Bertolt brecht galileo galilei pdf

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The play was written in and received its first theatrical production in German at the Zurich Schauspielhaus , opening on 9 September This production was directed by Leonard Steckel , with set-design by Teo Otto. The second or 'American' version was written in English between — in collaboration with Charles Laughton , and opened at the Coronet Theatre in Los Angeles on 30 July In , in the wake of the Manhattan Project , Brecht prepared a third version. The action of the play follows the career of the great Italian natural philosopher Galileo Galilei and the Galileo affair , in which he was tried by the Roman Catholic Church for the promulgation of his scientific discoveries. The play embraces such themes as the conflict between dogmatism and scientific evidence , as well as interrogating the values of constancy in the face of oppression.

Qty :. This Student Edition of Brecht's classic dramatisation of the conflict between free enquiry and official ideology features an extensive introduction and commentary that includes a plot summary, discussion of the context, themes, characters, style and language as well as questions for further study and notes on words and phrases in the text. It is the perfect edition for students of theatre and literature. Along with Mother Courage, the character of Galileo is one of Brecht's greatest creations, immensely live, human and complex. Unable to resist his appetite for scientific investigation, Galileo's heretical discoveries about the solar system bring him to the attention of the Inquisition. He is scared into publicly abjuring his theories but, despite his self-contempt, goes on working in private, eventually helping to smuggle his writings out of the country.