Dostoevsky’s novels as classic tragedies

Erik Egeberg

doi:10.7557/13.3177

Abstract

<p>Friedrich Nietzsche’s treatise “Die Geburt der Tragödie aus dem Geiste der Musik” (1872) has, with the symbolist poet and critic Vyacheslav Ivanov as an important intermediary, exerted a strong influence on Dostoevsky scholarship which can be traced up to this day. The present short paper discusses some aspects of this tradition of interpretation.</p>

Highlights

I More than two thousand years separate the types of literature indicated in the heading, but a connection between them cannot be excluded – at least not because of all these years
Greek tragedies – and Russian novels? The fact is that Fyodor Dostoevsky (1821– 1881) as distinct from the two other famous Russian romancers of his time – Ivan Turgenev and Lev Tolstoy – never wrote a single play
In Germany he had had the opportunity to become familiar with the works of Nietzsche, who made a strong impact upon him, without making Ivanov a true disciple, for Nietzsche’s markedly antichristian attitude was unacceptable for this Russian religious thinker

Summary

Introduction

I More than two thousand years separate the types of literature indicated in the heading, but a connection between them cannot be excluded – at least not because of all these years. Dostoevsky’s novels as classic tragedies philosophical systems which had held sway of Russian intellectual life – though not so much affecting the great writers – quite suddenly lost their grip on the “creative intelligentia.” Writers, poets, composers, painters – all were looking for new foundations for their thoughts and lives.

Results

Conclusion