Life of Galileo by Brecht as epic theatre[edit]

Brecht thought, the "old" forms of European theatre based on Aristotle, which, in the face of
changing contemporary circumstances were inadequate to represent social reality. Therefore, he
came up with the concept of “epic theatre”. This direction of theatre was inspired by Brecht’s Marxist
political beliefs. It was somewhat of a political platform for his ideologies. Epic theatre is the
assimilation of education through entertainment and is the antithesis of Stanislavsky’s Realism and
also Expressionism. Brecht believed that, unlike epic theatre, Expressionism and Realism were
incapable of exposing human nature and so had no educational value. He conjectured that his form
of theatre was capable of provoking a change in society. Brecht’s intention was to encourage the
audience to ponder, with critical detachment, the moral dilemmas presented before them.
Life of Galileo by Brecht is a play pregnant with all the stipulations of an epic theatre. The goal is one
of estrangement or Verfremdung with an emphasis on reason and objectivity rather than emotion.
Brecht provokes the audience not only into thinking about the play but into reforming society by
challenging common (dominant) ideologies. The V-effekt (verfremdung effek) in the play is produced
by employing various techniques.
The Life of Galileo has been fabricated as a montage of independent incidents. It moves from scene
to scene by curves and jumps which keep the audience detached and make them capable to judge
that whether the things are happening in a right way. There is a sudden shift of scenes. Galileo
reaches Florentine in scene 4 where he explains his discovery which is in complete contrast to
Ptolemaic system of Aristotle and argues with mathematician and philosopher. The sudden shift of
scene is observed in scene 5 where Virginia is sent home from the convent because city is stricken
with plague. The shift serves the aim to focus on the human relationships. The individual episodes
are loosely connected, all contributing, however, to the play's main theme. Instead, the scenes are
united by means of the repetition of the main characters, settings and motifs. While Aristotelian
theatre aimed at the identification of the spectator with the character and at emotional involvement,
Brecht believed that, in order for the audience to be critical and intellectually involved in the play,
distance was needed, the audience needed to be alienated. His new, epic theatre was not to be
"culinary", or, in other words, for easy consumption, but to appeal to reason.
To encourage the audience to adopt a more critical attitude Brecht used episodic structures with a
loosely knit plot. Brechet has used ‘anti-illusive’ technique of missing time to distance the audience
and actors, to keep the audience alert and aware and to make them think critically about the
incidents. Scene 1 starts in sixteen hundred and nine in padua then there is a gap of one year and
scene 3 starts in January ten, sixteen ten; scene 6 starts in 1616 after the lapse of six years. Eight
years are past in scene 9 where Galileo is kept silent for 8 yrs, scene 11 starts in 1633 and it is
followed by a big lapse of 9 yrs in scene 14 which starts in 1642. The technique of flash back is used
in scene 15 which opens in 1637.
Brecht has also projected explanatory captions for the readers/audience to drive important
messages. Narrators are important as they fill in the missing action. Narration has been given before
starting any scene that is a major characteristic of an epic drama. In this play the author relates an
account in a way that invites the readers to consider the events involved and then to make their own
evaluation of them. Scene 3 begins with the caption “…Galileo Galilei abolishes heaven” which
instigates the reader to search for the truth. The caption of scene 4 describes the clash between the
ideologies of church and reason, empiricism and science with the significant brevity. The old says:
what I’ve always done I’ll always do. The new says: If you’re useless you must go.
Another characteristic of life of Galileo as an epic drama is that man’s thinking is inured by social
situation and it will get change if the social situation changes. When Sargido puts Galileo on alert
that his discovery is theological dynamite and attempts to convince him that people over here “are
not open to reason” and even if u come up with seven proofs ‘’they'll just laugh at you”. Galileo
insists jubilantly, "humanity will accept rational proof" “I believe in reason’s gentle tyranny over
people. Sooner or later they have to give in to it.” “Thinking is one of the chief pleasure of the human
race”.But in the end of the play the state of affairs and social situation compels him to change his
outlook and makes him denounce his own theory.
As an epic play Life of Galileo is ample with arguments. Galileo as well as men of the cloth make
arguments to substantiate their ideas right. Galileo gives arguments to mathematician, Gentlemen,
to believe in the authority of Aristotle is one thing, tangible facts are another. You are saying the
according to Aristotle there are crystal spheres up there, so certain motions just cannot take place
because the stars would penetrate them. But suppose those motions could be established? Mightn’t
that suggest to you that those crystal spheres don’t exist ? Gentlemen, in all humanity I ask you to
go by the evidence of your eyes. Unlike traditional drama the arguments are presented with rationale
and logic. It turns the spectator into observes and instigates him for an action. There are bits and
tinges of humour in the play. The dialogue between Mrs. Sarti and Galileo in scene 3 is an apt
example.
Galileo: it’s a question about the heavens…This is it: are we to take it that the greater goes round
the smaller or does the smaller go round the greater?
Mrs. Sarti: Is that a serious question or are you pulling my leg again?
Galileo: a serious question.
Mrs. Sarti: then I’ll give you a quick answer. Do I serve your dinner or do you serve mine?
Galileo: You serve mine. Yesterday it was burnt.

Music is important characteristic of epic theatre. Song is incorporated in scene 10 of life of Galileo
which is neither soothing in the effect nor it heightens the emotions of audience. In fact it serves as
commentary to the play leading to a V-effekt. At the end of the play, the discrepancy between the
scientific and other developments of Galileo’s time and local social structures that prevented them
for being taken for the general benefit would have left the masses with unequivocal questions about
the nature of the society. Like a master piece epic drama the language in Life of Galileo varies with
characters. Galileo strikes a scientific and logical tone. He uses aphoristic and figurative language, it
is intentionally made striking to lend force to his damnation. In contrast the procurator’s language is
occasionally flairy while that of the Florentine mathematician and philosopher is in fun chichi and
double edged. Galileo’s change with Andrea and Mrs. Sarti are direct and laconic as well as taciturn.
The Life of Galileo is replete with biblical, literary allusions and quotations from Dante, V Roe, and
Einstein. This stylistic choosing of the references also renders colours to its recognition as an epic
drama.