Previous
Eternal Recurrence
Find the Perfect Quote
LitCharts makes it easy to find quotes by
chapter,
character,
and theme. We assign a color and icon like this one
to each theme, making it easy to track which themes apply to each quote below.
Need another quote?
Need analysis on another quote?
Need analysis for a quote we don't cover?
Need analysis for a quote we don't cover?
Need analysis for a quote we don't cover?
A LitCharts expert can help.
A LitCharts expert can help.
A LitCharts expert can help.
A LitCharts expert can help.
A LitCharts expert can help.
Request it
Request it
Request analysis
Request analysis
Request analysis
Zarathustra’s Prologue Quotes
“With singing, weeping, laughing, and muttering I praise the God who is my God. But what do you bring us as a gift?”
When Zarathustra heard these words, he saluted the saint and said: “What should I have to give you! But let me go quickly, that I may take nothing from you!” And thus they parted from one another, the old man and Zarathustra, laughing as two boys laugh.
But when Zarathustra was alone, he spoke thus to his heart: “Could it be possible! This old saint has not yet heard in his forest that God is dead!”
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
When Zarathustra, a sage and prophet, comes down from his solitary mountain, he encounters an old saint in the forest. The saint explains that he spends his own solitude praising God, and after they’ve parted, Zarathustra marvels that the saint doesn’t know that “God is dead.” With this, Zarathustra is perhaps expressing an atheistic outlook—God is not only “dead,” He never existed. This statement could also mean that “God is dead” in the sense that the idea of God no longer exists in modern society—that is, that religion (particularly Christianity) has lost its relevance as the moral underpinning of civilization. Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore i
I teach you the Superman. Man is something that should be overcome. What have you done to overcome him?
All creatures hitherto have created something beyond themselves: and do you want to be the ebb of this great tide, and return to the animals rather than overcome man? […]
The Superman is the meaning of the earth. Let your will say: The Superman shall be the meaning of the earth!
I entreat you, my brothers, remain true to the earth, and do not believe those who speak to you of superterrestrial hopes! They are poisoners, whether they know it or not.
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Here, Zarathustra proclaims his central teaching, which will echo as a refrain throughout the book: that humanity as it currently exists must be overcome itself, leading to the coming of the Superman (a spiritually superior version of man). The coming of the Superman, in Zarathustra’s estimation, is the meaning of existence—and therefore, people should not believe in something beyond this world (“superterrestrial hopes”). Those who preach such things are “poisoners,” because by teaching people to place their hopes in an invented afterlife, they stunt the progress of humanity and thwart the Superman’s coming. People should therefore heed Zarathustra’s call by Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim ne
A light has dawned for me: Zarathustra shall not speak to the people but to companions! Zarathustra shall not be herdsman and dog to the herd! […]
Behold the good and the just! Whom do they hate most? Him who smashes their tables of values, the breaker, the lawbreaker—but he is the creator. […]
The creator seeks companions, not corpses or herds or believers. The creator seeks fellow-creators, those who inscribe new values on new tables.
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Zarathustra describes his breakthrough realization: that he will no longer seek to attract the masses to his teachings and will instead find and teach companions who are already receptive to his ideas. This is what he means by saying that he won’t be a sheepdog to the “herd,” guiding those who can’t think for themselves. Zarathustra’s language is elitist on purpose—Nietzsche believed that only a select aristocracy was capable of becoming the Superman, Nietzsche’s conception of a more mentally and spiritually evolved version of humanity. Zarathustra’s shift away from the masses is consistent with Nietzsche’s perspective. Zarathustra also says that Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est
Of the Afterworldsmen Quotes
It was the sick and dying who despised the body and the earth and invented the things of heaven and the redeeming drops of blood: but even these sweet and dismal poisons they took from the body and the earth!
They wanted to escape from their misery and the stars were too far for them. Then they sighed: 'Oh if only there were heavenly paths by which to creep into another existence and into happiness!'—then they contrived for themselves their secret ways and their draughts of blood!
