Thus Spoke Zarathustra · Chapter
On the Old and New Tables explained
Zarathustra critiques the old moral precepts, calling them holy yet accusing them of being the greatest robbers and slayers of life and truth.
What happens
Zarathustra critiques the old moral precepts, calling them holy yet accusing them of being the greatest robbers and slayers of life and truth. He urges his brethren to break the old tables and create new values that affirm life.
Free preview opens on this chapter — companions, themes, and character notes appear beside the text.
Narrative arc
Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Rising action.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
This is the dramatic climax because Zarathustra achieves the ultimate psychological peak of the *Yes-saying* p…
Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.
Follow the arc while readingThemes in this chapter
- Death of God and Revaluation of Values
Zarathustra calls for breaking the old tables of morality, implying the need for a revaluation of all values after the death of God.
- Critique of Herd Morality
The old precepts 'Thou shalt not rob! Thou shalt not slay!' are exposed as hypocritical and life-denying, representing herd morality.
Characters to notice
- Zarathustra
Zarathustra speaks to his brethren, challenging the sanctity of old moral laws and calling for their destruction.
Key passages
“Thou shalt not rob! Thou shalt not slay!—such precepts were once called holy; before them did one bow the knee and the head, and take off one’s shoes. But I ask you: Where have there ever been better robbers and slayers in the world than such holy precepts?”
The commandments against stealing and killing were once revered as sacred, but Zarathustra argues that these very precepts have caused more harm than the acts they forbid.
Zarathustra inverts traditional morality, suggesting that moral laws themselves are the true source of violence and deception.
