Thus Spoke Zarathustra · Chapter
LXIII: Talk with the Kings explained
Zarathustra encounters two kings on the path who are fleeing their corrupt courts in search of the higher man.
What happens
Zarathustra encounters two kings on the path who are fleeing their corrupt courts in search of the higher man. The kings express disgust with the false nobility and populace, and they bring an ass as a gift for the highest man. Zarathustra mocks their eagerness but invites them to wait in his cave.
Themes in this chapter
Critique of Herd Morality
The kings denounce the 'populace' and 'good society' as false, foul, and a hodgepodge, echoing Nietzsche's critique of herd morality and the leveling of values.
Will to Power and Creation
The kings praise war and bravery as means to new ends, aligning with the will to power as a creative, self-overcoming force.
Pity and Contempt
The kings express contempt for the rabble and false nobility, while Zarathustra's mockery shows a lack of pity for their self-pity.
Characters to notice
- Zarathustra
Zarathustra hides, observes, and then reveals himself to the kings, mocking their eagerness but offering them shelter.
- The King of the Isle
The king on the right speaks bitterly of the false nobility and populace, expressing loathing and a desire to find the higher man.
- The Higher Men
The kings seek the higher man, whom they consider the true lord of the earth, and bring an ass as a gift for him.
- The Ass
The ass is driven before the kings and brays 'Ye-a' during Zarathustra's rhyme, symbolizing stubbornness or folly.
Key passages
“What is good? To be brave is good. It is the good war that halloweth every cause.”
Courage is the highest virtue, and war sanctifies any purpose.
Zarathustra's teaching as recalled by the kings, emphasizing bravery and conflict as ennobling.
“There is no sorer misfortune in all human destiny, than when the mighty of the earth are not also the first men.”
The worst fate is when those in power are not the best people.
The king on the right laments the disconnect between political power and human excellence.