The history of Bertolt Brecht's play Leben des Galilei extends through the writing of its three versions during 1938 to 1955 -- a period of two decades that also encompassed the entirety of the Second World War. The period also covers the atom bomb from its development to America's use of the bomb in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, as well as the beginning of the Cold War, which included the sustained threat that nuclear weapons might be used any day. This thesis traces, and offers interpretations of, changes in Brecht's Leben des Galilei from its inception in 1938-1939 -- when the protagonist, a scientist, is portrayed in a positive light -- through the play's American version in 1947, where it bitterly accuses science and scientists of having betrayed society and humanity, and finally to its last version in 1955, where the protagonist struggles to prevent the normalization--the familiarization--of the threat of nuclear warfare. Next to the writing of the Leben des Galilei, the thesis also focuses on the main critical readings of the play. A large fraction of the critical readings, but not all of them, interpret the play either as a judgment of science or as an invitation to pass judgment on science. The thesis compares Leben des Galilei with three different groups of other texts. The first comparison is with two other plays that also address the problem of science in the age of nuclear weapons, and the second comparison is with other work of Brecht himself. The first comparison leads to the observation that the muted note of optimism in the final version of Leben des Galilei is exceptional, and the second comparison to the apparently unrelated observation that it was uncharacteristic of Brecht to make explicit a certain literary allusion in Leben des Galilei. The two observations converge to a possible common explanation from a comparison with a still third group of texts, a cycle of Native American myths which appear in the oral traditions of various Native American tribes spread throughout the New World. Finally, the thesis addresses the question of why a modern-day literary text, addressing the essentially modern problem of nuclear warfare, and addressing that problem using the essentially modern techniques of Brechtian theatre, might have structures parallel to the structures of primitive mythology.

Thèse (M.A)--Université Laval, 2007. / Bibliogr.: f. [88]-92. Publié aussi en version électronique dans la Collection Mémoires et thèses électroniques.

[pt] Esta tese aborda o território de uma arte épica na filosofia de Walter Benjamin e no teatro de Bertolt Brecht. O épico é visto aqui em um contexto de politização da arte do século XX, que atingiria uma de suas expressões mais significativas e experimentais no teatro de Brecht. Benjamin irá figurar não só como um importante leitor de Brecht, mas como um pensador do épico. Suas leituras da década de 1930 sobre uma arte política e sobre o narrador terão um papel importante. O narrador será pensado como narrador de situações políticas, e em conexão com um teatro que, como apontou Brecht, adquire novas possibilidades de narrar. Trataremos também das concepções de um teatro épico, ou proletário, do encenador Erwin Piscator, e das leituras do escritor e crítico Alfred Doblin sobre uma obra épica. / [en] This thesis focus on the territory of an epic art in the philosophy of Walter Benjamin and in the theater of Bertolt Brecht. The epic is seen here in the context of politicization of twentieth-century art, which would achieve one of its most significant and experimental expressions in the Brecht theater. Benjamin will figure not only as an important reader of Brecht, but as a thinker of the epic. His readings of the 1930s on political art and on the narrator will have an important role. The narrator will be thought of as a narrator of political situations, and in connection with a theater which, as Brecht pointed out, acquires new possibilities to narrate. We will also deal with the conceptions of an epic theater, or proletarian, of the director Erwin Piscator, and the readings of the writer and critic Alfred Doblin on an epic work.

