Thus Spake Zarathustra

Zarathustra is a sage and a prophet who has a great love of humanity. Because of this love, he desires to leave the solitude of his mountain home to teach others the great truth he has the truth of the overman.

Zarathustra first comes to a village where he makes his pronouncement that God is dead. He goes on to say that the overman is the true state of being for which mankind should strive. The people reject him as a madman, however, and Zarathustra realizes that his teachings must take a different route.
Zarathustra then finds disciples who are willing to listen to his teachings. He teaches them in private, grooming them to attain the state of overman so that they may eventually carry on his teaching to the rest of the world. Zarathustra teaches them the key points of his knowledge.

To become the overman, one must have envy, be a warrior, and not take pity on the world. But, just as disciples of other religious leaders do not at first understand their master's teachings, Zarathustra's disciples do not understand what he is trying to teach them. With much sadness, Zarathustra leaves his disciples to return to his mountain of solitude, encouraging them to go out and spread the word of his teachings.