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Posted by Thomas on 12/3/2007, 2:35 pm, in reply to "rope dancer and jester"
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I think that Nietzsche left the symbolism of this scene quite open, so we are free to try our own interpretation too, in fact this is probably what he's asking us to do. That the rope dancer is the Nietzschean disciple (or Zarathustra himself) is quite obvious, but who is the Jester? Here is the event is Prologue 6:
"Then, however, something happened which made every mouth mute and every eye fixed. In the meantime, of course, the rope-dancer had commenced his performance: he had come out at a little door, and was going along the rope which was stretched between two towers, so that it hung above the market-place and the people. When he was just midway across, the little door opened once more, and a gaudily-dressed fellow like a buffoon sprang out, and went rapidly after the first one. "Go on, halt-foot," cried his frightful voice, "go on, lazy-bones, interloper, sallow-face!--lest I tickle thee with my heel! What dost thou here between the towers? In the tower is the place for thee, thou shouldst be locked up; to one better than thyself thou blockest the way!"--And with every word he came nearer and nearer the first one. When, however, he was but a step behind, there happened the frightful thing which made every mouth mute and every eye fixed--he uttered a yell like a devil, and jumped over the other who was in his way. The latter, however, when he thus saw his rival triumph, lost at the same time his head and his footing on the rope; he threw his pole away, and shot downwards faster than it, like an eddy of arms and legs, into the depth."
It seems to me that the rope-dancer is being overtaken by someone who is better and faster than him. And then he loses his concentration and falls. And maybe this is the message: that we are not to overcome others, but overcome ourselves. Not attempt to be better than any one else, but improve ourselves only?
Thomas
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