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Life of Galileo

by Bertolt Brecht, Hugh Rorrison (Translation), John Willett (Translation)

3.69 of 5 stars 3.69 · rating details · 2,677 ratings · 122 reviews

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 st...more

Paperback, Methuen Student Editions, 192 pages

Published March 15th 2012 by Bloomsbury Methuen Drama (first published 1956)

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Mar 15, 2012 Riku Sayuj rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Riku by: Neerja Pandey

Shelves: reviews

The play explores the pivotal moment in human history, at least in western history, when man confronts for the first time the proof that his conceptions of truth were entirely wrong.

Galileo comes alive as a larger than life genius from the pages, full of witticisms and blustering energy. Even his betrayal of his own science tends to be easily forgiven by the audience because he is such a genial revolutionary.

More than the drama of science standing up to the bully called religion, I liked more t...more The play explores the pivotal moment in human history, at least in western history, when man confronts for the first time the proof that his conceptions of truth were entirely wrong.

Galileo comes alive as a larger than life genius from the pages, full of witticisms and blustering energy. Even his betrayal of his own science tends to be easily forgiven by the audience because he is such a genial revolutionary.

More than the drama of science standing up to the bully called religion, I liked more the instances of Marxism creeping into the play. In the discussions about Latin and how writing science in English will spell doom to the nobility, we get a sense that the real danger that Galileo represented was not just contradictory new knowledge but that the knowledge was suddenly out in the public realm. Galileo had to die because he was not just an academician, he was a new kind of preacher - a preacher of logic.

These instances are woven into the grander drama with small scenes of Galileo ranting about professors having to teach all seven days and having not "time for research and about "knowledge as commodity", these are the scenes that to me made this a play of our times.

The true gist of the play comes out in the penultimate scene. I would like to put some of it here so that even if someone does not have the patience to read the play, they can still get the spirit of its core argument. This occurs immediately after Andrei discovers that Galileo has been working on a scientific treatise even during his imprisonment:

GALILEO: I had to do something with my time.
ANDREA: This will found a new science of physics.
GALILEO: Stuff it under your coat.
ANDREA: And we thought you had become a renegade! My voice was raised loudest against you!
GALILEO: And quite right, too. I taught you science and I denied the truth.
ANDREA: This changes everything, everything.
GALILEO: Yes?
ANDREA: You concealed the truth. From the enemy. Even in the field of ethics you were a thousand years ahead of us.
GALILEO: Explain that, Andrea.
ANDREA: In common with the man in the street, we said: he will die, but he will never recant. You came back: I have recanted, but I shall live. Your hands are tainted, we said. You say: better tainted than empty.
GALILEO: Better tainted than empty. Sounds realistic. Sounds like me. New science, new ethics.
ANDREA: I of all people ought to have known. I was eleven years old when you sold another man’s telescope to the Venetian Senate. And I saw you make immortal use of that instrument. Your friends shook their heads when you bowed before a child in Florence, but science caught the public fancy. You always laughed at our heroes. “People that suffer bore me,’ you said. ‘Misfortune comes from insufficient foresight.’ And: Taking obstacles into account, the shortest line between two points may be a crooked one.”
GALILEO: I recollect.
ANDREA: Then, in 1633, when it suited you to retract a popular point in your teachings, I should have known that you were only withdrawing from a hopeless political squabble in order to be able to carry on with your real business of science.
GALILEO: Which consists in ...
ANDREA: . . . The study of the properties of motion, mother of machines, which will make the earth so inhabitable that heaven can be demolished.
GALILEO : Aha.
ANDREA: You thereby gained the leisure to write a scientific work which only you could write. Had you ended in a halo of flames at the stake, the others would have been the victors.
GALILEO: They are the victors. And there is no scientific work which only one man can write.
ANDREA: Then why did you recant?
GALILEO: I recanted because I was afraid of physical pain.
ANDREA: No!
GALILEO: I was shown the instruments.
ANDREA: So there was no plan?
GALILEO: There was none.

