LANGUAGE IN INDIA

Strength for Today and Bright Hope for Tomorrow

Volume 11 : 8 August 2011
ISSN 1930-2940

Managing Editor: M. S. Thirumalai, Ph.D.
Editors: B. Mallikarjun, Ph.D.
         Sam Mohanlal, Ph.D.
         B. A. Sharada, Ph.D.
         A. R. Fatihi, Ph.D.
         Lakhan Gusain, Ph.D.
         Jennifer Marie Bayer, Ph.D.
         S. M. Ravichandran, Ph.D.
         G. Baskaran, Ph.D.
         L. Ramamoorthy, Ph.D.

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Bertolt Brecht’s The Life of Galileo: A Biographical Review

D. David Wilson, Ph.D.

Writing a Biography for a Purpose – The Life of Galileo by Brecht

Writing a biography is a great art. The term ‘biography’ was first used by Dryden in 1683. He defined it as ‘the history of particular men’s lives’. The format of biographical writing is still indeterminate. The Oxford Dictionary defines it as ‘history of the lives of individual men as a branch of literature’.

Many people have given their own definition to biography. The German dramatist Bertolt Brecht first wrote his biographical play, The Life of Galileo, on the eve of the Second World War, as concerns over authoritarianism were rife among the German Left. But Brecht significantly rewrote the play two more times as the War raised questions not only about the dangers of authority, but also the human cost of scientific knowledge in the wake of the atomic bomb.

The Life of Galileo is the first of major plays Brecht wrote in the hope of securing performances in important theatres of the western world. It is a historical play, which deals with the problem of the scientist’s social responsibility.

The writer of this article has relied on the translation of the play by Desmond I. Vesey, which is edited for students by A. G. Stock.

This is only the beginning part of the article. PLEASE CLICK HERE TO READ THE ARTICLE IN PRINTER-FRIENDLY VERSION.

D. David Wilson, Ph.D.
Department of English
Karunya University
Coimbatore – 641114
Tamilnadu
India
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