Galileo Meets Shakespeare and Art Meets Science

Will Art and Science make peace? We don’t? Galileo Galilei You know, art and science don’t always get along…

The Book Galileo Galilei Let us proceed! You have a great treasure in your university library. My Sidereus Nuncius. First edition.

The Rare Book This historic volume resides in the University of Arizona’s Special Collections. Our noble friend can share with generations to come.

The Book Galileo Galilei I am happy to lead you through my work. Let us consider my drawings of La Luna, first. (Letter dated Jan. 7, 1610).

The Source Texts Would you give us a closer view?

Certainly.

Galileo’s drawings of the moon Galileo Galilei I was a good draftsman, as you can see here. And here are further of my sketches.

Nice craters, eh?

Galileo’s drawings of the moon Galileo Galilei In honesty, I first thought the craters were high mountains. But I guessed they were craters later.

But can someone tell what story the craters told? Why did they upset people? (I love drama!)

I upset the Heavenly Spheres.

Aristotle’s Heavenly Spheres The what? I knew this would get technical.

Galileo’s drawings of the moon Galileo Galilei My drawings showed the moon was not a perfect sphere as the Greek Philosopher Aristotle claimed.

The Ptolemaic System EXCUSE me? Your point?

Galileo’s drawings of the moon Galileo Galilei I can explain so even a playwright will understand. Aristotle said all planets were perfect spheres. Craters are NOT allowed.

Galileo Discovers Jupiter’s moons Galileo Galilei In January 1610, I also wrote to the Duke that I discovered the mightiest of planets, Jupiter, had four fine moons of its own!

Now that showed skill worthy of my most humble self, my lad! Offering to name the new moons after Duke Cosimo de Medici— the Cosmian or Medician Moons. You got tenure for this flattery, yes? Galileo’s Tenure

Galileo the Playwright! Galileo Galilei And in Dialogue on The Two Chief World Systems, my dramatic character Salviati defended Copernicus against the character Simplicio’s geocentric system. I cited tides as evidence…

But you should have stopped while winning. Recall “When the battle’s lost and won.” Wasn’t defending Copernicus a bit too obvious? Your play lacked subtlety. But I suppose—yes--you were a dramatist—of sorts. Galileo’s Arrest

Our Solar System Galileo Galilei Soon, most educated folk agreed that the Sun is the center and not the earth!

“Why, 'tis a boisterous and a cruel style; A style for challengers.” [ As You Like It IV, 3] The Pope was hurt. Quoting him in your Dialogue as “Simplicio?” Really! That is the unkindest cut of all! Galileo’s Arrest

Our Solar System Galileo Galilei You make of life a comedy of persons. I look beyond all that to the stars. As you say “All’s well that ends well.”

By the way, my fine fellow, I did dabble a bit in the stars, myself. My friend Leonard Digges made a number of clever astronomical instruments. That is, his father did. This one is Dioptra. Will the Astronomer