The Birth Tragedy A Commentary David Lenson THE BIRTH OF TRAGEDY - A Commentary - DAVID LENSON TWAYNE PUBLISHERS· BOSTON A Division of G.K. Hall & Co. THE BIRTH OF TRAGEDY - A Commentary - TwA YNE'S MASTERWORK STUDIES Robert Lecker, General Editor The Bible: A Literary Study by John H. Cottcent The Canterbury Tales: A Literary Pilgrimage by David Williams Great Expectations: A Novel of Friendship by Bert G. Hornback Heart of Darkness: Search for the Unconscious by Gary Adelman The Interpretation of Dreams: Freud's Theories Revisited by Laurence M. Porter Jane Eyre: Portrait (?f a Life by Maggie Berg Moby-Dick: Ishmael's Mighty Book by Kerry McSweeney The Scarlet Letter: A Reading by Nina Baym Sons and Lovers: A Novel of Division and Desire by Ross C Murfin To the Lighthouse: The Marriage of Lffe and Art by Alice van Buren Kelley The Birth of Tragedy: A Commentary David Lenson Twaync's Masterwork Studies No.8 Copyright 1987 by G.K. Hall & Co. All rights reserved. Published by Twayne Publishers A Division of G.K. Hall & Co. 70 Lincoln Street Boston, Massachusetts 02111 Copyediting supervised by Lewis DeSimone Typeset in 10114 Sabon with Bodoni display type. by Compset, Inc. Printed on permanent/durable acid-free paper and bound in the United States of America Excerpt from Thomas Mann, Death in Venice and Seven Other Stories, trans. H. T. Lowe-Porter (New York: Knopf, 1936),67-68, reprinted by permission of Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. Copyright 1936 by Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data Lenson, David, 1945- The birth of tragedy. (Twayne's masterwork studies; no. 8) Bibliography: p. Includes index. I. Nietzsche, friedrich Wilhelm, 1844-1900. Gcbllrt der Tragodie. 2. Aesthetics. 3. Mllsic Philosophy and aesthetics. 4. Tragedy. 5. Greek drama (Tragedy)-History and criticism. 6. Tragic, The. 7. Wagner, Richard, 1813-1883. I. Title. II. Series. B.B13.G43L46 1987 111'.85 87-12101 ISBN 0-8057-7968-X 0-8057-8008-4 (pbk.) CONTENTS Note on References vz Chronology: Friedrich Nietzsche's Life and Works vz~ I HISTORICAL CONTEXT 1 2 THE IMPORTANCE OF THE WORK 6 3 CRITICAL RECEPTION 10 4 A BRIEF GLOSSARY 17 - AReading - 5 THE BIRTH OF TRAGEDY 21 6 CONCLUSION 111 Notes 119 Bibliography 120 Index 124 About the Author 128 • v • NOTE ON REFERENCES I have used the translation of Walter Kaufmann, published in 1967 by Random House and still easily available, throughout this commen tary. Its clarity and scholarly apparatus make it generally superior to the rather more lyrical and passionate rendition by Francis Golffing, published by Doubleday in 1956. Kaufmann's translation was based upon Elisabeth Forster Nietzsche's second Leipzig edition, published between 1905 and 1910, and the Munich Musarion edition of 1920-29. Since Kaufmann's ver sion, a new Werke, Kritische Gesamtausgabe has been in progress, edited by G. Colli and M. Montinari (Berlin and New York: De Gruy ter, 1967-). For daily reference, I have used a paperback edition pub lished by Wilhelm Goldmann Verlag in Munich. This text is, however, based upon the earlier Forster-Nietzsche edition and is therefore not reliable for research. • VI • CHHONOLO(;Y: FRIEDHICH NIETZSCHE'S LWE AND WORKS 1844 Friedrich Nietzsche is born on 15 October in Riicken, Prussian Saxon)', the son of Karl Ludwig Nietz~chc (h. 1813), a Lu theran pastor, and Franziska Oehler Nietzsche (b. 1826). 1846 His sister, Elisabeth, is horn on 10 July. 1848 His hrother, joseph, is horn in February. 1849 Karl Ludwig Nietzsche dies on 30 july, leaving Friedrich with only the dimmest memory of his father. 1850 joseph Nietzsche dies in january, and the family moves to Naumburg, a somcwhat larger town. Nictzschc's formal edu cation begins in a local elemcnt.lry school. -1855 Nietzsche transfers to another school. the DOI11 Gymnasium near Naumburg. J858 He is accepted as a student at thc prestigious pfona boarding school and matriculatcs in October. This proves to be a crucial event in Nierzsche's life, as the traditional but superior quality of »fona gives him a strong foundation. particularly in clas sicallanguages, for his subsequent academic Iiie. 1859 Nil'tzsche hegins to writc, working on a play .1bollt Promethells. ]860 He hegins composing music. ]861 Nietzsche sufkrs a serious illness in February, the first in a lift of bad health, and is sent home from school. In March he undergoes confirmation. During this year hc writes his first essays. 1862 Dcspitc another illncss in thc summcr, Nictzsche produces two essays and a dramatic fragment. 