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
In this passage, Zarathustra expands on his ideas about the death of God. He does this by criticizing those who maintain belief in an afterlife. By “the sick and dying,” he refers to those who are not capable of fully embracing life. Because they resent and despise the suffering that’s inherent to life, these people invent things beyond human life to aspire to (and, in so doing, also to allow them to exert power over others). These include ideas of heaven and “redeeming drops of blood” (a reference to the death of Christ, believed by Christians to redeem sinners and Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti sol
Of Reading and Writing Quotes
I should believe only in a God who understood how to dance.
And when I beheld my devil, I found him serious, thorough, profound, solemn: it was the Spirit of Gravity—through him all things are ruined.
One does not kill by anger but by laughter. Come, let us kill the Spirit of Gravity!
I have learned to walk: since then I have run. I have learned to fly: since then I do not have to be pushed in order to move.
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Nietzsche’s perspective is atheistic, and this passage does not contradict his stance. In fact, it indirectly supports Nietzsche’s belief in the “death of God.” Zarathustra doesn’t believe that there is a God who “[understands] how to dance,” but only such a God could reflect what Zarathustra sees as human destiny—to live free of conventional morality. In contrast to a “dancing” God, Zarathustra believes that a “Spirit of Gravity”—or guilty conscience—weighs humanity down and must be cast off in order for people to live fully and authentically. This can only be done by means of gravity’s opposite—laughter (suggesting that joy and Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempo
Of the Thousand and One Goals Quotes
Zarathustra has seen many lands and many peoples: thus he has discovered the good and evil of many peoples. Zarathustra has found no greater power on earth than good and evil. […]
Much that seemed good to one people seemed shame and disgrace to another: thus I found. I found much that was called evil in one place was in another decked with purple honours. […]
Truly, men have given themselves all their good and evil. Truly, they did not take it, they did not find it, it did not descend to them as a voice from heaven.
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
This passage illustrates Nietzsche’s belief in perspectivism, or the lack of objective truth. Zarathustra has surveyed the beliefs of many different peoples and discovered that they all have different perspectives on what constitutes “good and evil.” These perspectives contradict one another, since what one group of people lauds as virtuous might be decried as dishonorable by another group. This leads Zarathustra to conclude that “good and evil” has not been handed down by God; rather, people have created values of good and evil for themselves. He therefore determines that the idea of “good and evil” itself is the most powerful Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitat
Of Love of One’s Neighbour Quotes
Do I exhort you to love of your neighbour? I exhort you rather to flight from your neighbour and to love of the most distant!
Higher than love of one's neighbour stands love of the most distant man and of the man of the future […]
You cannot endure to be alone with yourselves and do not love yourselves enough: now you want to mislead your neighbour into love and gild yourselves with his mistake.
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
This quote is an example of Nietzsche’s challenge to conventional morality—namely Christian morality. Here, Zarathustra exhorts his followers not to adhere to the Christian command to love one’s neighbor. The underlying reason is that, in his view, loving one’s neighbor is misplaced; one should instead love humanity as it will exist in the distant future. The “man of the future” refers to the Superman, the evolved version of humanity toward which current people must progress. Zarathustra argues that love of the Superman surpasses love of one’s neighbors today, and in fact is a higher form of love, because it promotes Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi nece
Of Voluntary Death Quotes
Truly, too early died that Hebrew whom the preachers of slow death honour: and that he died too early has since been a fatality for many.
As yet he knew only tears and the melancholy of the Hebrews, together with the hatred of the good and just—the Hebrew Jesus: then he was seized by the longing for death.
Had he only remained in the desert and far from the good and just! Perhaps he would have learned to live and learned to love the earth—and laughter as well!
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Zarathustra teaches that a person should die at the right time—ideally, when they wish to die. This is only possible when a person is mature enough to understand life and is able to leave behind heirs who likewise “love the earth” (that is, embrace life fully). Zarathustra argues that Jesus (“that Hebrew”) died too soon, leading others astray in so doing. The “preachers of slow death” are those who misunderstand the value of both life and death and therefore embrace neither. Because Jesus’s religion was “melancholy”—the opposite of Nietzsche’s encouragement of a whole-hearted embrace of life—he never fully understood life Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est.
