Thus Spoke Zarathustra by Friedrich Nietzsche was published in four volumes published between the year 1883 for the year 1885. This book is one of the most famous books of philosophy.
Thus Spoke Zarathustra is an essay on philosophy and morality, and is narrated through the character of Zarathustra, who conducts monologues throughout the plot. This is a new and different Zarathustra from the founder of the Zoroastrian religion in the ancient kingdom of Persia. The Persian Zarathustra founded a religious morality, while Nietzsche's Zarathustra transforms the traditional value system according to it. He despises those who consider themselves wise, and therefore behaves like Socrates in order to expose the ignorance people in his generation.
Much of the book deals with ideas already presented in The Gay Science which can be read as in itroduction to Thus Spoke Zarathustra. These topics include eternal return, the death of God and the will to power. In the book Nietzsche goes against values such as pity or love of others. But Nietzsche's goal is not to advance a cruel world but in order to promote the values of a "strong" person (like th Übermensch). He does not live for the love of God, but for the love of man.
overview of Thus Spoke Zarathustra
The first part is the opening remarks of Zarathustra, in which he describes the superman, and his views in general. Part two is Zarathustra's remarks on the various subjects which preoccupy him, such as priesthood, mercy, virtues and the like. The third part is characterized by Zarathustra's disillusionment with the nature of life, and with what he defines as its failure. The fourth part OF Thus Spoke Zarathustra is characterized by self-ridicule by Zarathustra. It contains more poetics, and its style is less uniform than that of the previous parts. The end of the book is the surrender of Zarathustra who leaves his cave.
The text is rich in parables, language games and contradictions. Some of it has a poetic character, and its style mimics that of the Bible and the New Testament. In this Nietzsche adds an irony to the presentation of ideas that are contrary to religious and traditional morality.