The biblical reference contained in its title has led many critics of August Strindberg's seminal drama,To Damascus, I, to regard only the religious influences in its content. This focus has tended often to ignore the substantial contributions of modern philosophy to the composition of Strindberg's work, especially in terms of dramatic structure and characterization. The following article traces and identifies the importance of Kierkegaard'sRepetitionand Nietzsche'sThus Spake Zarathustra‐ two philosophical narratives ‐ for both the theme of the “stranger's return” and its rendering within the drama's symmetrical structure and typification of thedramatis p