Definitely a play worth reading, not for a scientific or historic perspective but for a picture of how reason and logic broke free from dogma and of how one man made the whole world tremble by unfolding a telescope!

It is indeed a marvelous portrait of intellectual betrayal. The angry impotence of a man who realizes that he is ethically unequipped to deal with the consequences of his own genius.(less)

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May 03, 2012 Janna rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Die Erde steht im Zentrum unserer Welt und alle Gestirne kreisen um sie herum! So war, ist es und wird es immer sein!

Komische Aussage, was? ;)
Schließlich ist heute jedem Kind bekannt, dass die Erde um die Sonne kreist. Nicht aber vor 400 Jahren. Da war jedem Kind bekannt, dass die Erde im Zentrum der Welt steht und Sonne, Mond und die anderen Planeten um sie herum kreisen.

"Im Jahre sechzehnhundertundneun
Schien das Wissen hell
Zu Padua aus einem kleinen Haus.

Galileo Galilei rechnete es aus:
Die...more

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Apr 12, 2012 Masoud Pourmoosa added it · review of another edition

حس امیدواری گالیله رو خیلی دوست داشتم؛ امیدواری به این که مردم سرانجام نادرست بودن حرف‌های (مقدس) ارسطو رو با چشم خودشون می‌بینند و با وجود فشار شدید کلیسا اون‌ها رو رها می‌کنند:

«گوش کن ساگردو. به انسان اعتقاد دارم، من به عقل انسان اعتقاد دارم. بدون داشتن چنین اعتقادی، دیگر نیرویی جهت برخاستن از تخت خواب در صبح نخواهم داشت.

پیرمردی که شب قبل از سفر، توبره‌ای جو اضافه کنار قاطرش می‌گذارد،‌ دریانوردی که هنگام خرید توشه راه هم به فکر طوفان و هم به فکر آرامش دریاست، بچه‌ای که وقتی احتمال بارش قریب‌ال...more

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Jul 29, 2011 Aniruddha rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

There are many reasons why I chose to write about this in my common application to American colleges. This book has had a phenomenal influence on me. I have loved and enjoyed every part of this play. Life of Galileo is not merely another book about the enraging conflict between science and its mindless counterpart religion, but also about society and in the end life itself.

People oft forget that Bertolt Brecht was a Marxist intellectual and his plays not only reflect that but also impersonate hi...more

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Feb 15, 2011 Mikhail Green rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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Jan 17, 2011 Mike Polizzi rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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May 22, 2010 Talieh rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

نمایشنامه زندگی گالیله از جمله نمایشنامه هایی است که زندگی شخصیت اصلی نمایش را در بستر جامعه اش برایمان بازگو می کند.عقاید و تفکرات متعصبانه ای در ایتالیا و بسیاری از کشورهای اروپایی رواج داشته است .تفتیش عقاید از ارکان اصلی دستگاه حاکم بوده است ،مسئله ای که حتی رشد علم را نیز زیر سوال می برد تا متفکران و دانشمندان آن جامعه را فلج کند. اما، گالیله زیرکانه به تحقیقات خود ادامه می دهد...

در رابطه با این نمایش می توان گفت بهترین دیالوگ جمله ای است که آندره آ شاگرد گالیله، زمانی که گالیله در کلیسا م...more

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Mar 11, 2010 Jenn rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

One of the very many quotes that I utterly enjoyed from this play:

"SAGREDO: Galileo, I see you embarking on a frightful road. It is a disastrous night when mankind sees the truth. And a delusive hour when it believes in human reason. What kind of person is said to go into things with his eyes open? One who is going to his doom. How could the people in power give free rein to somebody who knows the truth, even if it concerns the remotest stars? Do you imagine the Pope will hear the truth when you...more

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Jul 13, 2012 The UHQ Nasanta rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: format-audiobook, own, genre-plays, read-books-2012, reviewed, setting-location-italy, setting-time-historical

2.5 - 3 stars

Narrated by Stacy Keach, Emily Bergl, Jessica Chastain, Jill Gascoine, and others

