Why is Galileo mentioned in the Bohemian Rhapsody?

Answer 1

Bohemian Rhapsody is a very metaphorical work, focusing upon good and evil, masculine and feminine, the need for absolution of one's sins, and the fate of one's soul after death.

It focuses upon a poor young man from a deprived background who shoots a man dead, probably to rob him, and laments to his mother that he is now facing the death penalty. He is executed, after which various factions from the worlds of good and evil fight for possession of his soul. Galileo is mentioned as representing one of the 'good' factions- kindly, wise, paternal, and a genuis of the most positive kind.

The song also mentions the character Scaramouche from the old Italian Comedia del 'Arte, who is a metaphor for one of the 'negative' factions', being selfish, irresponsible, uncaring and debauched. the Tate of the man's soul is ambiguous, but you are left with the impression that although he is innocent in many ways, he has a wilyness about him.

There is an entire page on Wikipedia devoted to 'Bohemian Rhapsody', which can give you the full story of the song.