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The Birth of Tragedy is a dramatic theory written by the German philosopher, Friedrich Nietzsche. Summary of the Book An absorbing argument of the inevitability for art in life, Nietzsche's work is driven by his passions for Greek tragedy, for the music of Wagner, and for the philosophy of Schopenhauer to whom this work was actually dedicated. Nietzsche defined an intellectual distinction between two central forces: the Apollonian - reality as ordered and differentiated and the Dionysian - reality as disordered and undifferentiated. He strongly believed that the combination of these two states creates the highest forms of music and tragic drama, which not only disclose the truth about suffering in life, but also offer an eerie solace for it. Fervent and exhilarating in its conviction, The Birth of Tragedy has endured the test of time to become a crucial text in European culture and literary criticism. About Friedrich Nietzsche Friedrich Nietzsche was a celebrated German philosopher, poet, thinker, and cultural critic. He was a prolific writer, who wrote on various topics like philosophy, religion, morality, culture, and science. Nietzsche has been critically acknowledged by the audience and critics, and has been referred to as an excellent thinker of all times. However, his works have also courted disputes and controversies. Original and blatant, his works have nonetheless left an eternal effect on world philosophy and literature. He passed away in 1900, at the age of 55. Some of his other famous works include Thus Spoke Zarathustra, Beyond Good and Evil, The Antichrist, Human, All Too Human: A Book for Free Spirits, and Twilight of the Idols among others.