Thus Spoke Zarathustra · Character

The Priests

Religious figures Zarathustra criticizes for their otherworldly teachings.

minor

Also known as those priests, The Priests

The Priests's tie to Zarathustra is one of the pressures that moves Thus Spoke Zarathustra—worth meeting in the text, not only on a cast list.

Representatives of old religious values that Zarathustra criticizes and seeks to overcome.

In the storyPart I: Zarathustra’s DiscoursesOpen this moment free

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With Zarathustra (rivalry): The Priests represent decaying religious authority and otherworldly values that Zarathustra seeks to overcome. With The Tarantulas (rivalry): Both groups preach dogmatic systems, but the Priests' otherworldly faith clashes with the Tarantulas' worldly revenge ethic. With The Superman (rivalry): The Superman's this-worldly self-overcoming directly invalidates the Priests' reliance on divine grace and afterlife.

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See The Priests in XXVI: The Priests

Character Web

10 connections

A slice of how The Priests sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.

Relationship types

Rivalry
Psychological
Other

Character groups

Flawed seekers of truth
Protagonist

+5 more in the full Character Web

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point
Aftermath
Closing

This is the dramatic climax because Zarathustra achieves the ultimate psychological peak of the *Yes-saying* p…

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Relationships

Zarathustra
rivalry · negative
The Priests represent decaying religious authority and otherworldly values that… How this plays out →
The Tarantulas
rivalry · negative
The Superman
rivalry · negative
The Magician
psychological · negative
Zarathustra
rivalry · negative
The Priests represent decaying religious authority and otherworldly values that… How this plays out →
Zarathustra
rivalry · negative
The Priests represent decaying religious authority and otherworldly values that… How this plays out →

Zarathustra
The Priests represent decaying religious authority and otherworldly values that Zarathustra seeks to overcome.
The Tarantulas
Both groups preach dogmatic systems, but the Priests' otherworldly faith clashes with the Tarantulas' worldly revenge ethic.
The Superman
The Superman's this-worldly self-overcoming directly invalidates the Priests' reliance on divine grace and afterlife.
The Magician
The Magician mimics priestly piety to manipulate others, revealing the theatrical fraud behind religious authority.
Zarathustra
The Priests represent decaying religious authority and otherworldly values that Zarathustra seeks to overcome.
Zarathustra
The Priests represent decaying religious authority and otherworldly values that Zarathustra seeks to overcome.

Relationship notes

How these ties play out is in the reading companion — open the free preview.

See The Priests in XXVI: The Priests

In the story

The Priests appears across 9 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

Part I: Zarathustra’s Discourses
Representatives of old religious values that Zarathustra criticizes and seeks to overcome.
II
The old saint represents a priestly figure who has retreated to the forest to worship God, unaware of God's death.
XXVI: The Priests
Described as enemies, prisoners of false values, and builders of churches as 'sweet-smelling caves.'
II
Referenced as those who have become pious again, engaging in prayer and seeking comfort in belief.
The Three Evil Things
Criticized as spurious wise who have abused selfishness and taught selflessness as virtue.
II
Described as spurious wise, world-weary, and servile, who abuse selfishness and call it virtue.
VI
Referenced as old idol-priests who broil the best of the firstlings for their banquet.
Out of Service
Zarathustra associates the pope with the priestly type, which he critiques for equivocation and lack of clarity.
The Higher Man
Implicitly referenced in the critique of those who preach submission, humility, and petty virtues.

Chapter companion notes

Spoil-light check-ins for The Priests unlock in the free preview.

See The Priests in XXVI: The Priests

See The Priests in Part I: Zarathustra’s Discourses