Perspectives on Late 16th and Early 17th Century Europe: Michel de Montaigne’s “Essays” vs. Bertolt Brecht’s “The Life of Galileo”

1. Introduction:

Both Brecht and Montaigne give a true narration about the European history of late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries. While Michel de Montaigne’s work “Essays” is more focused on the social life and culture of that time, Bertolt Brecht’s work “The Life of Galileo” is more concentrated on the political aspects. Nevertheless, both of them offer a great deal of information about the European situation in general.

2. Michel de Montaigne:

Michel de Montaigne was born in 1533 in France. He was a French Renaissance writer who wrote “Essays”, which is a collection of his thoughts on various topics. His essays explore such themes as doubt, cruelty, pain, and happiness. They are also noted for their skepticism and individualism.

During his time, Montaigne was highly respected for his intelligence and wisdom. However, he was also criticized for his Failure to properly support dogmatic beliefs. For instance, he believed that humankind should not be too sure about anything, which led him to be accused of being an atheist by some religious people. In addition, his views on politics were sometimes seen as controversial. Nevertheless, his works remain highly influential even today.

3. Bertolt Brecht:

Bertolt Brecht was born in 1898 in Germany. He was a Marxist playwright, director, and poet who is best known for his plays “The Good Person of Szechwan” and “Mother Courage and Her Children”. He was also a co-founder of the influential theatre company “Theatre of the Oppressed”.

Brecht’s plays often deal with political and social issues. They are also known for their use of “epic theatre”, which is a form of theatre that uses techniques such as alienation effect to distance the audience from the characters on stage. This allows the audience to think critically about the issues being presented, rather than simply empathizing with the characters.

4. Conclusion:

In conclusion, both Michel de Montaigne and Bertolt Brecht were important figures in the history of late sixteenth and early seventeenth century Europe. They offer different, but equally valuable perspectives on this period of time. While Montaigne’s work is more focused on the social life and culture of that era, Brecht’s work focuses more on the political aspects. However, both authors provide insights into the European situation during this time period that are still relevant today.

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