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35
labyrinth
= origin of Greek tragedy (Theseus reappears in
Oedipus at Colonus)
36 tradition: tragedy arose from the tragic chorus
tradition: only chorus & nothing else = true primal drama
x-interpretation of chorus as ideal viewer,
cliche that immutable moral law of the democratic Athenians was represented
in the popular chorus, always correct in its appraisal of the passionate
misdeeds and extravagances of the kngs--may indeed have been suggested by a
phrase of Aristotle's . . .
but no influence on original formation of tragedy >
> Purely religious beginnings
Constitutional representation of the people was unknown to the classical
polities, and it is to be hoped that the ancient tragedies had no such
'presentiment' of it. [Nietzsche no fan of democracy.]
Schlegel: chorus = chorus as ideal spectator
a crude and unscientific but brilliant statement (dialectic)
Germanic predilection for everything that is called "ideal"
glossary 36
A. W. Schlegel:
(1767-1845), German Romantic poet, critic, and translator of Shakespeare.
[Endnote from text:] “a leading thinker and writer of the early German Romantic
movement, who together with Ludwig Tieck translated a large number of
Shakespeare’s plays into German in editions which have classic status."
36-7 ask ourselves whether it is indeed possible to idealize from that
audience anything resembling the tragic chorus
37 true spectator always aware watching work of art, not an
empirical reality [cf.
mimesis]
tragic chorus . . . is required to grant the figures on the stage a
physical existence . . . chorus really believes it is seeing . . . and thinks
itself just as real . . .
An aesthetic audience
The chorus as such, without the stage--the primitive form of
tragedy, then, and the chorus of ideal spectators are incompatible.
Schiller,
preface to
Bride of Messina: chorus as living wall, closes
tragedy from real world > ideal ground + poetic freedom
38 chorus as declaration of war on all naturalism in art
the Greek satyr chorus, the chorus of the original tragedy is an
"ideal" ground, a ground lifted high above the real paths of mortal men. For this chorus
the Greeks built the floating scaffold of an invented
natural state,
and placed upon it natural beings invented especially for it
on this foundation that tragedy arose
tragedy . . . excused from the start from precise depiction of reality [cf.
mimesis]
a world of equal reality and credibility, as Olympus with its inhabitants
was for the Hellenes.
38
The satyr, the Dionysiac chorist, lives in a
world
granted existence under
the religious sanction of myth and ritual.
[Tragedy rose from religious
ritual; same pattern for Renaissance drama and tragedy, where enactments of Bible
stories revived drama when Europe had none > "morality plays" like
Everyman > tragedies like
Doctor Faustus and
Hamlet.]
[MYTH in literary studies does not necessarily mean "untrue." Rather, myth is a
compelling story based on history but redeveloped to support state or culture.
E.g., "Make America Great Again."
[For Nietzsche, myth and the ritual that puts myth into story form empowers
tragedy.
[Examples of myth and ritual: Christ's sacrifice + communion; pledge of
allegiance]
Our idolization of the natural and real
[Anticipates Nietzsche's later critique
of Euripides as the "death of tragedy" by making tragedy more commonplace and
realistic instead of exalted and ideal]
the satyr, the invented natural being, relates to cultural
humanity as Dionysiac music relates to civilization. Of the latter, Richard
Wagner . . .
39 the Greek man of culture felt himself annulled in the face
of the satyr chorus
life is at bottom indestructibly powerful and joyful, is
given concrete form as a satyr chorus, a chorus of natural beings, living
ineradicably behind all civilization
> overwhelming sense of unity > very heart of nature
(Dionysiac man shares with Hamlet; understanding > action repels them)
x-Buddha-like denial of will > saved by art
The ecstasy of the Dionysiac state , abolishing the habitual barriers and
boundaries of existence, actually contains, for its duration, a lethargic
element
separates worlds of everyday and Dionysiac reality
> asceticism, denial of will; cf. Hamlet: action repels
Understanding kills action, action depends on a veil of illusion . . . .
True understanding, insight into the terrible truth, outweighs every motive
for action
40 all man can now see is the horror and absurdity of existence
understands the wisdom of Silenus
[glossary p. 22
Silenus: Tutor and companion to
Dionysus, god
of wine; Silenus was originally depicted as a man of the forest,
often riding on a donkey. When drunk (almost always), Silenus had
the gift of prophecy.
[a pop-culture appearance of Silenus is in
Beethoven's
Pastoral Symphony #6 as depicted in Disney's Fantasia
at approximately the 55-second mark.]
Here, in this
supreme menace to the will, there approaches a redeeming,
healing enchantress—art.
She alone can turn these thoughts of repulsion at the horror and absurdity of
existence into ideas compaible with life: these are . . .
The
sublime—the taming of horror through art
+
comedy = artistic release from repellence of absurd
Instructor: on p. 40 above, does "art" =
Apolline?
Links for ch. 7 presentation by Vicki Webb 2015
>Melancholia Clip
(Ending: Spoilers)
>The
Mind Flowers: Dionysian Symphony
>Thievery
Corporation: The Forgotten People
<-- Dionysian
>Apollonian
Music
>Lego
Movie:
Dionysian Vs. Apollonian
>Birth
of Tragedy Beer
(for fun)
[ ]
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