Religious Beliefs
In Salome, a tapestry of diverse beliefs—pagan, Jewish, and Christian—unfurls before us. From the play’s outset, a debate rages over the essence of divinity. The pagans, with their pantheon of deities, find their gods lacking. The Nubian paints a grim picture of his homeland’s deities, calling them “fond of blood.” Despite the ritual offering of fifty young men and a hundred maidens twice annually, these gods remain insatiable, described by the Nubian as "very harsh to us." Meanwhile, the Cappadocian recounts his futile search for his gods amidst the mountains, where they allegedly fled from the Romans. He concludes that his gods must have perished. Thus, the pagans, clinging to outdated traditions, find their faith wanting. Skeptical of the Jewish belief in an unseen god, they regard such notions as implausible, with the Cappadocian dismissing them as "altogether ridiculous."
Although Wilde refrains from overt criticism of an invisible deity, the Jewish faith in the play is portrayed as fragmented and unsatisfying. The Jews appear as a people in perpetual discord. When the second soldier observes their constant bickering, he remarks, “They are always like that. They are disputing their religion.” The Pharisees assert the existence of angels, while the Sadducees vehemently deny it. One Jew claims no one has glimpsed God since the prophet Elias, another questions even Elias’s sighting, and a third declares, “God is at no time hidden.” All that unifies them is their desire for Jokanaan’s release, yet this desire is shadowed by the threat they pose to him, a figure Wilde’s audience would likely view as a prophet.
The Complex Portrait of Judaism
In examining Wilde’s portrayal of Judaism, one must consider the social milieu in which he wrote. His era and locale relegated Jews to second-class status, marginalized within the fabric of Victorian society, often despised and branded "Christ-killers" due to the Christian belief that they bore responsibility for Jesus's crucifixion. Notably, Wilde does not depict the Jews as malevolent, nor does he overtly critique Judaism. Rather, he scrutinizes those who transform their faith into a litany of petty disputes. Consequently, the Judaism in Wilde's play lacks the depth and sustenance of a fulfilling spiritual path.
Christianity’s Duality
This leaves Christianity, seemingly poised as the endorsed faith of Wilde’s contemporaries. The Nazarenes recount Jesus performing miracles—healing lepers, restoring sight, reviving the dead. Jokanaan, Christianity’s envoy in the play, foretells doom within Herod’s court, predictions that do indeed unfold. Yet, his Christianity seethes with anger and condemnation. Though he offers salvation to Jesus’s followers, his sermons bristle with threats of retribution and denunciation of surrounding iniquity.
Salome’s Insight
It is Salome who uncovers the deficiency in Jokanaan’s Christian message in a declaration diverging from her earlier preoccupation with carnal desire. To Jokanaan’s severed head, she confides, “If thou hadst looked at me thou hadst loved me. Well I know that thou wouldst have loved me, and the mystery of love is greater than the mystery of death. Love only should one consider.” In her final moments, Salome transcends the confines of each religion depicted in Wilde’s drama, none of which seem to offer a fulfilling resolution to the enigma of the divine.
Sexual Desire
Throughout numerous Christian traditions, the flames of sexual desire are often branded as a sinister force. Lust, that yearning for carnal pleasure devoid of love, is deemed one of the infamous seven deadly sins. Yet, within Western narratives, this notion of sexual desire as malevolent does not hold the same weight for both genders. Historically, women's...
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sexual appetites have been shrouded in greater suspicion than those of men. Conventionally, a woman was not expected to harbor personal desires, serving instead to fulfill her husband's needs. Women have been boxed into simplistic binaries—either virtuous virgins or lascivious seductresses. InSalome, the notion of desire is depicted as somewhat wicked, with female passion bearing the brunt of moral condemnation.
The Voice of Judgment
Jokanaan emerges as the principal voice denouncing the sins of the flesh. His critiques are primarily aimed at Herodias, proclaiming that her wickedness will not go unpunished. He paints her with vivid strokes, calling her "she who gave herself to the Captains of Assyria'' and ‘‘she who hath given herself to the young men of Egypt." "Bid her rise up from the bed of her abominations—from the bed of her incestuousness,’’ he commands. Despite the mutual culpability in her marriage to Herod, her husband's brother, only Herodias is chastised for the shared sin.
A Tale of Unequal Consequences
In the era depicted by the play, women caught in adulterous liaisons faced harsh retribution, a fate their male counterparts often escaped. This societal bias resonates in Jokanaan's words. Herod, portrayed with a sense of guilt over his union with Herodias, fears a divine reckoning. Yet, when Herodias supports Salome's actions in the play's climax, Herod sneers, ‘‘There speaks the incestuous wife.’’ Thus, like Jokanaan, he heaps blame upon Herodias for the perceived curse of their marriage.
Salome: The Scapegoat of Desire
While Herodias is censured for her matrimonial choices and rumored indiscretions, Salome faces the direst punishment for her desires. The gaze of Herod and the Young Syrian upon Salome is evident to others, breaching the play's moral boundaries, yet Salome's overt longing is far more conspicuous. She covets Jokanaan's form, yearning to caress his skin and hair, repeatedly declaring her craving to kiss his lips. The more he rejects her, the more fervently she desires him.
Salome's craving for Jokanaan spirals into malevolence, culminating in violence to sate her urges. Once her desire is executed, she vows not to merely kiss his mouth but to bite it "as one bites a ripe fruit.'' The narrative suggests that beneath female desire lies a darker, destructive force. Wilde, though often penning tales of women wronged by allegations of immorality, subjects Salome's turbulent desires to ultimate retribution, leading her to ruin.
The Double Standard of Punishment
Indeed, Herod and the Young Syrian also suffer due to their attraction to Salome. Herod mourns Jokanaan's death, while the Syrian, driven by his longing, ends his life upon granting Salome her wish to glimpse Jokanaan. However, their interest in Salome appears far less sinister. They merely watch her, and the Syrian's obedience to Salome's flirty promise hints at affection. Their longing lacks the overt intensity and violence of Salome's for Jokanaan, and thus their penalties are less severe.
A Glimpse of True Affection
Within the pages of Salome, there lies a subtle suggestion of another bond, perhaps romantic, rooted in genuine affection. This is the "friendship'' between the Young Syrian and the Page of Herodias. The Page's lament upon the Syrian's suicide unveils a profound connection: "He has slain himself who was my friend. I gave him a little box of perfumes and ear-rings wrought in silver, and now he has killed himself . . . why did I not hide him from the moon?’’ The Page’s words betray affection, yet the potential sexual undertones remain ambiguous.
Though Wilde might have intended this relationship to hint at homosexuality, the constraints of his era prevented explicit expression. The intentions behind this bond remain a mystery. Notably, the only relationship seeming to spring from true love in the text is one between two men. Given Wilde's own relationship with Lord Alfred Douglas, it is plausible that the bond between the Syrian and the Page mirrors that with Douglas. In this light, true love stands apart from the shadow of female desire.
