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Of the Great Longing
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Thus Spoke Zarathustra, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Rethinking Morality
The Superman and the Will to Power
Death of God and Christianity
Eternal Recurrence
Summary
Analysis
(1) Zarathustra sings a song to Life, praising it for what it has taught him. It entices him, seduces him, and mocks him. He chases Life constantly—it is a meek sheep that he carries and a sly witch who eludes him. He tires of dancing to Life’s tune and threatens it with his whip. (2) Life answers Zarathustra; Life envies Zarathustra’s Wisdom and scolds him for not being faithful enough to her; he is thinking of leaving Life soon. They weep together, and then Life is dearer to Zarathustra than his Wisdom has ever been.
Zarathustra addresses Life like a temptress and lover; the point of his song is that Zarathustra fully embraces and masters Life. In a way, even Zarathustra’s preoccupation with his teaching (his Wisdom) can weaken his zest for Life—his will to power.
Themes