1864 In thc fall, Nietzschc matriculates at Bonn University to study classical philology .1I1d theology. Hc writes an essay on the • vii • THE BIRTH OF TRAGEDY classical Greek poet Theognis and reads David Strauss's Lite ofJ esus, a book that affects his thinking about Chri~tianity for some time. He also fights a duel, an obligatory ritual in the life of a young Prussian male, and gains a scar to show for it. 1865 In a dramatic gesture, Nietzsche refuses to take communion at Easter, causing great consternation in his family. Ht· discovers the philosophy of Arthur Schopenhauer, one of his most last ing influences. In the fall. he transfers to Leipzig University, following his favorite teacher, Albrecht Ritschl. 1867 Nietzsche begins his long friendship with Erwin Rohde. He continues writing and researching the Greek philosophers Di ogenes and l)emocritus until he is conscripted for military ser vice in October. A famous incident occurs at this time: falling off a horse during a training exercise, hanging on to the saddle underneath his mount, Nietzsche reportedly cries out in fear, "Schopenhauer! Help me now!" 1868 ~ietzsche has a riding accident in ~Iarch and is discharged from the army in October with a serious chest wound that disables him once again. Learning to work despite physical pain, he writes an essay on teleology. Finally recovered. he has his fir~t meeting with Richard Wagner in Leipzig in November. During the next few years, Wagner and his wife. Cosima, be come his artistic and intellectual mentors, and a kind of sur rogate family. 1869 In January Nietzsche receives his astonishing appointment to Basel University in Switzerland. In April he takes Swiss citi zenship, which he retains for the rest of his life. On 17 ~lay he pays his first visit to the W'agners at their mansion, Tribschen. He gives his introductory lecture at Basel, entitled "Homer and Classical Philology," on 28 ~1ay. 1870 Despite his youth, he becomes a full professor in ~larch. He gives two impressive lectures, one on Greek music-drama and another on Socrates and tragedy. Both of these are important early explorations of the themes of The Birth of Tmgedy. He serves briefly as a medical orderly in the Fr;mco-Prussian War, but in the harsh conditions of combat falls ill again and returns to Basel in October, around the time of the French surrender. 1871 Already feeling constrained by the discipline of philology, Nietzsche tries to transfer to a chair in philosophy, but en coullters difficulties of academil' politics. In April he completes The Birth o(/i-'lgetiy. In November the manuscript is accepted for publication by Ernst \Vilhelm Fritzsche, Wagner's pub- • viii • Chronology: Friedrich Nietzsche's Ufe and Works lishcr. Wagner is somewhat annoyed, thinking the book would have greater crL.Jibility were it takcn hy a morc conventional academic house. 1872 The Birth Q( Tragedy is published, and the famous battlc of the reviewers ensues. In April the Wagners return to Germany from their long exile and prepare to lay the cornerstone of the great thcater at Bayreuth. In June a musical composition by Nietzsche gets a rehuff from Wagner's conductor (and Cosi ma's first husband) Hans von Bulow, and Nietzsche effectively gives up composing music as a serious pursuit. 1873 Nietzsche's chronic eye trouble bcgim. The first two Untimely Medit,tti()1ls are published. 1874 Nietzsche continues working on the third Untimely Medita ti()N. Thi~ year marks the beginning of his ~plit with Wagner, as the Master takes offeme when Nietzsche leaves a score by Brahms on his piano. 1875 He puhlishes the fourth Untimely Meditation, entitled "Rich ard Wagner in Bayreuth." 1876 IncreaMngly unhealthy, Nietz~che takes a leave of absence from his professorship in February. In the summer, he makes hi~ disillusioning journey to the opening festivities at Bayreuth. In November he has his last meeting with Wagner. 1878 In January Nietzsche sends the first part of Humdn. All-Too H,mzall to the publi~her, completing the second part at the end of the year. This work contaim Nietzsche's first public repu diation of Wagner, and in September the composer counter attacks. In thi~ year, Nictzsche's most productive period begins, as do his incessant wanderings throughollt Europe in search of a climate that will alleviate his physical sufferings. Fr(lm this point on, Nietzsche is never really healthy again. liP,} Nietzsche formally resigns from Leipzig University in May. Part 3 of Human. All-Too-Huma1l is puhlished in Decemher. 1880 Nietzsche works on Sunrise. 1881 Simrise is completcd in February. Nietzsche begins TIJUs Spoke Zar,almstm and The Gay Scit'llCt'. 1882 The Gay Science is published in August. hom April through Novemher, his famous friendship with Lou Salome takes place. This is the single amorous episode in his otherwise as cetic life, and it causes him lasting pain. 1883 Wagner dies, and Nietzsche is unabashedly relieved. The first book of Zarathustra is completed in January. • ix •