The Birth of Tragedy; or, Hellenism and Pessimism by Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche

Read now or download (free!)

Choose how to read this book Url Size
Read online (web) https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/51356.html.images 376 kB
EPUB3 (E-readers incl. Send-to-Kindle) https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/51356.epub3.images 212 kB
EPUB (older E-readers) https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/51356.epub.images 217 kB
EPUB (no images, older E-readers) https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/51356.epub.noimages 180 kB
Kindle https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/51356.kf8.images 317 kB
older Kindles https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/51356.kindle.images 287 kB
Plain Text UTF-8 https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/51356.txt.utf-8 345 kB
Download HTML (zip) https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/51356/pg51356-h.zip 195 kB
There may be more files related to this item.

About this eBook

Author Nietzsche, Friedrich Wilhelm, 1844-1900
Editor Levy, Oscar, 1867-1946
Translator Haussmann, William A.
Uniform Title Die Geburt der Tragödie. English
Title The Birth of Tragedy; or, Hellenism and Pessimism
Note Reading ease score: 41.4 (College-level). Difficult to read.
Credits Produced by Marc D'Hooghe (Images generously made available by the Hathi Trust.)
Summary "The Birth of Tragedy; or, Hellenism and Pessimism" by Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche is a philosophical work written in the early 19th century. This foundational text explores the origins of Greek tragedy, emphasizing the interplay between the Apollonian and Dionysian elements of art and existence. Nietzsche presents a duality where the rational and structured aspects of Apollo contrast sharply with the chaotic, passionate nature of Dionysus, ultimately arguing that both forces are essential to the human experience and the creation of art. The opening of this work provides a deep insight into Nietzsche's philosophical explorations surrounding the nature of existence and art. He reflects on experiences from his youth and the foundational influences of Hellenism, Schopenhauer, and Wagner upon his thinking. Nietzsche begins to articulate the essential conflict between the beauty represented by Apollo and the primal chaos embodied by Dionysus, suggesting that Greek tragedy arose from a reconciliation of these contrasting forces. Through this lens, he begins to question the notion of pessimism and its relationship with artistic creation, hinting at a complex relationship between joy, suffering, and the necessity of art for human life. The prologue sets the stage for the intricate analysis of Greek aesthetics that follows, inviting readers to consider the deeper implications of tragedy as a reflection of life's dualities. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
Language English
LoC Class B: Philosophy, Psychology, Religion
Subject Aesthetics
Subject Music -- Philosophy and aesthetics
Subject Tragedy
Subject Greek drama (Tragedy) -- History and criticism -- Theory, etc.
Subject Mythology, Greek, in literature
Subject Tragic, The
Category Text
EBook-No. 51356
Release Date
Most Recently Updated May 5, 2024
Copyright Status Public domain in the USA.
Downloads 5714 downloads in the last 30 days.
Project Gutenberg eBooks are always free!