Since listening to "The Importance of Being Earnest: Performance" as well as the sample of "Arcadia" (which I have purchased and will be listening to next), I have kept an eye out for L.A. Theatre Works. I find the performances of the actors to be great with the lines skillfully and humorously delivered. This one was no exception. Stacy Keach gave a wonderful, if loud and a bit wild, portrayal of Galile...more 2.5 - 3 stars

Narrated by Stacy Keach, Emily Bergl, Jessica Chastain, Jill Gascoine, and others

Since listening to "The Importance of Being Earnest: Performance" as well as the sample of "Arcadia" (which I have purchased and will be listening to next), I have kept an eye out for L.A. Theatre Works. I find the performances of the actors to be great with the lines skillfully and humorously delivered. This one was no exception. Stacy Keach gave a wonderful, if loud and a bit wild, portrayal of Galileo Galilei, and I liked the secondary characters as well. I enjoyed "The Importance of Being Earnest" a lot more, though.

"The Importance of Being Earnest" held my attention better. I am more a fan of comedy and the humorous than of serious works, and while there were the occasionally humorous lines in "The Life of Galileo", it was rather somber in tone for half the performance. There were too many characters to keep track of in "The Life of Galileo". I couldn't tell who was who and what their relationship to Galileo was except for Galileo himself, his daughter Virgina, Andrea and his mother. The time jumps seemed rather fast as I listened to this audiobook. Perhaps it would not have seemed as strange and sudden if I were reading the play or watching it being performed, but when all I had was listening to this performance condensed into 1 hour 40 minutes (the other 20 minutes was the list of cast and people involved in this production and the interview with Dr. E. C. Krupp, Director of the Griffith Observatory) even the narrator noting the setting and time did little to smooth the transition between such scenes.

I was initially a bit startled to realize that the performance ended 20 minutes before the audiobook. I had not read the Publisher's Summary on the Audible.com page mentioning the interview. That said, I found it rather interesting to listen to - perhaps even more so than the actual performance itself. It did feel to me as if the interviewer kind of lost some of her neutral tone in questioning Dr. Krupp about his views on the Catholic Church's motives for persecuting Galileo. I was grateful for the interview and Dr. Krupp's perceptions regarding Galileo and the Catholic Church. It gave me another view of what might have been behind the scenes back then rather than the popular view that is held now.
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Jan 16, 2011 Regina rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. In some point in history: the intersection of science and religion was the height of the inquisition. It is a time when the Church reigns and one man, a physicist, must choose life or death between himself or science. Galileo’s dilemma and the circumstances surrounding it are presented in Bertolt Brecht's play, “Galileo.” Galileo Galilei was born in Pisa, Italy on February 15, 1564, 21 years after the death of Copernicus. Galileo changed the scientific community forever with his development of t...more In some point in history: the intersection of science and religion was the height of the inquisition. It is a time when the Church reigns and one man, a physicist, must choose life or death between himself or science. Galileo’s dilemma and the circumstances surrounding it are presented in Bertolt Brecht's play, “Galileo.” Galileo Galilei was born in Pisa, Italy on February 15, 1564, 21 years after the death of Copernicus. Galileo changed the scientific community forever with his development of the scientific method. However, what he is most remembered for is not his scientific accomplishments, but rather his clash with the Catholic Church. It all started with the invention of a telescope, which, was brought to Galileo’s attention in scene 1. (Pg. 51) Its significance will lead Galileo in discovering enlarged images in the sky and learning more about the facts of astronomy.
Galileo was harboring very radical ideas for his time, and it did not comply with to the Church's beliefs. He stated, “Yes. What you are seeing now has been seen by no other man besides myself.” “The moon is an earth with mountains and valleys, and the earth is a star. As the moon appears to us, so we appear to the moon. From, the moon, the earth looks something like a crescent, sometimes like a half globe, sometimes a full globe, and sometimes it is not visible at all.”(Pg. 59) Laymen called every object in the sky a “star” before the 17th century because what they saw and believed wasn’t what they thought it really was from just seeing it with the naked eye because at that time no other man, but Galileo has seen the details of the moon. This ended quite unpleasantly for Galileo on June 22, 1633, when he was considered a heretic by the Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church and condemned to permanent house arrest. Over 350 years later, Pope John Paul II announced that the Church realized the errors in the Galileo case.
I feel that Galileo had a very opinionated outlook on life and was heavily involved in a struggle for freedom of inquiry. Galileo was a person who had many strong beliefs and would not let people or a document have a say in what he believes. I think that according to Galileo, an individual gains knowledge of nature threw observation. Galileo believed no one really went out into the world as he did and used the senses that God gave us when we where created, to observe the physical world. He was a very persistent individual and was always looking further into what he observed. Galileo’s objections to using the bible where very clear. He objected to using the bible as a source of knowledge of physical things because it would not always speak the truth on the surface. He feels that the place of God in Galileo’s system is “not there” rather he is “Within ourselves. Or-nowhere.” He states that because he said, “I’m not a theologian; I’m a mathematician.” (Pg. 63) He puts faith in the truth/facts and let the people decide in however anyone views or wants to believe in. He just wants to put the truth of the universe, separating the church from science.
Today, everyone learns that the earth revolves around the sun. Yet in sixteenth century Europe, that belief was considered absolutely false! Galileo was the extraordinary astronomer and inventor who discovered the truth, at the risk of his reputation and freedom. This did occur quite publicly when Galileo argued in favor of the Copernican, heliocentric model of the solar system. Both religion and science must have separate relationships, and both deserve an equal amount of respect.
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May 08, 2013 Daniel rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-german, literature-german

