Thus Spoke Zarathustra: A Book for All and None

The soothsayer rushes forth, asking Zarathustra whether he intends to feed them only with speeches. He says that they have spoken about many bodily emergencies except starvation and thirst. One of the kings speaks, saying that they have wine with them. All that is missing is bread. Zarathustra laughs, saying they will not have bread but rather two fresh lambs. Zarathustra tells his guests that whoever wants to eat must lend a hand cooking. In response to the voluntary beggar’s objection to such a gluttonous meal, Zarathustra responds, “I am a law only for my own, I am no law for everyone” (231). Nietzsche ends this section by writing, “And this was the beginning of that long meal which is called ‘the last supper in the history books. During the same, however, nothing was discussed but the higher man” (231). 

Sections I-XX

Zarathustra recounts his first coming down to man. He says, “When I came to mankind for the first time, I committed the hermit’s folly, the great folly: I situated myself in the market place” (231). When he spoke to all, Zarathustra said, he was speaking to nobody. Zarathustra learned that in the market place no one believes in the higher man. The rabble likes to say that we are all equal under God, but now that God is dead, the individual can be resurrected. The question is not how can humans be preserved but how can they be overcome. The overman is his only concern, not the poor, the suffering, or the best. The overman’s greatest dangers are rules. Zarathustra says, “Overcome these rulers of today for me, oh my brothers—these little people: they are the overman’s greatest danger!” (233). Zarathustra speaks of courage, saying that a courageous person is not one who does not fear but one who overcomes fear with pride.

Zarathustra asks his listeners if they believe he will make good what they made bad? He responds, “No! No! Three times no! Ever more, ever better of your kind shall perish—for you shall have it ever worse and ever harder” (234). Zarathustra says that mankind does not suffer enough, because what they suffer from currently is themselves and not from other human beings. Zarathustra touches on various other topics such as that his wisdom acts as a bolt of lightning, and he cautions others not to will beyond their capacity. He says if they want to climb high, they must put in the work and not be carried up by another. Zarathustra tells them that when they do create new values, they should not create them for anyone other than themselves. He says, “Your work, your will is your ‘neighbor’—do not let yourself be spoon-fed any false values!” (236). Zarathustra tells his listeners that they are like mothers, as they have given birth to new values. It is painful, and they must wash their souls afterward.

Zarathustra speaks of the importance of love and laughter. Of those who do not love or laugh, he says, “Get out of the way of all such unconditional ones! They have heavy feet and sultry hearts—they do not know how to dance. How could the earth be light to them?” (238). Zarathustra pronounces that laughter is holy, as it lightens one’s burden. He argues that it is better to act foolishly with happiness than wisely with unhappiness. We must unlearn moping and rabble sadness and learn how to laugh. 

Sections I-III

After his speech, Zarathustra leaves his guests. He calls out into the stillness for his eagle and snake. He asks if higher men do not smell good, as the fragrances in the open are clean. The three sniff the air, for it was cleaner than among the higher men. As soon as Zarathustra takes his leave, the magician stands and begins to speak. About Zarathustra he says, “I know you, you higher men, I know him—I also know this monster whom I love against my will, this Zarathustra: he himself often seems to me like a beautiful mask of a saint” (241). The magician believes he only loves Zarathustra because of the evil spirit within him. The magician fears that Zarathustra is forcing him to become naked, or rather, to shed his mask of magician. He preaches that the spirit of evening melancholy is evil. He reaches for his harp and sings a tune. He sings of a wooer of truth who is nothing more than a mere fool and a mere poet. 

After the magician finished his song, only the conscientious spirit is not enchanted. He snatches the harp away from the magician, crying to let in the good, clean air. The conscientious spirit says, “Woe to all free spirits who are not on their guard for such magicians! Their freedom is done for: you teach and tempt us back into prisons” (245). The conscientious one says that he and the magician are different, yet each seeks something different in the mountains. The conscientious one seeks security from the strong will of Zarathustra whereas he blames the magician for seeking insecurity. The conscientious one says that his greatest virtue is not inciting danger but promoting science. Zarathustra hears the conscientious one’s speech and corrects him. Courage, he says, is humanity’s pre-history. This courage evolved, as humans stole virtues from all other animals. When speaking about what courage will eventually evolve into, all the guests shout “Zarathustra!” (246). The magician says that Zarathustra’s shortcoming is that he loves his enemies. 

Sections I-II

When Zarathustra turns to leave, the shadow calls out to him to stay because none of these men are equipped to deal with the intense melancholy accompanying their newfound knowledge and loss of ignorance. When speaking of the evil spirit of melancholy, the shadow remembers a song he sang with daughters of the desert. His song depicts sitting in an oasis submerged within the desert and filled with beautiful maidens. The air is clean and rejuvenating, which is the opposite of the air among these other higher men. 

