ABSTRACT
This chapter analyzes the stereotypical, and fundamentally biased archetype, the Romantic conception of Satan that opens up a discourse on the nature of human desire and psychology through philosophical conceptions of morality and religion. The Devil in Romantic literature and poetry became a figure of insight and necessary rebellion, being seen as a tragic, heroic figure. Moreover, in various Romantic works, the Devil incorporates the basic theme of human desire, as epitomized in the works of William Blake, Percy Shelley, and Lord Byron, all of whom perceived Satan as their hero. It explores the Devil throughout Romanticism as representative of human conflicts and complexities, dually embodying Nietzsche's Apollonian and Dionysian characteristics The chapter provides Nietzsche discussion on Greek theatrical tragedy and the opposing forces of Dionysus and Apollo, or what one may identify as madness and reason respectively. Nietzsche establishes Dionysus as a tragic hero, a characterization of the tragic myth, which expresses "Dionysian knowledge in symbols".
