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Good and evil in literature
Good and evil in literature
Good and evil in literature
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Name: Brenda Chai Jia Ern Matrics No: AEC 130008 Course: ACEA 2304 Twentieth Century Drama Lecturer: Dr Nicholas Pagan Paper #1, Option 4: “Hanna Arendt detects in Brecht’s plays the idea that to change a “bad” world into a “good” one you have to become “bad” yourself. Discuss by looking carefully at Galileo and the characters around him in The Life of Galileo”. In the play ‘The Life of Galileo’ by Bertolt Brecht, some of the characters held personal reasons and beliefs which consequently display the unpleasant side of humanity. Each firmly believes that their thoughts and actions are justified. For instances, Galileo Galilei and the Roman Catholic Church. In my opinion, it is a necessity to be “bad” for the betterment of the world. As the saying goes, “You have to be cruel to be kind.” However, there are some who have good intentions but their actions have ironically changed the world from “bad” to “worse”. Galileo becomes “bad” (in the eyes of the Roman Catholic Church) for the sake of enlightening his people. …show more content…
In the end, he recanted his work to avoid the torture sentence by the Inquisition. Sad to say, the words of his student Andrea Sarti rings true: “Unhappy the land that has no heroes!” (Scene 13). With an autocratic ruler such as the Roman Catholic Church in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, the people will forever be clouded from all good sense. Reference 1. Brecht, Bertolt. The Life of Galileo. London: Methuen, 1963. Print. 2. "Tracts." The Galileo Controversy. N.p., 2014. Web. 27 Oct. 2014. 3. "The Horrors of The Church and Its Holy Inquisition." The Horrors of The Church and Its Holy Inquisition. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Oct. 2014. 4. Gaglioti, Frank. "Giordano Bruno, Philosopher and Scientist, Burnt at the Stake 400 Years Ago." Giordano Bruno, Philosopher and Scientist, Burnt at the Stake 400 Years Ago. N.p., 16 Feb. 2000. Web. 29 Oct.
The Bible was one of the most important pieces of text during Galileo’s lifetime. If you went against what the Bible stated then you were considered to be a heretic. The Bible indicated that the earth was in the center of the universe and the sun and the other planets revolve around it. a theory known as the geocentric model. Many scientists argued against this theory by stating that actually the sun was in the center of the universe and the earth and the other planets revolved around the sun, this theory was known as the heliocentric model. Nicolas Copernicus was one of the first out of many scientists who publically shared this theory. Later Giordano Bruno also supported this theory and because of this the Church ordered him to be burned
Prior to the careers of Popes Celestine V and Boniface XII in the 13th century, the long and, sometimes tumultuous, history of the church can be helpful in setting the stage for these two church official’s very famous, and very different tenures as pope. In different forms and methods, the medieval Catholic Church has always had a strong hold on society in addition to politics. The church has also had a troubling past when it comes to corruption, usually manifesting itself through the pursuit of this dominance over political and outside figures on all aspects of everyday life. Coupling these two themes together, the past actions and power exerted
Galileo’s contributions to the science of Physics and Astronomy were many. His conviction was legendary. His willingness to suffer for his beliefs exemplify true courage in the name of truth, and has inspired others to venture intellectual independence from the Church‘s creeds, edicts, and proclamations. Perhaps these contributions led to the call for an investigation into Galileo's conviction, eventually calling for its reversal, in 1979 by Pope John Paul II. But regardless of his standing in the annals of the Catholic church he will always be the man who began the separation of science and religion.
After reading this letter I feel that Galileo had a very opinionated outlook on life and was heavily involved in a struggle for freedom of inquiry. Galileo was a person who had many strong beliefs and would not let people or a document have a say in what he believes.
In his Letter to The Grand Duchess Christina, Galileo challenged the widely accepted religious beliefs of the time, claiming that the conflict lies in their interpretation, not the context. In Galileo’s eyes science was an extremely useful tool that could and should have been used in interpreting the Scriptures. He argued that “the intention of the Holy Ghost is to teach us how one goes to heaven not how heaven goes” (Grand Duchess). The purpose of science was not to counter what the bible teaches; rather its purpose was to help explain the teachings of the scriptures. Furthermore, it was “prudent to affirm that the holy Bible can never speak untruth-whenever its true meaning is understood” (Grand Duchess). However, because of the terminology in which the bible was presented the perception of what the Scripture defined as truth was skewed. The Bible was written so that the common man could understand it and follow its commandments. The people also showed a greater inte...
Lea, Henry Charles. [1966] A history of the Inquisition of Spain. AMD Press, New York, NY
Galileo’s struggle with the Catholic Church is the essence of the problems people had introducing new ideas to the world. This was a time period during which people were often killed for what they believed by either the state or the church. Perhaps by not killing Galileo outright the church showed that times were starting to change, or maybe not. The episode will no doubt go down in history, however, as a turning point in science, and in religious thought.
