What Is the Story of Galileo?
As the title implies, Galileo is the story of 17th century Italian physicist, mathematician and philosopher Galileo Galilei, as told by playwright Bertolt Brecht. Hard up for money, Galileo is encouraged to take on a rich new student by his long-suffering daughter Virginia. When the student arrives, he brings with him a telescope, newly introduced in Holland. After improving the instrument, Galileo is able to make astronomical observations that let him challenge the prevailing wisdom of the cosmos: that the sun revolves around the earth. This makes him a target of the Roman Catholic Church’s Inquisition, and he is forced to choose between saving his life and standing by his life’s work.