This is a brilliant, complex and engaging book on a key turning point in the history of human world-views. It is also a powerful reminder of how narrow-minded institutions clinging to old beliefs can hold back technological and social advancement. Brecht does a great job reproducing the conflict between the clergy and the scientists, with all the differences in personalities and conceptions of human nature involved, and the danger of persecution.

Galileo is faced with the monumental task of deve...more This is a brilliant, complex and engaging book on a key turning point in the history of human world-views. It is also a powerful reminder of how narrow-minded institutions clinging to old beliefs can hold back technological and social advancement. Brecht does a great job reproducing the conflict between the clergy and the scientists, with all the differences in personalities and conceptions of human nature involved, and the danger of persecution.

Galileo is faced with the monumental task of developing an alternative theory of the universe, finding proofs for every major element of it, and earning money to pay for personal expenses and expensive books. The useful inventions he makes by the way to earn money also bring the people who use them on his side. They also add a very interesting element to the story: For the common man, this is was no longer about philosophy and astronomy, but about real and significant advantages in personal and work life.

The old view based on the Bible and the view of the human as the final achievement of god's creation was fiercely and even violently defended by the clergy, outlawing all theories and ideas that contradicted it. The old theory of the universe was based on this idea, with our world as the logical consequence of the human-centric creation story. It was seen as philosophically impossible for the world to be anywhere else. Therefore, suggesting that the world is not in the centre looked like contradicting the Bible to conservatives, which was dangerous at the time of the Roman Inquisition. The clergy, however, did acknowledge some of the advantages and superior ability to predict or explain phenomena, for example in navigation. Parts of the clergy welcome more advanced navigation, but reject the theory and scientific methods that led to it - which reminds me of some people/ countries in the modern world.

This is an important book. The role of the church in holding back development and murdering people for their beliefs must not be forgotten.(less)

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Mar 19, 2011 Carissa added it · review of another edition

Shelves: drama

Almost every play of Bertolt Brecht was a success as some point in his career, but what Eric Bentley does for the text is bring it more into the 20th, and 21st centuries, although he doesn't "dumb it down" for a modern audience.

Brecht essential shows the audience the life and times of Galileo as it really was, without the gloss or hero worship that many other text will lend to the story. While a pioneer to some, Galileo was what Brecht will ultimately portray as a coward.

