Thus spake Zarathustra, and stopped suddenly in his discourse: for his longing came over him, and he closed his eyes and his mouth, because of the agitation of his heart. And all his guests also were silent, and stood still and confounded: except only that the old soothsayer made signs with his hands and his gestures.
Zarathustra stops mid-speech, overcome by longing, and closes his eyes and mouth. The guests fall silent, and only the old soothsayer makes signs.
- The higher menThe guests stand confounded while only the soothsayer gestures.
What the critics said
Ludovici holds that Zarathustra's greeting confirms his thesis that the philosophy aims to give higher men the great hope, but harshly: Nietzsche would be a hard bed to higher men, making them harder, not easing their way.