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

Some common words found in the essay are:
Brecht's Galileo, , Prospero Shakespeare's, Garden Eden, Miranda Ferdinand, Brecht Shakespeare, Galileo Prospero, Prospero Shakespeare, William Shakespeare, Brecht Bertolt, prospero shakespeare's, held power, characters serve, power change, miranda ferdinand, earth center, power change world, change world,
Approximate Word count = 1616
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)