Of the Bestowing Virtue Quotes
You solitaries of today, you who have seceded from society, you shall one day be a people: from you, who have chosen out yourselves, shall a chosen people spring—and from this chosen people, the Superman.
Truly, the earth shall yet become a house of healing! And already a new odour floats about it, an odour that brings health—and a new hope!
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
This quote is part of Zarathustra’s last exhortation to his followers before departing into solitude for a while. He has just been teaching them about “the bestowing virtue,” a love that gathers all things into itself in order to overflow to others. When the human will begins wanting to command all things in this way, that’s when a new virtue—a “new good and evil”—begins to develop. Zarathustra tells his followers that after this happens, the Superman, an advanced form of humanity, will spring forth from them. He urges them to remain loyal to the earth so that this “health” and Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam offici
One repays a teacher badly if one remains only a pupil. And why, then, should you not pluck at my laurels? […]
Now I bid you lose me and find yourselves; and only when you have all denied me will I return to you. […]
And once more you shall have become my friends and children of one hope: and then I will be with you a third time, that I may celebrate the great noontide with you.
Related Characters:
Related Symbols:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Before Zarathustra says farewell to his followers, he gives them an unusual series of warnings and encouragements. Instead of telling them to remain faithful to him, he urges them to seek to become his rivals (to “pluck at [his] laurels,” referring to the victory wreath worn by an athlete in ancient Greece). In fact, his followers should try to “lose” Zarathustra altogether, instead finding themselves—even to the point of denying Zarathustra altogether. Zarathustra’s point is that he should not be the object of his followers’ loyalty; they should instead exercise their own wills, master themselves, and create their own values Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi
On the Blissful Islands Quotes
This will lured me away from God and gods; for what would there be to create if gods – existed!
But again and again it drives me to mankind, my ardent, creative will; thus it drives the hammer to the stone.
Ah, you men, I see an image sleeping in the stone, the image of my visions! […]
The beauty of the Superman came to me as a shadow. Ah, my brothers! What are the gods to me now!
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
In this discourse, Zarathustra expands further on his teaching about the death of God. His will to create, he explains, drew him away from believing in the Christian God—or any gods, for that matter. He ceased believing in gods beyond humankind because if there were gods to create things, then his own creative will would have no outlet and would therefore be useless. Lured away from gods, Zarathustra is instead driven to humankind by his creative will. Humankind makes up the “stone” upon which Zarathustra hammers, implicitly carving the Superman (a spiritually and mentally evolved human race) out of it—the Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque
Of the Famous Philosophers Quotes
Free from the happiness of serfs, redeemed from gods and worship, fearless and fearful, great and solitary: that is how the will of the genuine man is.
The genuine men, the free spirits, have always dwelt in the desert, as the lords of the desert; but in the towns dwell the well-fed famous philosophers – the draught animals. For they always, as asses, pull—the people’s cart!
Related Characters:
Related Symbols:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
The “genuine man” is the person who is evolving toward becoming the Superman (a more highly evolved version of humanity), although they’re not quite there yet. The genuine man is capable of fully exercising their will—they no longer labor for someone else, like a serf, and they no longer worship supposedly higher beings. Because of these freedoms, genuine men, or “free spirits,” are desert-dwellers, like the lion-willed spirit that Zarathustra described in an earlier discourse. The lion-spirit is no longer burdened by traditional morality, beliefs, or obligations, even if he is not yet free enough to create his own (as Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti so
Of Self-Overcoming Quotes
That is your entire will, you wisest men; it is a will to power; and that is so even when you talk of good and evil and of the assessment of values.
You want to create the world before which you can kneel: this is your ultimate hope and intoxication. […]
[W]hat the people believe to be good and evil betrays to me an ancient will to power.
