Nietzsche's Conception Of The Dionysian And The Apollonian

At the very heart of Nietzsche’s first work; 'The Birth of Tragedy' are his concepts of the Dionysian and Apollonian, two contrasting and conflicting forces in nature. His examination of these forces is principally used to critically analyse Greek culture through theatre, he affirms that their roles in Greek tragedy place them at Ancient Greece’s cultural peak. However, his ideas invite further social and political contemplation due to their resonant implications. The intention of the essay is to outline Nietzsche’s conception of the Dionysian and the Apollonian, before assessing the necessary implications in a modern western society, looking at psychoanalysis, feminism and anthropology.
In order to really understand the implications of the
His plays, in contrast to that of Achilles or Sophocles, focused not on great tragic heroes but the ‘common man,’ dramatic retellings of everyday events, much like modern-day soap operas. This led to the audience feeling they could ‘know’ the characters; and therefore, pass moral judgement, an ability which was unavailable for tragic individuals, consequentially this threatened the return of individuation, as each member of the audience forms moral opinions on the events taking place. Euripides’s plays were also carefully written and structured, unlike the chaotic mess of the tragedies preceding his comedies. This left only the Apollonian, an art form that, without the Dionysian, leaves us helpless in finding the metaphysical comfort previously mentioned.
Nietzsche’s concepts of the Apollonian and Dionysian, were, to begin with, poorly received: Nietzsche himself called ‘The Birth of Tragedy’ ‘badly written, ponderous, embarrassing, image-mad and image-confused’ . Even so, his concepts have left a distinguished heritage and are still matters of ethical, political and artistic discussion. Indeed, Motta likens the contrasting and conflicting forces to mental