Submitted by NATALIA KNEIPP RIBEIRO GONÇALVES null (nataliakneipp@yahoo.com.br) on 2016-05-09T18:42:33Z No. of bitstreams: 1 TESE_NATALIA_final_rev_repositorio.pdf: 2362286 bytes, checksum: a857cd8026881e08ef411c76c41566ac (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Felipe Augusto Arakaki (arakaki@reitoria.unesp.br) on 2016-05-10T17:10:28Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 concalves_nkr_dr_arafcl.pdf: 2362286 bytes, checksum: a857cd8026881e08ef411c76c41566ac (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-05-10T17:10:28Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 concalves_nkr_dr_arafcl.pdf: 2362286 bytes, checksum: a857cd8026881e08ef411c76c41566ac (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-03-09 / Pró-Reitoria de Pós-Graduação (PROPG UNESP) / O presente trabalho caracteriza-se como pesquisa bibliográfica e tem como objetivo a compreensão da didática a partir do estudo das peças didáticas de Bertolt Brecht (1898-1956), as quais são uma tipologia do teatro épico brechtiano e compreendem as seguintes obras: “O voo sobre o oceano” (escrita em 1928/1929); “A peça didática de Baden-Baden sobre o acordo” (escrita em 1929); “Aquele que diz sim”/“Aquele que diz não” (encenadas sempre em conjunto, escritas em 1929/1930); “A decisão” (escrita em 1929/1930); “A exceção e a regra” (escrita em 1929/1930) e “Os Horácios e os Curiácios” (escrita em 1934); além dos fragmentos “O malvado Baal, O Associal” e “Decadência do egoísta Johann Fatzer”. A didática é a categoria central deste trabalho, o universo são as peças didáticas de Bertolt Brecht e o método de análise é o materialismo histórico e dialético. Pretendemos contribuir com a discussão dos processos pedagógicos, sobretudo no que se refere à práxis pedagógica escolar e, para tanto, os caminhos trilhados em nossa pesquisa partiram da análise do conceito de didática presente na obra “Didática Magna”, de Comênio (1592-1670), que é um marco referencial da Pedagogia Moderna, e se dirigiram ao estudo da didática nas peças didáticas brechtianas. Compomos um panorama sobre as condições sócio-históricas do teatro europeu, em fins do século XIX e início do século XX; enfatizamos as aproximações e distanciamentos do expressionismo e do teatro político de Erwin Piscator (1893-1966) em relação ao desenvolvimento do teatro épico brechtiano; discutimos o elemento didático presente em peças anteriores às didáticas; e, por fim, analisamos as peças didáticas e seus fundamentos. Assim, consideramos que a didática compreendida a partir das peças didáticas propicia que o ensino seja posto em cena e aponta possibilidades ao diálogo entre o teatro e a educação escolar na perspectiva da práxis. / This work is characterized as bibliographic search and has aimed to understand the teaching from the study of learning plays of Bertolt Brecht (1898-1956) which are a type of Brechtian epic theater and consist the following works: “The Ocean Flight” (written in 1928/1929); “The learning play of The Baden-Baden Lesson on Consent” (written in 1929); “He Who Says Yes”/ “He Who Says No” (always together staged, written in 1929/1930); “The Decision” (written in 1929/1930); “The Exception and the rule” (written in 1929/1930) and “The Horations and the Curiatians” (written in 1934); beyond the fragments “Bad Baal, the Antisocial Man” e “ Demise of the Egotist Johann Fatzer”. The teaching is the central category of this work, the universe are the learning plays of Bertolt Brecht and the method of analysis is the historical and dialectical materialism. We intend to contribute to the discussion of pedagogical processes, particularly with regard to school pedagogical praxis and, therefore, the paths in our research set out the teaching this concept analysis in the work “Magna Didactics”, of Comênio (1592-1670), wich is a reference point of the Modern Education, and headed to the study of teaching in Brechtian learning plays. We compose an overview of the socio-historical conditions of european theater, in the late nineteenth century and early twentieth century; we emphasize the similarities and differences of expressionism and political theater of Erwin Piscator (1893-1966) for the development of Brechtian epic theater; we discuss this didactic element in previous parts to learning; and finally, we analyze the learning plays and its fundamentals. Like this, we consider that the didactic understood from the learning plays provides that education be put into play and points out possibilities for dialogue between theater and education from the perspective of praxis.

