Thus Spoke Zarathustra

Thus Spoke Zarathustra

by

Friedrich Nietzsche

The Ugliest Man Character Analysis

Among the group of Higher Men whom Zarathustra finds in the forest and invites into his cave, the ugliest man is “the murderer of God.” He killed God because God pitied his misfortunes, prompting the man to resentment and revenge. In Zarathustra’s view, the ugliest man is one of the most promising of the Higher Men, as he's in the process of overcoming himself and being reconciled to the Eternal Recurrence.
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The Ugliest Man Character Timeline in Thus Spoke Zarathustra

The timeline below shows where the character The Ugliest Man appears in Thus Spoke Zarathustra. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
The Ugliest Man
Death of God and Christianity Theme Icon
...to solve the mystery of his identity. Briefly overcome by pity, Zarathustra tells this “ ugliest man ” that he is “the murderer of God.” (full context)
Rethinking Morality Theme Icon
Death of God and Christianity Theme Icon
The ugliest man detains Zarathustra when he tries to leave. He says that Zarathustra is his last refuge;... (full context)
The Superman and the Will to Power Theme Icon
Zarathustra is chilled by the ugliest man ’s words, but he encourages the man to find refuge in his cave. He walks... (full context)
The Greeting
The Superman and the Will to Power Theme Icon
...together. He enters the cave and finds all his guests: the kings, sorcerer, beggar, shadow, the ugliest man , and all the rest. In their midst are his animals. Zarathustra considers them all... (full context)
The Awakening
Death of God and Christianity Theme Icon
...is astonished to see the Higher Men praying—they are kneeling before the kings’ donkey. The ugliest man recites an absurd litany praising the donkey’s burden-bearing, patience, and long ears. The donkey simply... (full context)
The Ass Festival
The Superman and the Will to Power Theme Icon
Death of God and Christianity Theme Icon
...prefers to walk by crooked paths. The others offer various excuses for their behavior, and the ugliest man says that God is killed most effectively by laughter. (2) Zarathustra denounces the Higher Men’s... (full context)
The Intoxicated Song
The Superman and the Will to Power Theme Icon
Eternal Recurrence Theme Icon
...Higher Men go outside to admire the silence and beauty of the night. At last, the ugliest man breaks the silence, acknowledging that he is content with his entire life for the first... (full context)