The Dionysian Spirit In Western Literature

Dionysian Spirit is put forward by Nietzsche, and it is a philosophical and aesthetic concept. This concept firstly appears in Nietzsche’s The Birth of Tragedy. Nietzsche quite appreciates Dionysian Spirit, and he calls himself as “Dionysian philosopher”. The Dionysian Spirit can be date back to the worship of Dionysus in ancient Greece, Dionysus or Dionysian sacrificial activities plays an important role in ancient Greece culture.Anna Karenina, Emma and Hester Prynne are representative female images in western literature. Their typical characteristic is that they are those who married but strayed. For hundred years, lots of researches about them have been done. Anna’s tempestuous love, Emma’s sexual lust, and Hester’s perseverance for love. In three different period and countries, these females share the same destiny and choice. Beneath their tragedy, the Dionysian Spirit is implied. The will to life, the revolt in drunken state, and the sobriety after sufferings are primary causes of their tragedy. This thesis is based on Nietzsche’s Dionysian Spirit to analyze the cause of their stray and its tragic points. At the same time, taking the era background and religion into account, to explore the cultural connotation of Dionysian Spirit in western literature.Chapter one, starting from Nietzsche’s Dionysian Spirit to date back to the origin of Dionysian Spirit so as to explore the theoretical connotation of Nietzsche’s Dionysian Spirit. The typical western authors and their works are chosen to prove the significant connection between Dionysian Spirit and western literature.Chapter two, three female images, Anna, Emma and Prynne who strayed in different countries, era and different religion background are chosen. The selective analysis will be put on the misanthropy after rebirth--- Anna and the Dionysian Spirit, ruin after indulgence---Emma and the Dionysian Spirit, and the fetter beneath human nature--- Prynne and the Dionysian Spirit. The cause of personal tragedy of these three female images and the how Dionysian Spirit is reflected from them will be discussed.The main content in chapter three is to analyze the specific reflection of Dionysian Spirit in different culture background. Putting these three female into their living era, religion and culture background, the special cultural connotation of Dionysian Spirit in eastern orthodoxy, protestant asceticism and Puritanism will be explored.