s a lo m é

SALOMÉa t r ag e dy i n o n e ac t b y o s c a r w i l d e, w i t h s i x t e e n i n k d r aw i n g s b y au b r e y b e a r d s l e y & ‘a note on salomé’ a d d e d b y ro b e rt ro s s

r e n a r d p r e s s

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Salomé first published in 1894‘A Note on Salomé’ first published in 1907This edition first published by Renard Press Ltd in 2021

Edited text, Notes and Extra Material © Renard Press Ltd, 2021

Cover illustration adapted from Aubrey Beardsley’s illustrations for the 1894 Dent edition of Salomé (see p. 9); cover design by by Will Dady Extra Material edited by Tom Conaghan

Illustrated by Aubrey Beardsley

Printed and hand-bound in the United Kingdom on Olin Smooth (FSC certified) archival grade paper

ISBN: 978-1-913724-36-8

9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

The pictures in this volume are reprinted with permission or are presumed to be in the public domain. Every effort has been made to ascertain their copyright status, and to acknowledge this status where required, but we will be happy to correct any errors, should any unwitting oversights have been made, in subsequent editions.

All rights reserved. This publication may not be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means – electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise – without the prior permission of the publisher.

c o n t e n t s

Salomé List of the Pictures 7Salomé 11

Note on the Text 71Notes 72

Extra Material 75

Appendix‘A Note on Salomé’

by Robert Ross 89

Notes to the Appendix 95

l i s t o f t h e p i c t u r e s b y au b r e y b e a r d s l e y

1. t h e wo m a n i n t h e m o o n

2. t i t l e pag e

3. l i s t o f t h e p i c t u r e s

4. c ov e r d e s i g n

5. t h e p e ac o c k s k i rt

6. t h e b l ac k c a p e

7. a p l ato n i c l a m e n t

8. j o h n a n d s a lo m e

9. e n t e r h e ro d i a s

10. t h e e y e s o f h e ro d

11. t h e s to m ac h da n c e

12. the toilette of salome – i

13. the toilette of salome – ii

14. t h e da n c e r’s r e wa r d

15. t h e c l i m a x

16. c u l d e l a m p e

s a lo m é

To my friend Lord Alfred Bruce Douglas the translator of my play*

12

t h e p e r s o n s o f t h e p l ay

h e ro d a n t i pa s , t e t r a rc h of Judaeaj o k a na a n,* the Prophet

t h e yo u n g s y r i a n , Captain of the Guardt i g e l l i n u s, a young Roman

a c a p pa d o c i a n

a n u b i a n

f i r s t s o l d i e r

s e c o n d s o l d i e r

t h e pag e o f h e ro d i a s

j e w s, na z a r e n e s, etc.a s l av e

na a m a n, the e x e c u t i o n e r

h e ro d i a s , wife of the t e t r a rc h

s a lo m e, daughter of h e ro d i a s

t h e s l av e s o f s a lo m e

13

s c e n e

A great terrace in the Palace of h e ro d , set above the banqueting hall. Some soldiers are leaning over the balcony. To the right there is a gigantic staircase; to the left, at the back, an old cistern surrounded by a wall of green bronze. The moon is shining very brightly.

t h e yo u n g s y r i a n : How beautiful is the Princess Salome tonight!

t h e pag e o f h e ro d i a s : Look at the moon. How strange the moon seems! She is like a woman rising from a tomb. She is like a dead woman. One might fancy she was looking for dead things.

t h e yo u n g s y r i a n : She has a strange look. She is like a little princess who wears a yellow veil, and whose feet are of silver. She is like a princess who has little white doves for feet. One might fancy she was dancing.

t h e pag e o f h e ro d i a s : She is like a woman who is dead. She moves very slowly.

(Noise in the banqueting hall.)

14

s a lo m é

f i r s t s o l d i e r : What an uproar! Who are those wild beasts howling?

s e c o n d s o l d i e r : The Jews. They are always like that. They are disputing about their religion.

f i r s t s o l d i e r : Why do they dispute about their reli-gion?

s e c o n d s o l d i e r : I cannot tell. They are always doing it. The Pharisees, for instance, say that there are an-gels, and the Sadducees declare that angels do not exist.

f i r s t s o l d i e r : I think it is ridiculous to dispute about such things.

t h e yo u n g s y r i a n : How beautiful is the Princess Salome tonight!

t h e pag e o f h e ro d i a s : You are always looking at her. You look at her too much. It is dangerous to look at people in such fashion. Something terrible may happen.

t h e yo u n g s y r i a n : She is very beautiful tonight.f i r s t s o l d i e r : The Tetrarch has a sombre aspect.s e c o n d s o l d i e r : Yes – he has a sombre aspect.f i r s t s o l d i e r : He is looking at something.s e c o n d s o l d i e r : He is looking at someone.f i r s t s o l d i e r : At whom is he looking?s e c o n d s o l d i e r : I cannot tell.t h e yo u n g s y r i a n : How pale the Princess is! Never

have I seen her so pale. She is like the shadow of a white rose in a mirror of silver.

t h e pag e o f h e ro d i a s : You must not look at her. You look too much at her.