Here is a response paper I wrote dealing with Zarathusra's speech "On the Flies in the Marketplace" from Part one of Thus Spoke Zarathustra. The page numbers correspond to The Portable Nietzsche but it would not be hard to find in ant other version--although I strongly recommend to never ever use the translation by Thomas Common. My head hurts thinking about it.

Feel free to comment on my comments or feel free to add your own.



"Where solitude ceases the marketplace begins: and where the market place begins the noise of the great actors and the buzzing of the poisonous flies begins too" (p.163).

Nietzsche seems to be suggesting that one can either be in solitude or one is mingling within society. And when one mingles in society they are in danger or are fair game for people playing their part in the societal machine or those seeking others for their own interests. Thus, the heroic individuals must protect themselves from the dangers that can lurk around corners when they venture out of their solitude. Many poisonous creatures entice in victims by appearing good, beautiful or desirable and Nietzsche seems to be using this as a metaphor as a warning. The potential heroes that Nietzsche speaks to-the value creating heroes-are in danger of falling as victims to other members of society that would do anything to get these heroes to succumb to their cause. These poisonous flies come in many flavors from the priests, politicians, businessmen, educators or any one else that influence the general population. Nietzsche warns the creators to not fall because of their poison in the form of their influence.

Nietzsche then goes on to write: "Flee?into your solitude: I see you stung all over by poisonous flies. Flee where the air is raw and strong" (164). These stings that Nietzsche speaks of are the values and traditions of the herd society that Nietzsche wants his ideal heroes to avoid succumbing to without individual deliberation and struggle against. Only through that process can the creative heroes become a yea-sayer to old traditions through the renewal of the values without accepting them at face value.

Then Nietzsche says that "You are too proud to kill these greedy creatures. But beware lest it become your downfall that you suffer all their injustice" (165). I am torn on whether he is warning to the dangers of dwelling in the toils of others because it may be the downfall of his hero, or that the hero must go on the attack and fight of others and their values. The former suggests that one should not waste their time with the concerns of others and focus on their own individual projects, and the latter suggests that the hero must seek out the traditional values and make it their goal to destroy them.

Based on the context of Nietzsche's whole body of work, both readings are probably acceptable, but the first reading may be more accurate. It seems the individuals that would concern themselves with the latter reading would become too vengeful to become the hero that Nietzsche has in mind. It seems that Nietzsche would call on people to destroy traditional values without toiling in the affairs of society and do so in their solitude rather than within herd society because the herd has too much weight behind it for the individual to take on alone. He seems to want heroes to avoid the mass and instead look for others with similar values and goals to help take on the burden of mass society and their values.