It was you, wisest men, who put such passengers in this boat and gave them splendour and proud names – you and your ruling will!
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Zarathustra discusses the “will to power” and its role in human history and society. Will to power is Nietzsche’s concept of the fundamental drive in human beings: it is an overwhelming will to create which constantly risks expending and destroying itself for the sake of more power. When exerted fully, the will to power desires to “create the world.” Everyone has will to power, but not everyone exercises it. Zarathustra argues that what ordinary people (those who don’t exert their will to power) take as objective values of “good and evil” are actually relative, expressions of stronger people’s will to Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explic
Of the Sublime Men Quotes
Today I saw a sublime man, a solemn man, a penitent of the spirit: oh, how my soul laughed at his ugliness! […]
Hung with ugly truths, the booty of his hunt, and rich in torn clothes; many thorns, too, hung on him – but I saw no rose.
As yet he has not learned of laughter and beauty. This huntsman returned gloomily from the forest of knowledge.
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
This quote captures the joyful attitude that characterizes Nietzsche’s philosophy. Zarathustra mocks the “solemn” and “penitent” “sublime” individuals who, though celebrated by society, make themselves ugly with their heavy thoughts. To Nietzsche, as expressed through Zarathustra, such a temperament is unbefitting of an individual who is more spiritually and intellectually evolved than the masses. Zarathustra argues that the truly wise person is filled with laughter, not solemnity. Instead of finding reasons to grieve and despair in the “forest of knowledge,” that person fully embraces life and beauty. They are not encumbered by the values upheld by the world or the Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas
Of Manly Prudence Quotes
My will clings to mankind, I bind myself to mankind with fetters, because I am drawn up to the Superman: for my other will wants to draw me up to the Superman. […]
And he who does not want to die of thirst among men must learn to drink out of all glasses; and he who wants to stay clean among men must know how to wash himself even with dirty water.
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Here, Zarathustra describes the attitude he’s trying to embody while disseminating his teachings among humankind. He wants to pursue the Superman—the higher, more evolved form of humanity—wholeheartedly, but he attaches himself to humanity instead, in order to find companions among them who are receptive to his teachings and might themselves become “bridges to the Superman.” Someone accustomed to conventional values might expect a person like Zarathustra to brag or flaunt his knowledge before other people. But Zarathustra explains that, instead, he tries to “drink out of all glasses” and “wash himself […] with dirty water.” This suggests that the truly Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae vo
Of the Vision and the Riddle Quotes
'Spirit of Gravity!’ I said angrily, 'do not treat this too lightly! Or I shall leave you squatting where you are, Lamefoot—and I have carried you high!
‘Behold this moment!' I went on. 'From this gateway Moment a long, eternal lane runs back: an eternity lies behind us.
'Must not all things that can run have already run along this lane? Must not all things that can happen have already happened, been done, run past?’
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
In this quote, Zarathustra first articulates Nietzsche’s idea of the Eternal Recurrence—something that’s not fully explained in the novel and therefore remains somewhat mysterious. In the narrative, Zarathustra carries a dwarf up a mountain, naming the creature the “Spirit of Gravity,” a symbol of humanity’s guilty conscience. After casting the Spirit of Gravity aside, freeing himself from lingering guilt, Zarathustra shows the dwarf a crossroads and proclaims that on each of the two paths, an eternity lies behind and before them. Everything that could have already happened has done so, and so, then, will everything happen again, an infinite number Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui
The shepherd […] bit as my cry had advised him; he bit with a good bite! He spat far away the snake's head—and sprang up.
No longer a shepherd, no longer a man—a transformed being, surrounded with light, laughing! Never yet on earth had any man laughed as he laughed!
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
After Zarathustra tells his followers about the vision of the Spirit of Gravity, he then tells them a riddle about a shepherd and a snake, in which a shepherd is being choked to death by a snake that has lodged in its throat. Zarathustra begs the shepherd to bite the snake’s head off; it’s a gruesome act, but the shepherd has no other hope for survival. The shepherd does as Zarathustra suggests, and afterward, he leaps up, completely transformed. This strange scene summarizes the steps necessary to the coming of the Superman: a person must fully exercise their will to Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus volupta
Of the Three Evil Things Quotes
Whether one be servile before gods and divine kicks, or before men and the silly opinions of men: it spits at slaves of all kinds, this glorious selfishness!