In his lengthy undertaking, The Spanish Inquisition: A Historical Revision Henry Kamen attempts to readjust his readers thinking about the infamous Spanish Inquisition. Thirty years of research brought him to the conclusion that there was less persecution and horror in the Inquisition than pop culture and historians have drawn. In Trent 1475: Stories of a Ritual Murder Trial, R. Po-Chia Hsia takes the reader on a dark journey to the wretched persecution of a small community of Jews in the Italian city of Trent. Both books tell stories of minority groups becoming scapegoats for society, Kamen taking on an entire era of a country, and Hsia illustrating a vivid example. The books have some similarities and differences, and some strengths and weaknesses in their approaches. While Kamen's goal and emphasis tends to somewhat distort his story, he valiantly maintains his effort. In deconstructing the methods used to write these two books, it is clearly understood that while Kamen and Hsia are writing vastly different books, they are both entirely good works of history.
Brecht, Bertolt. Brecht on Theatre: The Development of an Aesthetic. Hill & Wang New York,
Galileo Galilei was an Italian philosopher born in 1564. As an adult, he didn’t believe the universal geocentric theory of the planets and heavens which was established by the Catholic Church. The church taught that the Earth was the center of the universe and everything revolved around our planet. Another theory that the Church supported was that the Earth stood still while the sun rose and set every day. Society in the 1500’s believed that the Pope spoke for God through a divine connection and to against the church was to go against God. To speak out against the church in this time was strictly taboo. If one was to speak against the church was considered to be heresy, which is exactly what happened to Galileo. Galileo invented the telescope and began studying the heavens above and noticed that changes within the stars and planets. He noticed that the “stars” that surrounded Jupiter moved. He came to the conclusion through rational thinking, that the Copernicus’ heliocentric theory was correct. Copernicus was a scientist and philosopher whose theory proposed that the sun was stationary and the heavens orbit around the sun. Galileo tried to convince the church not to aboli...
At the beginning of the sixteenth century church theologian, Martin Luther, wrote the 95 Theses questioning the corruption of the Roman Catholic Church. In this essay I will discuss: the practices of the Roman Catholic Church Martin Luther wanted to reform, what Martin’s specific criticism of the pope was, and the current practices Pope Francis I is interested in refining in the Roman Catholic Church today.
Giovanni Boccaccio’s Decameron is a series of tales written during the Late Middle Ages that is meant to entertain the reader. While the entertainment value of Boccaccio’s work in undeniable, the Decameron also provides the reader with information about society at the time, and Boccaccio’s own worldview. One of the most prevalent themes throughout the Decameron is the portrayal of clergymen and members of religious communities as negative influences on those around them, constantly behaving in a manner unfit for those who are supposed to be moral and spiritual exemplars. Throughout the tales told by the lieta brigada, many priests, and friars are portrayed as being extremely lustful and greedy, frequently indulging in sex (often with the wives of other men), and living lives more befitting of a minor lord than a monk. Those clergymen who are not portrayed as out rightly immoral are usually stupid, and are unable to stop others from acting immorally because of their ignorance. Despite this, a few of the clergymen in the story are shown as ultimately having good intentions, or improving in morality through the actions of another. To understand all of these criticisms of the clergy, we must look at them through a historical lens, and observe the behavior of members of the Church in the Late Middle Ages. Finally, these analyses of the Decameron’s portrayal of clergymen may give us insight into Boccaccio’s own faith, and allow us to understand the motives of the author. In this essay, I will analyze the portrayal of clergymen and members of religious communities in Giovanni Boccaccio’s Decameron. I will focus on the licentiousness, greed, and stupidity of these members of the Church, while also evaluating the few portrayals of good me...
Essay: Analysis of Inquisitorial Trials As demonstrated by scholars such as Kagan and Dyer, Homza, and Kamen, The Spanish Inquisition was a highly organized and secretive institution used to police religious and social order. The trials of María Gonzalez and Pedro de Villegas demonstrate the dedication with which Inquisitors sought to persecute those who were outsiders in society and manipulate them into confessing their religious offenses. However, they also show that the Inquisition was not completely unmerciful- it operated with a legal process that afforded the accused an opportunity to provide evidence that would prove they were not guilty. Using these two cases, I will demonstrate these polarities and argue that the Spanish Inquisition
In the midst of the many events of the sixteenth century, a schism of the Catholic Church was due to the political, social, and economic aspects of life. Religion was ultimately the cause of the schism and was also greatly affected by the aftermath. To see this, one can observe the opposition to the Church at the time, the lack of a secular state, and the Church’s “need” for funds obtained via indulgences. Around this time, life was forever impacted by the many ideas differing from the Catholic Church.
In William Shakespeare’s play “The Tempest,” the major theme in this play is good versus evil. There are good characters, who do good, help others and try their best to stay out of trouble, and there are other characters who are the exact opposite. All the characters do is try to get even with those who hurt them, hoping that ravage would solve the problem. Good and Evil, just like the theme of the book, also applies to the world that we live in today because there are good people and there are bad people. Good will do good while bad will be bad.