The Price Of Eating From The Tree

A detailed Summary of The Price Of Eating From The Tree

The struggle for power is an age old one, indeed. Opposing nations vying for control of a province, officials seeking powerful positions against equally cunning rivals, and the fight for dominance in a household are all examples of this struggle. It is a mental and physical battle, fought on many different sides at once by many different means. As a species, humanity seems predisposed to seeking the upper hand, even over those they may deem allies. Advancement in science and technology gives certain nations dominance on a military and economical level. Moral issues are fought in courtrooms, in churches and on the streets. Families are torn apart as wives try to break free of the chains of oppressive husbands. Power is the ultimate attainable goal for most, perhaps not on a surface level, but at least subconsciously. It is known that people in power change the world, and who wouldn't want to be the one to shape their own destiny, rather than leaving it in the hands of people who don't understand their situation? Might is right is a mantra that may not be just, but certainly has been the rule rather than the exception in many cultures. Galileo held the power to change the world thought his discovery, or at least peop

Brecht and Shakespeare both seem to deem knowledge as a route to power, and as such should be avoided in some situations, but not all. Brecht seems to sympathize with Galileo's genius, but doesn't have any problem detailing the problems the knowledge he has entails. Truly that is a demonstration of even Brecht's impartial attitude. He never proclaims knowledge is bad, but the events in the book suggest that he had a view that was farther reaching than good and bad, and that Galileo had to live to fulfill his promise, even though he was hiding his greatest discovery. Brecht seems to consider the gaining of several more years of scientific discovery an acceptable substitute on the grounds that the original knowledge is not lost and is passed on. Prospero is Shakespeare's way of denouncing all magic forms, and showing redemption in the soul through love. His abilities were dangerous, but he gave them up for he sake of his daughter and his newly clean soul. What power have you if you can move mountains but not be loved? He seemed to come to accept his former life as desirable, and he simply wants his family. He describes it thus, at the end:

le's perception of it. He held a truth that was dangerous, to himself and those around him, as it threatened to undermine the most fundamental teachings of both science and religion simultaneously. It was truth, indeed, but at what cost? What does one do with such power in their hands? Similarly Prospero, Shakespeare's fictional sorcerer from the play The Tempest, held power that one might consider god-like...power to call upon storms, and speak to muses. His was a might that was awe-inspiring, but at the same time, he isolated himself to devote himself to his art and to science. He must have known the danger of his power, and thus reveled in it instead in solitude. What does one do when they have the power to warp reality itself? These two characters serve to provide a basis off of which their respective authors, Bertolt Brecht and William Shakespeare, can make commentary on the use of power and its danger. After all, both Galileo and Prospero abandon their power at the end of both works, although admittedly for different reasons. And while there seems like more benefit to be extracted from the power Galileo wields, both characters serve as a model for the question: What is the price of power, and can humanity bear that cost

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Approximate Word count = 1616
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English