The play is mostly abo...more

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Jul 28, 2011 Mark Woodland rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I was researching Galileo, since I was preparing to play him onstage (in his later life), and thought that this would be a good background piece to read, even though it's another play and not a biography. Surely Bertolt Brecht, I thought, would write a very in-depth characterization of the man. Well, he did that, and it's a very good play. It's not one of Brecht's better known works, and I'm not sure why; it's much more accessible to a general reading audience than a lot of his work. For my spec...more

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Dec 31, 2012 Seth rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: german-literature

In the “Life of Galileo,” Bertolt Brecht highlights the astronomer’s struggles with the Catholic Church, which opposed his work extending the theories of Copernicus and threatened him with torture. This was not an idle threat since the Church actually burned at the stake the heliocentric astronomer Giordano Bruno in 1600. It is interesting how leading clerics refused his offer to gaze through his primitive telescope, instead insisting on a philosophical dispute, preferably in Latin, about whethe...more

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Nov 04, 2012 Charles rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 20th-century, plays

Regardless of whether or not you subscribe to Brecht's particular take on the Galileo affair, which leans towards the dramatizing the popular 'dogma destroys reason' rendering, this is a powerful play.

It seemed to me that the drama increased when Brecht eased off of the caricatured portrait of the nasty, dogmatic clergy (though they were compelling and humorous enough) and entered into the ambiguity and doubt of people on both sides caught up in a political forces beyond their control. I'm espe...more

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Mar 15, 2011 Luana rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Geniale opera di un drammaturgo del Novecento. Galileo esce dai libri di scuola (parlo almeno per una studentessa come me che ne ha sentito parlare solo in quel contesto) per indossare i panni di uno scienziato scorbutico, legato ai piaceri della vita e disposto persino a truffare pur di far trionfare la scienza. Un testo teatrale che fa riflettere sui rapporti che intercorrono tra la società, la scienza e la Chiesa, la paura dell'innovazione, il radicamento della tradizione come controllo del p...more

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Feb 09, 2013 Katie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

*3.75
It wasn't a work of history, nor an accurate work of science. But what it is is a discussion on truth, and the importance of a discovery that shakes and breaks apart the very foundations of what is known as truth. It is a tale of determination and passion, but also of human fallibility. (view spoiler)...more

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Feb 05, 2011 Sanum rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Should we trust in everything we hear or see?
Science and religion are two of the most controversial issues. They always conflict with one another. Personal views will always believe that religion should be put first and whatever is in the holy book should be believed before what science says. On the other hand science is proven and tested so many times that it’s hard to believe. Atheists, however find it much easier to believe in science than religious people. Both science and religion deserve...more

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Mar 16, 2010 Scolaro rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

"Leben des Galilei" steht auf meiner Prüfungsliste für Deutsch als Hauptlektüre. Als ich mich endlich überwunden hatte, damit anzufangen (wir wissen schließlich alle, wie "toll" von der Schule verordnete Lektüre meist ist) fand ich das Stück überraschend unterhaltsam.

Es wird sicher keins meiner Lieblingsbücher werden, aber zumindest ist es geistig anregender als der andere Mist, der uns in diesem Fach über die Jahre aufgezwungen wurde.

Das Stück ist munter, seine Darsteller farbenfroh, und auch...more

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Apr 15, 2012 Marsha rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: plays-screenplays-scripts

Although burdened with an exordium that rambles on for over 40 pages, the play itself presents an image of a hard-working, dedicated, slightly irascible scientist, a man devoted to pleasure yet frustrated with himself and the world as he struggles to make a meaningful discovery even while his patrons press him to create things that are “useful”. Mr. Brecht did not craft a true-to-life story of the real Galileo or touched upon the actual nature of his work; it is history’s place to do that. What...more

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Jul 30, 2011 Garrett Zecker rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Unfortunately, this play did not really give me any insight into the human condition, nor did it entertain me as much as I think it should have. What it did do was offer me a glimpse into the later years of Galileo, and it was an interesting glimpse. He was a person that lived in an ignorant and religion heavy environment, and when he was threatened because of his ideas about the true existence of the universe, he folded his cards and conceded to the Spanish Inquisition. He also ripped a lot of...more

