How we cite our quotes: (Line)
Quote #1
THE YOUNG SYRIAN How beautiful is the Princess Salomé to-night!
THE PAGE OF HERODIAS 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.
THE YOUNG SYRIAN 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.
THE PAGE OF HERODIAS She is like a woman who is dead. She moves very slowly. (2-5)
From the very beginning, death and desire are brought together—here, via the moon.
Quote #2
THE NUBIAN The gods of my country are very fond of blood. Twice in the year we sacrifice to them young men and maidens: fifty young men and a hundred maidens. But I am afraid that we never give them quite enough, for they are very harsh to us.
THE CAPPADOCIAN In my country there are no gods left. The Romans have driven them out. There are some who say that they have hidden themselves in the mountains, but I do not believe it. Three nights I have been on the mountains seeking them everywhere. I did not find them, and at last I called them by their names, and they did not come. I think they are dead. (30-35)
The Nubian's religion, which calls for its followers to sacrifice themselves to the gods, operates in stark contrast to Christianity, in which the Messiah sacrifices himself for the sake of his followers. The Cappadocian's gods are dead—a great upheaval seems to be coming.
Quote #3
THE CAPPADOCIAN He was not afraid?
SECOND SOLDIER Oh no! The Tetrarch sent him the ring.
THE CAPPADOCIAN What ring?
SECOND SOLDIER The death-ring. So he was not afraid.
THE CAPPADOCIAN Yet it is a terrible thing to strangle a king.
FIRST SOLDIER Why? Kings have but one neck, like other folk. (57-62)
The soldier's glib observation is actually echoed in Jokanaan's prophecies about the "man on the throne" being struck down.
Quote #4
JOKANAAN Get thee behind me! I hear in the palace the beating of the wings of the angel of death.
THE YOUNG SYRIAN Princess, I beseech thee to go within.
JOKANAAN Angel of the Lord God, what dost thou here with thy sword? Whom seekest thou in this palace? The day of him who shall die in a robe of silver has not yet come. (140-2)
Here we see that Jokanaan 1) fully expects some kind of final judgment and 2) is in contact with the Lord God and his messenger, but 3) is nonetheless surprised to see him in the palace.
Quote #5
SALOMÉ I am amorous of thy body, Jokanaan! Thy body is white, like the lilies of a field that the mower hath never mowed. Thy body is white like the snows that lie on the mountains of Judæa, and come down into the valleys. The roses in the garden of the Queen of Arabia are not so white as thy body… There is nothing in the world so white as thy body. Suffer me to touch thy body.
JOKANAAN Back! daughter of Babylon! By woman came evil into the world. Speak not to me. I will not listen to thee. I listen but to the voice of the Lord God.
SALOMÉ Thy body is hideous. It is like the body of a leper. It is like a plastered wall, where vipers have crawled; like a plastered wall where the scorpions have made their nest. It is like a whited sepulchre, full of loathsome things. It is horrible, thy body is horrible. (145-147)
Here, again, we see life and death brought into close proximity. The whiteness of Jokanaan's body, which Salomé sees as pure, just as quickly becomes leprous, sepulchral, decaying.
Quote #6
FIRST SOLDIER We must bear away the body to another place. The Tetrarch does not care to see dead bodies, save the bodies of those whom he himself has slain. (166)
Herod clearly has some hang ups about death; he wants to maintain the illusion that only he can end life.
Quote #7
SECOND SOLDIER He slew himself, sire.
HEROD For what reason? I had made him captain of my guard!
SECOND SOLDIER We do not know, sire. But with his own hand he slew himself.
[…]HEROD […] It is ridiculous to kill one's-self. (180-182, 185)
Here, again, Herod—the dude with the power over life and death—doesn't understand why anyone would want to end their own; he's used to treating death as a penalty, as a punishment.
Quote #8
HEROD What is this miracle of the daughter of Jairus?
FIRST NAZARENE The daughter of Jairus was dead. This Man raised her from the dead.
HEROD How! He raises people from the dead?
FIRST NAZARENE Yea, sire; He raiseth the dead.
HEROD I do not wish Him to do that. I forbid Him to do that. I suffer no man to raise the dead. This Man must be found and told that I forbid Him to raise the dead. Where is this Man at present? (255-259)
Herod, unable to see the wider ramifications of the Messiah's actions, simply sees it as a challenge to his own power.
Quote #9
SALOMÉ [Kneeling.] I would that they presently bring me in a silver charger…
HEROD [Laughing.] In a silver charger? Surely yes, in a silver charger. She is charming, is she not? What is it that thou wouldst have in a silver charger, O sweet and fair Salomé, thou that art fairer than all the daughters of Judæa? What wouldst thou have them bring thee in a silver charger? Tell me. Whatsoever it may be, thou shalt receive it. My treasures belong to thee. What is it that thou wouldst have, Salomé?
SALOMÉ [Rising.] The head of Jokanaan.
HERODIAS Ah! that is well said, my daughter. (345-350)
What initially seems like a childish request—for what could be brought in a silver charger but something small and cute, right?—quickly becomes super-gross. The juxtaposition between the simple, silver tray and the terrible thing it's meant to carry heightens the shock of it all.
Quote #10
THE VOICE OF SALOMÉ Ah! I have kissed thy mouth, Jokanaan, I have kissed thy mouth. There was a bitter taste on thy lips. Was it the taste of blood?... Nay; but perchance it was the taste of love… They say that love hath a bitter taste. But what matter? what matter? I have kissed thy mouth, Jokanaan, I have kissed thy mouth. (380)
Here, finally, we see death actually, physically mingled with desire. Blood and love become indistinguishable.