Bad: that is what it calls all that is broken-down and niggardly-servile, unclear, blinking eyes, oppressed hearts, and that false, yielding type of man who kisses with broad, cowardly lips. […]
And he who declares the Ego healthy and holy and selfishness glorious – truly he, a prophet, declares too what he knows: 'Behold, it comes, it is near, the great noontide!'
Related Characters:
Related Symbols:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Zarathustra reconsiders selfishness as a positive trait according to his view of morality. (Alongside sensual pleasure and lust for power, selfishness is one of the “three evil things” that Zarathustra believes mediocre people mistakenly condemn.) Though Nietzsche doesn’t use the term in this text, he would later describe conventional values as “slave morality,” and this quote gives an idea of what he means by that description. Zarathustra contrasts “glorious selfishness,” which he associates with the will to power (the creative driving force of humanity), with cowardice and servility, which are far from it. Someone who exemplifies the will to power Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. D
The Convalescent Quotes
Man is the cruellest animal towards himself; and […] all who call themselves "sinners" and “bearers of the Cross" and "penitents" […]
Ah, my animals, this alone have I learned, that the wickedest in man is necessary for the best in him,
that all that is most wicked in him is his best strength and the hardest stone for the highest creator; and that man must grow better and wickeder: […]
[I cried] ‘Alas, that his wickedest is so very small! Alas, that his best is so very small!’
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Zarathustra speaks to his companion animals (an eagle and a snake) about the concept of the Eternal Recurrence. First, he talks about humanity’s self-imposed cruelty, especially through its preoccupation with sin, solemn religious duties, and the suppression of wickedness. Zarathustra goes on to suggest that, actually, humanity’s wickedness is a strength. In order to understand this idea, it’s necessary to contextualize it alongside Nietzsche’s belief that good and evil are relative concepts. If this is the case, then it could be that those characteristics traditionally viewed as “wicked” are actually the strongest expressions of humanity’s will to power (human beings’ Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placea
'For your animals well know, O Zarathustra, who you are and must become: behold, you are the teacher of the eternal recurrence, that is now your destiny!
That you have to be the first to teach this doctrine—how should this great destiny not also be your greatest danger and sickness!
Behold, we know what you teach: that all things recur eternally and we ourselves with them, and that we have already existed an infinite number of times before and all things with us.
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Zarathustra’s companion animals (his eagle and serpent, sentient creatures who tend him in his cave and sometimes converse with him) proclaim Zarathustra’s teaching on the Eternal Recurrence. Though this concept isn’t fully defined or developed in the novel, it essentially means that all creatures have already existed an infinite number of times, and they will go on to exist an infinite number of times in the future. The significance of this concept for Nietzsche’s philosophy is that only those who exert their will to power, who are seeking the Superman—a more mentally and spiritually evolved version of humanity—can accept and Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis conse
The Seven Seals (or: The Song of Yes and Amen) Quotes
If ever my anger broke graves open, moved boundary-stones, and rolled old shattered law-tables into deep chasms:
[…]
for I love even churches and the graves of gods, if only heaven is looking, pure-eyed, through their shattered roofs; I like to sit like grass and red poppies on shattered churches:
Oh how should I not lust for eternity and for the wedding ring of rings—the Ring of Recurrence!
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
This chapter is a long hymn praising Eternity. Zarathustra praises Eternity because Eternal Recurrence, or the infinite recurrence of all creatures and events, is a liberating expression of the will to power (humanity’s fundamental creative drive). In other words, someone who fully accepts and embraces life, letting go of the burdens of traditional morality and its attendant guilt, has no dread of the eternal repetition of every part of existence. This section of the hymn specifically touches on the role of religion in Nietzsche’s thought, especially the “death of God.” The reference to “old shattered law-tables” is a reference to Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perfer
Retired from Service Quotes
When he was young, this god from the orient, he was hard and revengeful and built himself a Hell for the delight of his favourites.
