Thus Spoke Zarathustra: A Book for All and None

Section I

Zarathustra has spent ten years in solitude living as a hermit in the mountains. One morning, he rises with the sun. He proclaims, “You great star! What would your happiness be if you had not those for whom to shine?” (3). He imagines that, without him, the sun would have tired quickly of its routine. It is Zarathustra who has blessed the sun with his presence each morning. Weary of his wisdom, like a bee who has gathered too much honey, Zarathustra concludes that he must enlighten mankind. He likens himself to the sun saying, “For this I must descend into the depths, as you do evenings when you go behind the sea and bring light even to the underworld, you super-rich star!” (3). Zarathustra begins his travels down the mountain towards the village.

Section II

Zarathustra encounters an old man on his journey down the mountain. The old man recognizes Zarathustra from when he went up the mountain ten years ago. He thinks to himself, “Zarathustra is transformed, Zarathustra has become a child, an awakened one is Zarathustra. What do you want now among the sleepers?” (4). Zarathustra tells the old man that he is returning to the village because he loves mankind and wants to teach it. The old man cautions Zarathustra against this task stating, “Do not go to mankind and stay in the woods! Go even to the animals instead! Why do you not want to be like me—a bear among bears, a bird among birds?” (5). The old man praises God and not mankind. Zarathustra quickly takes leave, wondering how this old man does not yet know that God is dead.

Section III

Zarathustra reaches a small town where people have gathered to watch a tightrope walker. Zarathustra takes advantage of the crowd and begins speaking. He states, “I teach you the overman. Human being is something that must be overcome. What have you done to overcome him?” (5). Humankind is to the overman as the ape is to humankind, that is, a laughingstock and painful embarrassment. Zarathustra proclaims that the overman is the meaning of the earth, proclaiming the desecration of the earth as the most terrible act. No longer is a sacrilege against God the greatest evil, but rather, sacrilege against the earth. When Zarathustra finishes a man cries out that they have heard enough about the tightrope walker and are ready for the performance. The tightrope walker becomes nervous, believing the speech is about him.

Section IV

Zarathustra takes advantage of the imagery provided by the tightrope walker. He continues to preach, saying, “Mankind is a rope fastened between animal and overman—a rope over an abyss. A dangerous crossing, a dangerous on-the-way, a dangerous looking back, a dangerous shuddering and standing still. What is great about human beings is that they are a bridge and not a purpose: what is lovable about human beings is that they are a crossing over and a going under” (7). Zarathustra loves all men who herald the coming of the overman, who is like a lightning bolt striking from a dark cloud.

Section V

Zarathustra knows that the people do not understand his lesson. Instead, they pride themselves on their education. Zarathustra address this pride by saying “Beware! The time of the most contemptible human is coming, the one who can no longer have contempt for himself. Behold! I show you the last human being” (9). The crowd chants to Zarathustra to give them the last human being. They yell, “Make us into these last human beings! Then we will make you a gift of the overman!” (11). Zarathustra grows sad at the ignorance of mankind. He realizes that he is not the “mouth for these ears” (10).

Section VI

The tightrope walker is halfway through his performance. Suddenly, the little door from which he appeared opens and a jester emerges. The jester threatens the tightrope walker saying, “What business have you here between the towers? You belong in the tower, you should be locked away in the tower, for you block the way for one who is better than you!” (11). The jester yells like a devil and leaps over the tightrope walker. The tightrope walker loses his balance and plummets to the ground. Zarathustra remains composed as the people around him scream in terror. The tightrope walker asks Zarathustra if he will stop the devil from dragging him to hell. Zarathustra responds, “All that you are talking about does not exist. There is no devil and no hell. Your soul will be dead even sooner than your body—fear no more!” (11). The tightrope walker says that, if Zarathustra is correct, then life has no meaning. The tightrope walker begins to lament his life, saying that he has wasted it degrading himself and acting like a spectacle. Zarathustra reassures him that making one’s vocation out of danger is not contemptible at all. Zarathustra assures the tightrope walker that he will bury him with his own hands.

Section VII

Evening falls over the town and the crowd disperses. Zarathustra is lost in thought as he kneels beside the tightrope walker’s body. Zarathustra says to his heart that he has caught a corpse today. He reflects on his intentions to teach human beings the meaning of their existence. Now, he has found himself stuck at the midpoint of fool and corpse (12).

Section VIII

Zarathustra carries the corpse as he ventures back into the mountains. The jester appears out of the darkness and threatens Zarathustra. He says that everyone in the town thinks Zarathustra is the jester. He leaves them, and Zarathustra continues his journey. He approaches gravediggers who laugh at him. They say that he is the true gravedigger and that their hands are too pure to carry the corpse of a tightrope walker. Zarathustra continues onward until he becomes hungry and is forced to stop at a house. A man greets him at the door and offers him bread and wine. The man says to Zarathustra, “This is a bad region for those who hunger. That is why I live here. Beast and human being come to me, the hermit. But bid your companion eat and drink, he is wearier than you” (13). Zarathustra replies, “My companion is dead, I would have a hard time persuading him” (13). Zarathustra bids the man farewell and walks until there is no longer a visible path. He places the body in a hollow tree and then falls asleep.

Section IX

Zarathustra awakens once more with the dawn and has a realization. His followers, Zarathustra thinks, should be willing companions, not corpses who he carries with him everywhere. His goal is to attract people from the herd, not to lead the herd. He says, “Look at the good and the just! Whom do they hate the most? The one who breaks their tablets of values, the breaker, the lawbreaker—but he is the creative one” (14). He buries the tightrope walker in the tree and bids him farewell. Zarathustra declares that he is not a shepherd or a gravedigger. He no longer desires to speak with the people of the town or to corpses. He desires to speak only to those who will listen and understand.

Section X

An eagle carrying a snake in its mouth flies through the sky. The snake, Zarathustra observes, is not prey to the eagle but a friend. He cries out, “The proudest animal under the sun and the wisest animal under the sun” (15). Zarathustra believes these animals to be scouting the earth for him. He ponders the danger of living among human beings as opposed to animals. Zarathustra asks the animals to guide him.