Contemporains capitaux, mythifiés de leur vivant, Artaud et Brecht sont morts en ignorant tout l’un de l’autre. Ce tandem imaginaire s’est néanmoins vu érigé en grand antagonisme de l’avant-garde. Au dualisme théâtral Cruauté vs Distanciation se sont superposées les confrontations esthétiques (performance vs brechtisme), politiques (situationnistes vs staliniens), idéologiques (transgression libertaire vs totalisation marxiste), philosophiques (critique postmoderne vs rationalisme occidental).Par-delà cette réduction instrumentale à deux machines de guerre théoriques adverses, un enjeu essentiel unit pourtant Brecht et Artaud : comment changer le monde ou la vie ? De cette Révolution infinie dont le théâtre n’est qu’un aspect, cette thèse explore les sens par la comparaison de leurs œuvres complètes en croisant littérature, philosophie et politique. Au-delà d’options divergentes, Artaud et Brecht partagent des problèmes, des rejets, des axes. I. Mythologies. Artaud et Brecht traquent la Révolution en brûlant ses mythes : embraser la terre (destruction, dégénérescence, décadence) ; changer la vie (paganisme, anarchismes, avant-gardes) ; transformer le monde (marxisme, indianisme). II. Pathologies. Pour éradiquer la contre-Révolution et canaliser la flambée des masses, ils attaquent la diversion religieuse, l’abrutissement par l’emprise (sexuelle, occulte, idéologique), et la domination (de l’inertie à la fureur fasciste). III. Philosophies & Dramaturgies. Dans le creuset du théâtre, sur deux scènes ontologiques, Brecht et Artaud forgent leurs Révolutions comme saut, dépassement, renversement et commencement. De leur géniale traversée, reste le brasier révolutionnaire de l’œuvre. / Artaud and Brecht, contemporaries transformed into mythological figures during their own life-times, died without having any knowledge of one another. They became, however, an imaginary couple, as it were, the two great antagonists of the avant-garde. The duality they represented —theatre of cruelty vs. theatre of alienation— acquired further meanings: aesthetic (performance vs. brechtian), political (situationist vs. stalinist), ideological (libertarian transgression vs. Marxist totalisation), and philosophic (post-modernist critique vs. western rationalism).Nevertheless, beyond the polemics, one essential concern united Brecht and Artaud: How to change the world and life? This thesis explores the meanings of that infinite revolution of which the theatre is but one aspect, by comparing their oeuvre as literature, philosophy, and politics. Their positions differed, but Artaud and Brecht shared the same problems and terms of discussion, and rejected the same solutions.I. Mythologies: Both of them pursued revolution while attacking its myths: setting the world alight (destruction, degeneracy, decadence); changing life (paganism, anarchism, the avant-gardes), transforming everything (Marxism, indianism).II. Pathologies: in order to resist Counter-Revolution and focus the ardour of the masses, they attack religion as a diversion; sexual, occult and ideological brutalisation; and all forms of domination (from passivity to fascist frenzy).III. Philosophies and dramaturgies: It is in the theatre that Artaud and Brecht forged their revolutions in the form of great leaps forward, reversals and new beginnings.What remains of their work is its incandescent revolutionary core.

Thesis advisor: Scott T. Cummings / This Senior Honors Thesis evolved from a personal fascination with the intersection of art and science both in drama and on a grander theoretical scale. It is a three-part investigation with each part written in different voice with a different intention. The first is a short personal introduction offering insight to the genesis of the project. This is followed by a comparative dramaturgical analysis of two science plays, Bertolt Brecht's GALILEO and Michael Frayn's COPENHAGEN, examining the role of science in drama. The final component is a philosophical dialogue on the model of Brecht's MESSINGKAUF DIALOGUES which articulates larger philosophical questions in an examination of the similarities and differences between science and art. / Thesis (BA) — Boston College, 2006. / Submitted to: Boston College. College of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: Theater. / Discipline: College Honors Program.

Berlin, Freie University, Diss., 2006 (Nicht für den Austausch).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1973. / Typescript. Vita. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references.

Bielefeld, Universiẗat, Diss., 2002.

Diss.--Fribourg-en-Brisgau, 1999. / Bibliogr. p. 215-226.