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Mar 15, 2011 Keith rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

Galileo is an outstanding play. This and The Caucasian Chalk Circle are Brecht's best works (in my opinion). Galileo is one the stage's most memorable creations. I'm not even sure if it was intentional (with his theories about alienation), but Brecht's Galileo comes to life on the page and on the stage like Shakespeare's Falstaff. The story, though more argumentive than action packed, pits scientific revolution versus authority (i.e., the Catholic Church). Galileo's racantation is presented subt...more

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Apr 23, 2011 Alexus rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I found this book to be absolutely boring and unnecessary. This book could have been summed up in a paragraph or less. It did show different aspects of the portrayal of Galileo’s scientific findings. I already knew the basics of the church versus science debate but the length was not necessary. Themes expressed in this book were science, religion, sacrifice, bravery and many more. The only thing I liked about this book was the revisited persistence of Galileo behind his findings because we were...more

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Jan 08, 2011 Christian Dabnor rated it 5 of 5 stars

Didn't really know the full story of Galileo, other than the basics - changed astronomy and upset the Papacy (until recently, when they forgave him). Not sure how close to fact it is, as some of the conversations involving the pope would have been unrecorded, but, if it's even partially accurate, it sounds like, as well as being the victim of entrenched theological viewpoints, he was a victim of socio-political wranglings, as the aristocracy were using the existing ideas of religion to maintain...more

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Feb 04, 2011 Rebekah rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Bertolt Brecht created an informative pathway to the journey of Galileo Galilei with this novel. As a reader, I gained knowledge on one of the most influential scientists, that made it possible to envision science as something other than textbooks and complicated equations. The novel reflected themes of religion and science versus tradition, along with the controversary that results from this conflict. Characterization and imagery is also used to connect the reader to the thoughts of Galileo. I...more

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Feb 05, 2011 Lisbeth rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Nov 23, 2010 Lorelei Yang rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: senior-inquiry

I found this play mildly underwhelming. I can't quite lay my finger on why, but something about Brecht's style makes his writing feel somewhat inaccessible. And yes, I know that the Brechtian style is marked by a more cerebral approach to the dramatic art. But that doesn't mean the entire play has to feel stilted. Somehow, the host of characters in Galileo feels oddly one-dimensional. Is it because of translation? I know that the translation we read isn't the newest or most dynamic translation o...more

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Jan 30, 2011 Mandy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is a play about parts of the life of Galileo Galilei. In this play, Galileo shared his discoveries with his friend Segredo, his housekeeper’s son Andrea and his later assistant Federzoni. Galileo discovered that the earth was not the center of the universe, the sun was. He discovered that there were planets just like the earth out there out in the universe. He also discovered the moons around Jupiter, the countless stars in the Milky Way, and made many more discoveries in his “Discorsi.” E...more

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Jun 06, 2012 L rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, historical-fiction, auf-deutsch

This play loosely follows the history of Galileo Galilei, a famed Italian natural philosopher from the 16th century who was persecuted by the Roman Catholic Church for his scientific discoveries.

I read this book years ago, and so many of the finer details of the play currently escape me, but one part that has stuck with me for the past 6 years is Galileo’s dilemma, as he is forced to choose between integrity as a scientist and his safety in the face of physical harm. Following Galileo’s predica...more

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Apr 25, 2012 Reshma Popat rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: plays

This fictionalized play about Galileo's life tells the tale of Galileo, his discoveries, his interactions with the people of his town and the struggles faced to get his theories out there to the public.

The church plays a strong role in this version of the play. There are two editions of the play, leaving one to sort of hate Galileo and the other one to sort of respect him for his decision.

