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Of Joys and Passions
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
The “pale criminal” judges himself and wants to overcome his Ego by killing it. Such killing is merciful, the only way to be reconciled with the Ego; it is love for the Superman.
The “pale criminal” is essentially someone who wants to judge himself instead of submitting to society. In Zarathustra’s estimation, embodying the pale criminal is a step toward evolving into the Superman.
Themes
The criminal is pale because he cannot endure the image of the deed he has committed. Zarathustra calls it “madness” for the criminal to see himself as the perpetrator of the deed. It’s necessary to look deeper in his soul to see a madness that predates the deed. The criminal wanted to kill, but his mind persuaded him to steal instead, and he ended up committing both crimes; now, he is burdened with guilt that he will not allow himself to shake off.
Zarathustra isn’t talking here about a master criminal who’s out for blood. The pale criminal is someone who, despite his desire to overcome himself, still doesn’t quite take ownership of his own desires, even after he acts on them—perhaps suggesting that this is the condition of most people. Society places the burden of guilt and indeed of the label of “criminal” on him, restraining him.
Themes
Zarathustra wishes that so-called “good people” possessed a madness through which they could die, like the pale criminal. But people hold onto their virtue in hopes of living long and at ease.
Zarathustra suggests that the self-described “good,” who cling to their virtue, are further from the Superman than the pale criminal, who is at least willing to die for his desires. Most people only want comfort and security.
Themes
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