In this chapter, Zarathustra encounters an individual referred to as the Exalted One, a solemn figure who embodies asceticism and intense spiritual struggle. The Exalted One stands with a raised chest, akin to someone holding their breath, cloaked in silence. He is adorned with “ugly truths,” symbolized by torn garments and thorns hanging from him, yet no roses are visible—signifying a lack of beauty or joy in his pursuit.
Zarathustra observes that the Exalted One has not learned to laugh or appreciate beauty; he has returned from the “forest of knowledge” appearing dark and serious, still bearing the aura of a wild beast he has not yet conquered. His demeanor is tense, compared to a tiger poised to leap, reflecting a soul stretched tight with unrelenting purpose. Zarathustra expresses a distaste for such strained souls and suggests that life is a struggle over taste and perception, where one’s sense of appreciation acts as both weight and scale.
The narrative progresses with Zarathustra wishing for the Exalted One to grow weary of his sublimity so that his true beauty might emerge. He hopes the Exalted One will turn away from himself, overcoming his own shadow, and step into his own sun—indicating a move toward self-overcoming and enlightenment. Zarathustra notes that the Exalted One has spent too long in the shadows, his cheeks pale from waiting, harboring contempt and disgust that linger in his gaze and on his lips.
Drawing a parallel to a bull, Zarathustra desires that the Exalted One find happiness rooted in the earth, devoid of contempt for it. He envisions him as a white bull snorting and bellowing at the forefront of the ploughshare, praising all that is earthly with his roar. However, the Exalted One’s face remains darkened, shadowed by his own hand—a metaphor for his actions obscuring his essence. Zarathustra remarks that the Exalted One has not yet overcome his deeds; his own actions cast shadows upon him.
Zarathustra appreciates the strength symbolized by the bull’s neck but wishes to see the gentleness of an angel’s eyes in the Exalted One. He suggests that the Exalted One must unlearn his heroic will to become uplifted rather than merely exalted, allowing the very ether to elevate him without resistance. Zarathustra asserts that while the Exalted One has conquered beasts and solved riddles, he must now transform these beasts and riddles into “heavenly children,” indicating a transformation of his challenges into sources of joy.
The chapter concludes with Zarathustra emphasizing that the Exalted One’s knowledge has not yet learned to smile or be without envy, and his passionate outpourings have not found peace in beauty. He advocates for the Exalted One’s desires to submerge not in satiety but in beauty, asserting that grace is integral to the magnanimity of the great-souled. Zarathustra envisions the hero resting with an arm over his head, overcoming even his rest, suggesting that for the hero, embracing beauty is the most arduous task.