongly to his beliefs but relinquishes his core values for the sake of preserving his life. Galileo’s opposition, the Catholic Church, present a superficial set of core values in order to conceal their desire to hold onto their authority. Meanwhile, it comes to us as a surprise when some individuals are willing to withstand torrents of abuse for the sake of standing up for their core values.
The conflicts present in Bretch’s play “life of Galileo” are both personal and political and in both cases, test the core values that Galileo proclaims. These tensions in the play are inextricably linked and are personified in the protagonist, whose encounters with the Catholic Church have widespread ramifications. Galileo’s progressively dangerous encounters with political conflict begins with the invention of the telescope, which is stigmatised as the “devilish tube” owing to the fact that it can provide “scientific proof” that the earth revolves around the sun.
Galileo naively believes that the telescope will be enough to silence the critics in Florence, who hold the Ptolemaic theory in high regards. His naivety is further demonstrated when he ignores the advice of his friend Sagredo, who warns him that going to Florence with “the truth” is the equivalent of Galileo “going to his doom”. In his political conflict against the church, Galileo’s core values are challenged. His passion for scientific truth is at the centre of his moral values and he believes his duty as a scientist is to eradicate ignorance and expose the truth.
However when the “instruments of torture” are presented before him, recants for the sole purpose of preserving his life and is prepared to compromise his core values and settle for an “easy life rather than a heroic death”. Although Galileo avoids physical pain and possibly death, the consequences of his recantation is evident in the price he paid: his moral integrity and his dignity. His own proclamation that “someone who knows the truth and calls it a lie is a crook” ultimately returns to haunt him and is at the core of his inner conflict.
Galileo’s withdrawal leads to what is perhaps the most distressing personal conflict in the play: the exchange between Galileo and his former protege, Andrea, who has become “his enemy” and also condemns Galileo upon his visit. Galileo’s secret rework of the discorsi changes Andrea’s view about Galileo’s moral integrity: “You gained the leisure to write a scientific work which could be written by nobody else”. However Galileo corrects him and insists that he recanted “because [he] was afraid of physical pain” and he admits that he shamefully “betrayed [his] profession”.
Although the reader may be in acknowledgement of Galileo’s redemption, His self-acknowledgement of his cowardice, and his secret rework of the discorsi is the pinnacle of Galileo’s redemption. It is the fact that his conscience comes back to haunt him, that the reader is in acknowledgement of his flaws and is able sympathize with Galileo. Through Galileo’s The political conflict that engulfs Galileo arises because of the Church’s desire to extinguish the Copernican theories that “[get] rid of heaven”. The inquisition was the Church’s response to conflict, and lthough the church’s conflict with Galileo does not test their core values, it demonstrates what their core values are; holding on to power. Conflict between science and religion is at the core of Brecht’s play. The church’s belief that the earth is at the universe is being confronted which could potentially nullify that Catholic Church’s power.
As a dedicated scientist, Galileo rejoices in a time when humanity will finally be able to “understand its abode” and convinces himself that “where faith has been enthroned… oubt now sits”. On the other hand, Sagredo Galileo’s core values are is the primary cause of his conflict with the church. The celestial position of the church’s political power is what ultimately silences Galileo and forces him to recant. The little monk is in fear of the collapse of the social order the earth is merely “a small knob of stone twisting endlessly through the void”. He explains how the laity, who “have been assured that God’s eye is always on them” would feel “betrayed and deceived they will feel”.
As Galileo continues to resist the authority of the Church, the inquisition finally resorts to brute force by showing him the “instruments of torture”. This terrifying demonstration of power is not a test of the church’s core values, but demonstrates what their core values are: defending their authority. Galileo believes that the truth should be forced through the people “who are prepared to reason”. The church’s response to Giordano Bruno, the man who was accused of heresy and burned at the stake demonstrates the lengths that the authority will go through to hold on to their power.
The representatives of the church are at the pinnacle of the social hierarchy and they deem it necessary to suppress the individual “who knows the truth” in order to protect their celestial positions. The little monk justifies the church’s motives for suppressing the truth as it ensures the “peace of mind of the less fortunate” Through Galileo’s attempt to redeem himself, Brecht demonstrates how the compromise of moral integrity can be sacrificed for the sake of selfpreservation.
However, it is through Galileo’s secret transcription of the Discoursi, Bretch demonstrates that these core values can resurface and result in a degree of personal redemption. The wealthy landowners also experience a great sense of unease of Galileo’s theories as it could potentially result in social change. Ludovico expresses disdainful views of the landowners who are greatly aware that Galileo’s political conflict with the church might “stir up his peasants to think new thoughts”.
