The little monk
With the little monk in his play The Life of Galileo, Bertolt Brecht creates a character
that belongs to both the old and the new era and probably shows this dichotomy the most
directly. As a monk, he is first of all a representative of the Church and a supporter of its
teachings. However, the little monk is at the same time a mathematician and physicist and has
thus also devoted himself to science.
The little monk grew up in the countryside as the son of poor farmers. By becoming a monk,
however, he was able to get out of these circumstances. Thus, he was able to get to education and
deal with the scientific and philosophical questions of life.
His first appearance is in the sixth scene. He is among the scholars who are anxiously awaiting
Galileo's interrogation, and he whispers to Galileo what Father Clavius has said. The little monk
has seriously considered Galileo's theses, which is shown in their next meeting. In the palace of
the Florentine envoy, the little monk approaches Galileo again and engages him in a
conversation in which he reveals his inner distress: He had read Galileo's scientific theories on
the moons of Jupiter and seen them with his own eyes through telescope.
Galileo, after being pressured by the Inquisition to keep silent the first time, is approached by the
Little Monk and they start to discuss the role the scientist should have in society. Galileo
believes that if “authority is rewarding me for not disturbing the peace of mind of people…if I
were to agree to keep my mouth shut my motives would be thoroughly low ones: an easy life
[and] freedom from persecution” (64). Galileo is admitting that he finds the incentives of
keeping silent, mainly being allowed to continue his research and not being persecuted,
compelling. This gives the reader great insight into the mind of Galileo because by keeping
himself from revealing anything for eight years, Galileo admits that his own life is more
important than the incredible discovery he made. This brings up the question of: Should a
scientist be persecuted for a controversial discovery, that has the potential to advance human
thinking, at the expense of a life free of potential problems for himself? However, the discussion
continues when the Little Monk asks if “the truth will get through without us, so long as it’s
true”
To conclude, trained to be a theologian, mathematician, physicist, and astronomer all at once, the
Little Monk originally argues with Galileo, defending Aristotle and the centuries of wisdom the
Church has taught him. However, the Little Monk has a highly energetic, almost tenacious,
desire for the truth.
Sagredo
In the play The Life of Galileo by Bertolt Brecht, Sagredo, like Galileo, is a scientist. He is forty
years old. He stands by Galileo when he presents the telescope to the Venice Council. As
Galileo's friend, he always keeps his watchful eye on him, reminding him, like Mrs. Sarti, of bills
that still need to be paid, or trying to soften Galileo's cynical comments to the councilors.
As a scientist, he is less enthusiastic than Galileo, but more deliberate and prudent. Although
Sagredo "loves science" (Scene 4) as much as Galileo, he does not put his personal well-being
and that of his friend at the service of science. These character traits become visible in the
conversation with Galileo about the discovered moons of Jupiter.
When Galileo sees the stars of Jupiter in the sky, he shows them to Sagredo. Sagredo reacts to
the discovered stars with fear. Perceptive, he immediately recognizes the danger Galileo exposes
himself to when he publicizes that there is no longer a distinction between "moon and earth"
(Scene 2). He reminds Galileo of an astronomer, Giordano Bruno, who only ten years earlier
claimed the same and was burned at the stake for it, stigmatized by the Church as a heretic.
Virginia
Virginia is Galileo's fifteen-year-old daughter in the play The Life of Galileo by Bertolt Brecht.
She is characterized mainly through her father's eyes. Galileo does not think his daughter is very
clever or capable of living. Thus, when she is still fifteen, he remarks: "And Virginia will need
her trousseau soon, she's not bright." (Scene 3).
Virginia is strongly influenced by her father. He treats her mostly critically and thus prevents
her from developing freely. When she wants to look through the telescope, he rejects this request
on the grounds that it is not a toy. He describes his discovery of the moons of Jupiter to her as "a
few dim specks" (Scene 3), which he assumes are not of interest to her.
Although her appearance is not described, Virginia seems to be a pretty attractive girl. This is a
fact that Galileo knows how to use skillfully. He has her present the telescope to the councilors
of Venice and also at the ball in the house of Bellarmin he supports her desire to look good,
because he hopes to be able to influence the cardinals through her appearance so they approve
his theory (Scene 6).
Galileo often treats his daughter like a little child. To her well-intentioned questions about his
well-being, he answers ironically, "How was the night, father? Clear" (Scene 3).
