The Birth of Tragedy

How does Nietzsche conceive of the nature of reality? How does this conception influence his ideas about art and tragedy?

Analyze the role of the individual and the collective in Nietzsche’s thought. How does he define each? What is the wider significance of each element in The Birth of Tragedy?

Nietzsche sees reality as inherently tragic and pessimistic, expressing “contradiction” and “suffering.” Yet he also states that “life is at bottom indestructibly powerful and joyful” (39). Can these two statements be reconciled, in your view? Why or why not?