Scene Breakdown
Scene 1:
GALILEO GALILEI, A TEACHER OF
MATHEMATICS AT PADUA, SETS OUT TO PROVE
COPERNICUS’S NEW COSMOGONY
In the year sixteen hundred and nine
Science’s light began to shine.
At Padua city in a modest house
Galileo Galilei set out to prove
The sun is still, the earth is on the move.
Scene 2:
GALILEO PRESENTS THE VENETIAN REPUBLIC
WITH A NEW INVENTION
No one’s virtue is complete:
Great Galileo liked to eat.
You will not resent, we hope
The truth about his telescope.
Scene 3:
10 JANUARY 1610. USING THE TELESCOPE, GALILEO
DISCOVERS CELESTIAL PHENOMENA THAT CONFIRM
THE COPERNICAN SYSTEM. WARNED BY HIS FRIEND
OF THE POSSIBLE CONSEQUENCES OF HIS RESEARCH,
GALILEO PROCLAIMS HIS BELIEF IN HUMAN REASON
January ten, sixteen ten:
Galileo Galilei abolishes heaven.
Scene 4:
GALILEO HAS EXCHANGED THE VENETIAN REPUBLIC
FOR THE COURT OF FLORENCE. HIS DISCOVERIES
WITH THE TELESCOPE ARE NOT BELIEVED
BY THE COURT SCHOLARS.
The old says: What I’ve always done I’ll always do.
The new says: If you’re useless you must go.
Scene 5:
UNDETERRED EVEN BY THE PLAGUE, GALILEO
CARRIES ON WITH HIS RESEARCHES
Scene 6:
1616. THE VATICAN RESEARCH INSTITUTE,
THE COLLEGIUM ROMANUM,
CONFIRMS GALILEO’S FINDINGS
Things take indeed a wondrous turn
When learned men do stoop to learn.
Clavius, we are pleased to say
Upheld Galileo Galilei.
Scene 7:
BUT THE INQUISITION PUTS COPERNICUS’S
TEACHINGS ON THE INDEX (MARCH 5TH, 1616)
When Galileo was in Rome
A cardinal asked him to his home.
He wined and dined him as his guest
And only made one small request.
Scene 8:
A CONVERSATION
Galileo, feeling grim,
A young monk came to visit him.
The monk was born of common folk.
It was of science that they spoke.
Scene 9:
AFTER KEEPING SILENT FOR EIGHT YEARS, GALILEO
IS ENCOURAGED BY THE ACCESSION OF A NEW POPE,
HIMSELF A SCIENTIST, TO RESUME HIS RESEARCHES
INTO THE FORBIDDEN AREA: THE SUNSPOTS
Eight long years with tongue in cheek
Of what he knew he did not speak.
Then temptation grew too great
And Galileo challenged fate.
Scene 10:
DURING THE NEXT DECADE GALILEO’S DOCTRINE
SPREADS AMONG THE COMMON PEOPLE. BALLAD
SINGERS AND PAMPHLETEERS EVERYWHERE TAKE UP
THE NEW IDEAS. IN THE CARNIVAL OF 1632 MANY
ITALIAN CITIES CHOOSE ASTRONOMY AS THE THEME
FOR THEIR GUILDS’ CARNIVAL PROCESSIONS
Scene 11:
1633: THE INQUISITION SUMMONS
THE WORLD-FAMOUS SCIENTIST TO ROME
The depths are hot, the heights are chill
The streets are loud, the court is still.
Scene 12:
THE POPE
Scene 13:
BEFORE THE INQUISITION, ON JUNE 22ND, 1633,
GALILEO RECANTS HIS DOCTRINE
OF THE MOTION OF THE EARTH
June twenty-second, sixteen thirty-three
A momentous day for you and me.
Of all the days that was the one
An age of reason could have begun.
Scene 14:
1633-1642. GALILEO GALILEI LIVES IN A HOUSE IN
THE COUNTRY NEAR FLORENCE, A PRISONER OF THE
INQUISITION TILL HE DIES. THE ‘DISCORSI’
Scene 15:
1637. GALILEO’S BOOK, THE ‘DISCORSI’,
CROSSES THE ITALIAN FRONTIER
The great book o’er the border went
And, good folk, that was the end.
But we hope you’ll keep in mind
You and I were left behind.
***
May you now guard science’ light,
Kindle it and use it right,
Lest it be a flame to fall
Downward to consume us all.
