LVMR: LEADERSHIP –

VISION, MEANING AND

REALITY
LIFE OF GALILEO
-Bertolt Brecht

Presented by:
Anirudh Agarwal (19213)
Aditya C Doiphode (19204)
Ruhika Darbare (19260)
 BERTOLT
BRECHT •
•
Left in 1933
Wrote major plays like- ‘Mother
1 Courage & her children’, ‘Life of 3
Galileo’ and ‘The good person of
Schezwan’
GERMAN • In 1947- House Unamerican
RETURN
Activities Committee.
• Y
Born in 1898 • Blackballed in movies and • Created the Berliner
• Medical Student 1917 Hollywood. Ensemble
• Political theatre • Refined theory of
• Wrote arguably his most “Epic Theatre”.
famous play – “The Three
Penny Opera” in 1928 Exile • Died in 1956.

2
 EPIC THEATRE

Opposite of dramatic Theatre.

Achieved using the Alienation Effect or the
Estrangement Effect

“Art is not a mirror with which to shape reality, but

a hammer with which to shape it.”
—bertolt brecht
 CONT
Life of Galileo is said to EXT
take place in two times

01
Play is Set 1600’s
o New Scientific ideas challenged centuries of
religious understanding.
o Extreme resistance to scientific knowledge of
Galileo.
o Omnipresence of the Inquisition.
02
Play is Written 1930’s
o New political systems like Fascism and
Socialism coming into power.
o Extreme resistance to political changes in
Brecht’s day.
o Hitler’s ascension to the Chancellorship of
Germany as well as Fascist leaders in Italy and
Japan
 Initially written in 1938

Retooled the play in 1947 in

english after devastating events
such as hiroshima
 INTRODUCTION

PTOLEMAIC TELESCOPE FLORENCE

SYSTEM
The earth is fixed and the Telescope is invented &the Galileo finds the the moons
sun moves around it. invention is brought to of Jupiter and names it
Church policy basis Galileo’s notice after Medici
Aristotle
He improves the He does this to aid his
Galileo teaches the magnification & passes it move to Florence where he
Ptolemaic system at the off as his own invention. takes up the Duke as his
University of Padua & He uses “his” telescope to only pupil. This allows him
takes on students to make study space to focus on research
extra money

PLAGUE
Plague strikes Florence &
we see the medical
community’s reluctance to
classify it as such
Given the choice to leave,
Galileo prefers to stay in
Florence to preserve his
work
Mrs. Sarti stays back to
take care of him & falls ill.
COLLEGIUM
ROMANUM
Galileo presents his work to
the church.
The clergymen deride his
work & ponder on why it is
important to learn how the
universe works
Clavius approves of
Galileo’s findings
INTRODUCTION
LITTLE MONK
He visits Galileo to explain
the Church’s view on the
solar system
Physicist by profession, he
sees the proof Galileo has
collected & becomes his
pupil
He introduces Galileo to
the regular people

LOCAL PEOPLE INQUISITION
After meeting the Little
Monk & understanding the
plight of the people in
Campagna, Galileo writes
in Italian instead of Latin.
When the local people
realise that the preachings
of the church are wrong,
they start to rebel around
the country.
The Church finds Galileo
guilty of heresy and Galileo
is jailed.
Galileo recants his theory
and chooses the life of
imprisonment over death
Andrea & Little Monk are
disappointed by the
recantation
INTRODUCTION
FINAL YEARS
Galileo lives out his life in
imprisonment under the eye
of the Church.
He is allowed to carry out
his research and is not
permitted to publish it.
Writes Discorsi in secret for
Andrei to carry to Holland

Galileo
 Practical
 Scientific Curiosity but
easily trusted information
 Worked on science inspite
of threat to life
 Hypocritical – Virginia &
recantation
CHARACTERS
Andrea Sarti Little Monk
 Came from a poor
 Galileo’s loyal pupil
background
 Unwavering scientific
 Understood the Church’s
acumen
need to deny Copernicus’s
 Carried on Galileo’s work
 Science over normal model but was a scientist
at heart
comforts
 Went back to Church after
Galileo’s imprisonment
 CHARACTERS

Mrs. Sarti & Virginia Peasants Church

 Loyally served Galileo  Was not scientifically  Believed in Galileo and
even thought she was a inclined his science to make charts
devoutly religious  Believed in the Church & for sailors but would
 Was more worldly wise the landed refuse to accept it
 Very high on EQ & had  Were considered to be  Were concerned with
her pulse on issues of “simple minded” but they ensuring their rule over
human nature understood Galileo & the land even at violent
rebelled costs
THEM
ES
Faith in Tradition
Truth can be a dangerous
weapon and religion
commanded faith and
understood human was the
centre of the creation and so
was the earth
PROGRESS VS. TRADITION
Quote:
Galileo: “What you're seeing is the fact that there is no difference between heaven and earth. Today
is 10 January 1610. Today mankind can write in its diary: Got rid of Heaven”
Religious Forces Discoveries
Religious and governmental Even when the people knew
forces try to maintain the the discoveries of Galileo
order rather than believing in were true, they were kept
common sense or seeing the silent because of the fear
empirical scientific progress about the consequences that
people might lose faith.
THEM INDIVIDUAL VS. AUTHORITY
ES Quote:
Galileo: “Someone who doesn't know the truth is just thick-headed. But someone who does know it
and calls it a lie is a crook”