Which ever one you happened to have, Brecht uses this form of play to be subtle about the Nazi regime and th...more

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About Bertolt Brecht

Bertolt Brecht (born Eugen Berthold Friedrich Brecht) was a German poet, playwright, and theatre director. A seminal theatre practitioner of the twentieth century, Brecht made equally significant contributions to dramaturgy and theatrical production, the latter particularly through the seismic impact of the tours undertaken by the Berliner Ensemble—the post-war theatre company operated by Brecht a...more Bertolt Brecht (born Eugen Berthold Friedrich Brecht) was a German poet, playwright, and theatre director. A seminal theatre practitioner of the twentieth century, Brecht made equally significant contributions to dramaturgy and theatrical production, the latter particularly through the seismic impact of the tours undertaken by the Berliner Ensemble—the post-war theatre company operated by Brecht and his wife and long-time collaborator, the actress Helene Weigel—with its internationally acclaimed productions.

From his late twenties Brecht remained a life-long committed Marxist who, in developing the combined theory and practice of his 'epic theatre', synthesized and extended the experiments of Piscator and Meyerhold to explore the theatre as a forum for political ideas and the creation of a critical aesthetics of dialectical materialism. Brecht's modernist concern with drama-as-a-medium led to his refinement of the 'epic form' of the drama (which constitutes that medium's rendering of 'autonomization' or the 'non-organic work of art'—related in kind to the strategy of divergent chapters in Joyce's novel Ulysses, to Eisenstein's evolution of a constructivist 'montage' in the cinema, and to Picasso's introduction of cubist 'collage' in the visual arts). In contrast to many other avant-garde approaches, however, Brecht had no desire to destroy art as an institution; rather, he hoped to 're-function' the apparatus of theatrical production to a new social use. In this regard he was a vital participant in the aesthetic debates of his era—particularly over the 'high art/popular culture' dichotomy—vying with the likes of Adorno, Lukács, Bloch, and developing a close friendship with Benjamin. Brechtian theatre articulated popular themes and forms with avant-garde formal experimentation to create a modernist realism that stood in sharp contrast both to its psychological and socialist varieties. "Brecht's work is the most important and original in European drama since Ibsen and Strindberg," Raymond Williams argues, while Peter Bürger insists that he is "the most important materialist writer of our time."

As Jameson among others has stressed, "Brecht is also ‘Brecht’"—collective and collaborative working methods were inherent to his approach. This 'Brecht' was a collective subject that "certainly seemed to have a distinctive style (the one we now call 'Brechtian') but was no longer personal in the bourgeois or individualistic sense." During the course of his career, Brecht sustained many long-lasting creative relationships with other writers, composers, scenographers, directors, dramaturgs and actors; the list includes: Elisabeth Hauptmann, Margarete Steffin, Ruth Berlau, Slatan Dudow, Kurt Weill, Hanns Eisler, Paul Dessau, Caspar Neher, Teo Otto, Karl von Appen, Ernst Busch, Lotte Lenya, Peter Lorre, Therese Giehse, Angelika Hurwicz, and Helene Weigel herself. This is "theatre as collective experiment [...] as something radically different from theatre as expression or as experience."

There are few areas of modern theatrical culture that have not felt the impact or influence of Brecht's ideas and practices; dramatists and directors in whom one may trace a clear Brechtian legacy include: Dario Fo, Augusto Boal, Joan Littlewood, Peter Brook, Peter Weiss, Heiner Müller, Pina Bausch, Tony Kushner and Caryl Churchill. In addition to the theatre, Brechtian theories and techniques have exerted considerable sway over certain strands of film theory and cinematic practice; Brecht's influence may be detected in the films of Joseph Losey, Jean-Luc Godard, Lindsay Anderson, Rainer Werner Fassbinder, Nagisa Oshima, Ritwik Ghatak, Lars von Trier, Jan Bucquoy and Hal Hartley.

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Brecht on Theatre: The Development of an Aesthetic

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“The aim of science is not to open the door to infinite wisdom, but to set a limit to infinite error.” — 79 people liked it

“Nowadays, anyone who wishes to combat lies and ignorance and to write the truth must overcome at least five difficulties. He must have the courage to write the truth when truth is everywhere opposed; the keenness to recognize it, although it is everywhere concealed; the skill to manipulate it as a weapon; the judgment to select those in whose hands it will be effective; and the running to spread the truth among such persons.” — 26 people liked it

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