The shadow’s song stirs the crowd and Zarathustra uses the commotion to sneak out for fresh air and to speak with his animals. Zarathustra ponders how their distress has left them so quickly. As he listens to them laugh, he realizes his bait has worked. He says to the animals, “They are biting, my bait is working, their enemy is retreating from them too, the spirit of gravity. Already they’re learning to laugh at themselves: do I hear correctly?” (253). Nausea has left these men, and they have learned new desires. Zarathustra continues, “That is my victory. In my kingdom they’re becoming secure, all their stupid shame runs away, they’re pouring themselves out” (253). Zarathustra remarks that they are becoming grateful and are convalescing.

Suddenly, the cave becomes silent, and Zarathustra smells the burning of pinecones. He watches his guests from the woods and finds that they are praying. They have become pious once more, worshiping the donkey. As they worship, the ugly one gurgles out a litany. He describes the virtue in the donkey, such as its speech and the way it walks. He says, “Homely he walks through the world. Gray is the body color in which he cloaks his virtue. If he has spirit, then he conceals it; but everyone believes in his long ears” (254). The group continues to worship the donkey, and Zarathustra’s anger grows. 

Sections I-II

Zarathustra confronts the men and speaks to them, saying, “Anyone would conclude that with your new faith you were the most vicious blasphemers or the most foolish of all old little women!” (255). He asks the priest how he reconciles this new faith with his past worship of God. The priest responds that it is better to worship God in this form than in no form at all. Zarathustra then turns to the shadow and asks how a free spirit could worship an idol. The shadow responds that he cannot do anything about it and that it was the ugliest one who resurrected God. Zarathustra then asks the magician how anyone is to believe his acts if he believes in such nonsense. The magician agrees that this was a stupid act to commit. Zarathustra then turns to the conscientious spirit and asks him to consider if anything here goes against his conscience. The conscientious spirit answers that something about this worship does his spirit good. Lastly, Zarathustra turns to the ugliest human being and asks why he has awakened God. The ugliest one tells Zarathustra that he learned from him that he who wants to kill, thoroughly laughs. One does not kill by wrath but by laughter.

Zarathustra responds that they have all deceived him and reverted to pious behavior. He tells them that, if they want the heaven in the clouds, they must revert to children. But, as men, they must learn to want the kingdom of the earth. Zarathustra then says, “Do not forget this night and this ass festival, you higher men! This you invented in my cave, this I take as a good omen—such things are invented only by the convalescing!” (257). He tells them to celebrate the ass festival in remembrance of him. 

Songs I-XII

Zarathustra is elated that the higher men are happy. They sit together and gaze at the stars. The ugliest man asks the group a question. He tells them that Zarathustra taught him to love the earth and his life. He says, “Was—life? I want to say to death. Well then! One More Time!” (258). He asks his friends if they too want to say to death, one more time. The other men suddenly become aware of the transformation and where it came from. They begin to thank Zarathustra. Zarathustra sits and feels his spirit recede and flow through time. He thinks he hears something and asks his friends to follow him. From the depths of the woods, the sound of a bell rises slowly. Zarathustra tells his friends twice more to follow him, as it is now midnight. He desires to whisper in their ears what the bell has whispered into his. Zarathustra says, don’t you hear, how it secretly, terribly, cordially speaks to you, the old, the deep deep midnight? Oh mankind, pray!” (260). Zarathustra asks again, “what does deep midnight have to say?” and tells his higher men to pray (260). The world is deep, Zarathustra says, deeper than the grasp of day (261). This deepness is pain, but still deeper is joy. Pain tells the self to refrain and restrict whereas joy wants eternity. He says, “Joy wants the eternity of all things, wants deep, wants deep eternity!” (263). Zarathustra asks the higher men to sing their new song, which he has titled “One More Time.” The meaning of the song, Zarathustra tells them, is “in all eternity” (264). 

With the new dawn, Zarathustra arises like the morning star. He speaks to the sun, “You great star,” he says as he has before, “what would all your happiness be if you did not have those for whom you shine?” (264). Zarathustra says the higher men are still asleep, yet he is awake for the sun. Zarathustra does not wait in the mountains for them, and he desires to go back to work. Zarathustra sees his animals and proclaims that he still lacks proper human beings. Upon saying this, a swarm of birds surrounds him, and a cloud of love is placed upon him. Blinded by the birds, Zarathustra thrashes around and touches a tangle of hair. At the same time, a lion’s roar escapes the cloud. Zarathustra realizes that the sign is coming, and his heart transformed. A lion emerges and lays at Zarathustra’s feet out of love. Zarathustra proclaims that his children are near.

Meanwhile, the higher men have awoken and are preparing to greet Zarathustra. The lion hears them approach and lunges at them. Out of fear, they run away. Zarathustra begins to remember the events of the past day. He realizes that the old soothsayer foretold their distress. Zarathustra believes that the soothsayer wanted to tempt him into his last sin, his pity towards mankind. Zarathustra asks himself, “What has been left me now as my last sin?” (266). Zarathustra says that his next sin will be pity for the higher men.