Thus Spoke Zarathustra: A Book for All and None

Thus Spoke Zarathustra: A Book for All and None is a work of fiction written by the German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche. Published between 1883 and 1885, the allegorical novel also known as Thus Spake Zarathustra is a collection of speeches by a character named Zarathustra to the villagers of The Motley Cow. Nietzsche uses many literary devices such as personification, allegory, and allusion. The philosophical points referenced in Thus Spoke Zarathustra include the death of God, the will to power, and eternal recurrence. Zarathustra also appears in other works of Nietzsche such as the Gay Science. The meaning and nature of the work are still disputed by scholars, and Nietzsche described the work as an intersection of tragedy and comedy. Thus Spoke Zarathustra has influenced Western philosophy since its publication. The work is divided into four sections.

Please note that the text uses the term “dwarf” in reference to a character with which the protagonist interacts. This study guide quotes the author’s use but uses the preferred term “little person” when not quoting directly.

Plot Summary

Thus Spoke Zarathustra begins with the protagonist, Zarathustra, awakening at the dawn. As the sun rises, he is overwhelmed with wisdom and realizes he must share it with mankind. He begins his descent into the village, encountering an old hermit along the way. The hermit tells Zarathustra not to give anything to mankind and to worship God instead. Zarathustra quickly leaves as he is shocked the hermit does not yet know that God is dead. Upon entering the village, Zarathustra notices a crowd gathered to watch a tightrope walker. He takes advantage of the gathering and begins to preach about the overman. But the crowd does not understand and, believing the speech to be about the tightrope walker, grows impatient. The tightrope walker begins his act but is thrown off balance by a jester who jumps over him. Zarathustra promises to bury the tightrope walker’s body and begins to retreat into the forest. Zarathustra awakes the next morning with another realization: his followers should be willing people and not corpses. His ministry will strive to take individuals from the herd and not to lead a herd. He returns to the town.

The next three parts comprise Zarathustra’s many speeches. They deal with an array of philosophical topics, many of which Nietzsche develops in other works as well. To explicate such complex ideas, Zarathustra leans on literary devices like imagery, personification, and symbolism. His major teachings center around the overman and require an understanding of relativism, individualism, and values. The path towards the overman is one filled with sacrifice, and Zarathustra equates this struggle to reaching new heights on mountains. Throughout Thus Spoke Zarathustra, Zarathustra expresses disproval of the herd mentality and institutions. He is also against molding the self around virtue as opposed to cultivating the self independently. Zarathustra dislikes those who despise bodies as they spread the sermon of death. The aim of life is not death, and to use the present as preparation for a later world turns one into a walking corpse. The weak give up on the overman and turn to religion, the state, or the rabble in general.

The major themes in this work are eternal recurrence, the will to power, and that God is dead. Eternal recurrence argues that mankind is destined to live the same life repeatedly. One must learn to embrace their life as it has been given to them and not wish to escape it. The will to power explicates mankind’s innate desire to find greatness and exert power over competing wills. Lastly, God is dead refers to the change in the creator of values and a movement away from pre-existing traditions.

In the final section of the novel, Zarathustra celebrates the eternal recurrence and the overman by hosting a feast. He invites the followers who he deems worthy and who have followed his doctrine the best. Eternal recurrence has been alluded to throughout the text each time Zarathustra speaks of noon giving way to a new dawn. He often retreats into isolation to undergo further transformation. Yet, this final time, he celebrates this doctrine with others.