Thoughts Aristotle Conflict Disruption

Galileo’s ideas were uniquely
important in their potential to
redirect the course of
humanity and further
scientific progress.
Aristotle’s ideas about the
cosmos shaped centuries of
religious and scientific
thought, and Galileo’s attempt
to contradict is met with
resistance from all kinds of
people, institutions, and
disciplines.
Religion, as an institution,
works as a kind of pacifying
mechanism for the
impoverished. The threat
posed by Galileo's discoveries
are not simply intellectual, but
political which shall disrupt
the whole structure
THEM GALANT VS. PRAGMATIC
ES Quote:
Andrea Sarti: “You were hiding the truth. From the enemy. Even in matters of ethics you were
centuries ahead of us”

Galileo Recants Allegiance to Govt. Regulated Research

Galileo decides to recant,
taking back all his ideas to
avoid punishment in the
Inquisition.
Not only Galileo recant on his
own teaching , but he must
also pledge allegiance to the
oppressive government.
He did not choose to become a martyr and
imbue his findings with more meaning.
Although he continued his research and
was free to research, but all the research
was checked by the church and only could
be published in agreement to church
THEM
ES
Clash of thoughts
Galileo jeopardized his daughters wedding
for his pursuit of goals. He does not accept
his future son-in-law request to tone down
his research. Right from the beginning
Galileo has remained true to his own ideas
costing her daughters wedding
PERSONAL VS. PROFESSIONAL
Quote:
Virginia: You sent him away, father! She faints. Andrea and the little
monk run over to her.
Galileo: I’ve got to know the truth.
Plague Loyal to intellect
Galileo does not leave Galileo has stayed loyal to his
Florence when there was ideas from the beginning even
outbreak of plague. after authorities telling his to
Unfortunately Mrs. Sarti gets stop chasing the idea of earth
the plague which leaves not being the center of the
Andrea heartbroken. universe.
 LEADERSHIP QUALITY OF
GALILEO

Single Minded Focus Pragmatic

- There was tremendous cost of living in
- Focus to work to find reasons to things
defiance of authority for Galileo
by questioning
- Hence, Galileo prefer to recant his
- Even during the time of plague,
philosophy rather than die
Galileo was not affected and focused
on research

Intelligence
Inspiring People
- Galileo was able to draw logical
- Galileo was able to bring in traders
conclusion and reason things out
support for his cause in case the
based on logic rather than existing
church turns against him
belief
- Galileo was able to bring little monk
- He was involved in invention which
to pursue science and became pupil of
helped in solving real life problems.
Galileo
 LEADERSHIP QUALITY OF
GALILEO
Mentor Communication
- He guided Andrea Sarti to purse the - He communicated his thoughts with proper
studies from where he left. backing of proof.
- He was well versed in his teaching and - Galileo wrote in language of the masses
was also a mentored little monk & Andrea instead of Latin which was the norm of
Sarti who assisted him in his search for scientific papers at the time
truth.

Reflective
Passionate
- Galileo was reflective over the
- He cared about his science at all costs.
research done by other scientist, e.g.
- He was more focused on correction of false Aristotle & Copernicus
belief that existed in society without any
proofs
- Even when he recants, he continued research
which developed two branches of science
 CHARACTER COMPARISION OF SAINT
SAINT
JOAN AND GALILEO
GALILEO
SIMILARITIE JOAN GALILEI
- Both were visionary leaders and had single mind of focus to achieve their vision
S - Both had the ability to inspire the people and communicate their thought
- Church was against both of them and wanted to bend them in their own way
- Both were passionate about their goals and challenged the status quo
- Idealistic nature was observed in common between Galileo & Saint Joan. They both assumed that the people would
always get their thought when they communicate.

DIFFERENCE - Saint Joan fought for her stance till the end - Galileo bowed to the pressure of the church
S and even sacrificed herself when given a and recanted all his ideas
choice.

- She became an inspiration for the followers - Galileo pupils felt betrayed when Galileo
post her death decided to recant.
Many of his followers had to abandon their
work because of fear of repercussion post
the event
 DECISIVE MOMENTS FOR GALILEO

Moves to Florence Does not flee Replicates an

during plague invention
With no raise,
Galileo is convinced Risking Mrs. Sarti’s In hopes of getting
that freedom of life, he tried to a raise, he pawns
thought is not as continue his work of the invention of
valuable as money and never moved to telescope as his
for his research a country which is own
less hostile

Money RISK Credibility

 DECISIVE MOMENTS FOR GALILEO

Relationship with Does not stand for Does not heed to

daughter his cause warnings

Virginia fainted Recants all his ideas He had an unbending

hearing about the and teachings when attitude and entrusted
clash of Ludovico & faced with threat of people easily which
Galileo. Science punishment & torture also put his close ones
trumped over in a risky environment
daughters happiness

DAUGHTER CAUSE Single Minded

 QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

MONEY REVOLT
Q1) How important is money, power or title to Q2) Should a good leader compromise sometimes to
mark a successful leadership? achieve the vision?
-Tughlaq was a king -Gandhi would take off his turban in the court
-Mahatma Gandhi was a barrister from London -Joan did not back down and was burnt alive
-Galileo is a researcher in the field of mathematics, -Galileo recants all his findings and ideas in fear of
which was considered less important punishment
“Better tainted than empty”
SOCIET
Y FAITH OR REASONS
Q3) Is good public perception a mark of good Q4) Is there a role of faith in
leadership? leadership? Good leadership comes
from providing good reasons or
-Tughlaq was ignorant of social sentiment of the people
producing faith in followers?
in regard to any decision he made
-Chanakya has a network of spies to gauge public
sentiment
“Truth is the child of time, not of authority”