Western philosophy essentially began as a dramatic form in the dialogues of Plato, but quickly was converted to a subject for study, something analyzed, systematized, and to a large extent removed from everyday experience. Indeed, most think of philosophy as a subject that has no relevance to common existence, even though it undoubtedly always begins there. Attempt at dialogue, or dramatic form of any kind, in philosophy since Plato has generally been either ignored or ineffective. However, with Friedrich Nietzsche, literary forms other than the treatise were re-introduced to Western philosophy in such a way that they no longer could be cast aside as insignificant or un-philosophic. And of course, following closely behind Nietzsche (and deeply indebted to him) came the existentialists, incorporating novels and plays as an essential aspect of the expression of their philosophy. The question then arises, why literature? Why did philosophy to a large extent begin there, and what about it was so important or seductive or effective that we again returned to it (although not for two thousand years)? What does literature offer to philosophy (and of course, vice versa) that is somehow not available through the treatise? This paper will seek to explore, through a consideration of the works of Nietzsche and Albert Camus (primarily Thus Spoke Zarathustra and The Stranger), the connection between philosophy and literature and why (or whether) it is important.