But at length he grew old and soft and mellow and compassionate, more like a grandfather than a father, most like a tottery old grandmother.
Then he sat, shrivelled, in his chimney corner, fretting over his weak legs, world-weary, weary of willing, and one day suffocated through his excessive pity.'
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
In the last part of the novel, Zarathustra wanders through the forest, encountering various “higher men” whom he invites back to his cave. In this chapter, he meets a retired pope who has rejected belief in God. Zarathustra asks the pope how the “death of God” came about. By way of explanation, the pope surveys the history of Judeo-Christian religion, and it’s an unflattering portrayal: it’s easy to see Nietzsche’s disdain for the Christian view of God as falling drastically short of his ideal of the will to power. The old pope has a more favorable view of the wrathful, Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat
The Greeting Quotes
You are only bridges: may higher men than you step across upon you! […]
From your seed there may one day grow for me a genuine son and perfect heir: but that is far ahead. You yourselves are not those to whom my heritage and name belong. […]
It is for others that I wait here in these mountains and I will not lift my foot from here without them, for higher, stronger, more victorious, more joyful men, such as are square-built in body and soul: laughing lions must come!
Related Characters:
Related Symbols:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
After searching through the forest and gathering many “Higher Men” into his cave, Zarathustra formally greets them. The Higher Men are figures who have been actively seeking Zarathustra, even if they are not yet sufficiently evolved for the Superman (Nietzsche’s vision for a more highly evolved human race) to emerge. Indeed, Zarathustra acknowledges here that the Higher Men aren’t the Superman but merely “bridges” for yet higher men. They are not the children for whom Zarathustra longs and whose perfection he still awaits. The “stronger […] more joyful men” to come are further described as “laughing lions,” recalling the imagery Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem a
The Ass Festival Quotes
And Zarathustra began to speak once more. 'O my new friends,' he said, 'you strange men, you Higher Men, how well you please me now […]
Truly, you have all blossomed forth: for such flowers as you, I think, new festivals are needed.
a little brave nonsense, some divine service and ass festival, some joyful old Zarathustra-fool, a blustering wind to blow your souls bright.
Do not forget this night and this ass festival, you Higher Men! You devised that at my home, I take that as a good omen—only convalescents devise such things!
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
After the Higher Men gather in his cave, Zarathustra mistakenly leaves them to their own devices too soon. When he checks on them, he discovers that they have begun worshiping a donkey. In their own defense, they argue that in the absence of gods, they must worship something. At first, Zarathustra is unhappy with this development, but he soon changes his mind. He tells the Higher Men that such “brave nonsense,” as long as they recognize that it’s laughable nonsense, is a worthy festival for Higher Men embarking on a new way of life. After all, it is characterized by Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta.
The Sign Quotes
‘Pity! Pity for the Higher Man!’ he cried out, and his countenance was transformed into brass. 'Very well! That—has had its time! […]
‘The lion has come, my children are near, Zarathustra has become ripe, my hour has come!
This is my morning, my day begins: rise up now, rise up, great noontide!’
Thus spoke Zarathustra and left his cave, glowing and strong, like a morning sun emerging from behind dark mountains.
Related Characters:
Related Symbols:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
The morning after Zarathustra has feasted with and instructed the Higher Men, he separates himself from them once and for all. Though he does not repudiate the Higher Men, he realizes that in showing them pity, he has succumbed to his greatest temptation. In Nietzsche’s view, pity is a counterproductive, self-defeating virtue that doesn’t actually serve to advance humanity’s wellbeing. Zarathustra has indulged in pity by heeding the Higher Men’s cry of distress. After the Higher Men recoil from Zarathustra’s lion, however, he refrains from pitying them. He realizes that the time for pity has passed. Now that he has Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus e
No matches.