GALILEO GALILEI, A TEACHER OF
MATHEMATICS AT PADUA, SETS OUT TO PROVE
COPERNICUS’S NEW COSMOGONY
In the year sixteen hundred and nine
Science’s light began to shine.
At Padua city in a modest house
Galileo Galilei set out to prove
The sun is still, the earth is on the move.
Scene 2:
GALILEO PRESENTS THE VENETIAN REPUBLIC
WITH A NEW INVENTION
No one’s virtue is complete:
Great Galileo liked to eat.
You will not resent, we hope
The truth about his telescope.
Scene 3:
10 JANUARY 1610. USING THE TELESCOPE, GALILEO
DISCOVERS CELESTIAL PHENOMENA THAT CONFIRM
THE COPERNICAN SYSTEM. WARNED BY HIS FRIEND
OF THE POSSIBLE CONSEQUENCES OF HIS RESEARCH,
GALILEO PROCLAIMS HIS BELIEF IN HUMAN REASON
January ten, sixteen ten:
Galileo Galilei abolishes heaven.
Scene 4:
GALILEO HAS EXCHANGED THE VENETIAN REPUBLIC
FOR THE COURT OF FLORENCE. HIS DISCOVERIES
WITH THE TELESCOPE ARE NOT BELIEVED
BY THE COURT SCHOLARS.
The old says: What I’ve always done I’ll always do.
The new says: If you’re useless you must go.
Scene 5:
UNDETERRED EVEN BY THE PLAGUE, GALILEO
CARRIES ON WITH HIS RESEARCHES
Scene 6:
1616. THE VATICAN RESEARCH INSTITUTE,
THE COLLEGIUM ROMANUM,
CONFIRMS GALILEO’S FINDINGS
Things take indeed a wondrous turn
When learned men do stoop to learn.
Clavius, we are pleased to say
Upheld Galileo Galilei.
Scene 7:
BUT THE INQUISITION PUTS COPERNICUS’S
TEACHINGS ON THE INDEX (MARCH 5TH, 1616)
When Galileo was in Rome
A cardinal asked him to his home.
He wined and dined him as his guest
And only made one small request.
Scene 8:
A CONVERSATION
Galileo, feeling grim,
A young monk came to visit him.
The monk was born of common folk.
It was of science that they spoke.
Scene 9:
AFTER KEEPING SILENT FOR EIGHT YEARS, GALILEO
IS ENCOURAGED BY THE ACCESSION OF A NEW POPE,
HIMSELF A SCIENTIST, TO RESUME HIS RESEARCHES
INTO THE FORBIDDEN AREA: THE SUNSPOTS
Eight long years with tongue in cheek
Of what he knew he did not speak.
Then temptation grew too great
And Galileo challenged fate.
Scene 10:
DURING THE NEXT DECADE GALILEO’S DOCTRINE
SPREADS AMONG THE COMMON PEOPLE. BALLAD
SINGERS AND PAMPHLETEERS EVERYWHERE TAKE UP
THE NEW IDEAS. IN THE CARNIVAL OF 1632 MANY
ITALIAN CITIES CHOOSE ASTRONOMY AS THE THEME
FOR THEIR GUILDS’ CARNIVAL PROCESSIONS
Scene 11:
1633: THE INQUISITION SUMMONS
THE WORLD-FAMOUS SCIENTIST TO ROME
The depths are hot, the heights are chill
The streets are loud, the court is still.
Scene 12:
THE POPE
Scene 13:
BEFORE THE INQUISITION, ON JUNE 22ND, 1633,
GALILEO RECANTS HIS DOCTRINE
OF THE MOTION OF THE EARTH
June twenty-second, sixteen thirty-three
A momentous day for you and me.
Of all the days that was the one
An age of reason could have begun.
Scene 14:
1633-1642. GALILEO GALILEI LIVES IN A HOUSE IN
THE COUNTRY NEAR FLORENCE, A PRISONER OF THE
INQUISITION TILL HE DIES. THE ‘DISCORSI’
Scene 15:
1637. GALILEO’S BOOK, THE ‘DISCORSI’,
CROSSES THE ITALIAN FRONTIER
The great book o’er the border went
And, good folk, that was the end.
But we hope you’ll keep in mind
You and I were left behind.
***
May you now guard science’ light,
Kindle it and use it right,
Lest it be a flame to fall
Downward to consume us all.
Find a detailed scene breakdown here: Life of Galileo Scene Synopsis