On the Genealogy of Morals Literary Elements

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Genre

Philosophy, Treatise

Setting and Context

German

Narrator and Point of View

Friedrich Nietzsche is the narrator.

Tone and Mood

Philosophical, enlightening, reflective, analytical, comparative, and critical.

Protagonist and Antagonist

The treatises do not have protagonists are antagonists.

Major Conflict

Expounding the origin, components and influence of morals.

Climax

Climaxes are lacking in the three treatises.

Foreshadowing

N/A

Understatement

The significance of the church is understated. It is described as an entity that repels individuals such as Nietzsche.

Allusions

Historical allusions relating top German’s history with races.
Philosophical allusions.
Religious allusions to Judaism.

Imagery

Punishments are utilized as deterrents to undesirable behaviours.

Paradox

N/A

Parallelism

Binaries are utilized in the three treatises to underscore the difference between morality and immorality.

Metonymy and Synecdoche

Plebeians denote ordinary citizens.
‘Schlecht’ denotes badness

Personification

Morals are personified; they have a genealogy, just like humans.

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