How we cite our quotes: (Line)
Quote #1
THE VOICE OF JOKANAAN After me shall come another mightier than I. I am not worthy so much as to unloose the latchet of his shoes. When he cometh the solitary places shall be glad. They shall blossom like the rose. The eyes of the blind shall see the day, and the ears of the deaf shall be opened. The sucking child shall put his hand upon the dragon's lair, he shall lead the lions by their manes. (36)
According to Jokanaan, the coming of the "man mightier than I," will radically transform the world, changing the nature of both man and animals.
Quote #2
THE VOICE OF JOKANAAN Behold! the Lord hath come. The Son of Man is at hand. The centaurs have hidden themselves in the rivers, and the nymphs have left the rivers, and are lying beneath the leaves in the forests. (74)
In the same way, the coming of the Lord will remove pagan influences from the world, destroying—or at least casting out—creatures associated with classical pagan religions.
Quote #3
SALOMÉ This prophet… is he an old man?
FIRST SOLDIER No, Princess, he is quite young.
SECOND SOLDIER One cannot be sure. There are those who say that he is Elias.
SALOMÉ Who is Elias?
SECOND SOLDIER A prophet of this country in bygone days, Princess. (88-92)
According to some—including the Nazarenes—Jokanaan is a reincarnation of the prophet Elias; there aren't a lot of transformations more radical than that.
Quote #4
SALOMÉ Neither the roses of the garden of the Queen of Arabia, the garden of spices of the Queen of Arabia, nor the feet of the dawn when they light on the leaves, nor the breast of the moon when she lies on the breast of the sea… 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 sepulcher, full of loathsome things. It is horrible, thy body is horrible. (145-147)
Salomé perception of Jokanaan changes swiftly, without warning, and without explanation.
Quote #5
HEROD Where is Salomé? Where is the Princess? Why did she not return to the banquet as I commanded her? Ah! there she is!
HERODIAS You must not look at her! You are always looking at her!
HEROD The moon has a strange look to-night. Has she not a strange look? She is like a mad woman, a mad woman who is seeking everywhere for lovers. She is naked too. She is quite naked. The clouds are seeking to clothe her nakedness, but she will not let them. She shows herself naked in the sky. She reels through the clouds like a drunken woman… I am sure she is looking for lovers. Does she not reel like a drunken woman? She is like a mad woman, is she not?
HERODIAS No; the moon is like the moon, that is all, Let us go within… We have nothing to do here. (171-173)
Herodias' claim that "the moon is like the moon," suggests that she believes in only objective interpretations of things. For her, the world is what it is—it doesn't change dramatically.
Quote #6
FIRST NAZARENE This Man worketh true miracles. Thus, at a marriage which took place in a little town of Galilee, a town of some importance, He changed water into wine. Certain persons who were present related it to me. Also He healed two lepers that were seated before the Gate of Capernaum simply by touching them.
SECOND NAZARENE Nay; it was two blind men that He healed at Capernaum.
FIRST NAZARENE Nay; they were lepers. But He hath healed blind people also, and He was seen on a mountain talking with angels. (245-247)
The Nazarene's Messiah is capable of miraculous transformations both large and small, turning water into wine and healing the blind and leprous.
Quote #7
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? (255-257)
Here, though, we learn that the "Man" can perform the ultimate miracle—bringing the dead back to life. Spooky.
Quote #8
THE VOICE OF JOKANAAN In that day the sun shall become black like sackcloth of hair, and the moon shall become like blood, and the stars of the heaven shall fall upon the earth like unripe figs that fall from the fig-tree, and the kings of the earth shall be afraid. (282-285)
Here, the transformation which Jokanaan predicts is a true, earth-shattering cataclysm.
Quote #9
HEROD Nay, but it is not cold, it is hot. I am choking. Pour water on my hands. Give me snow to eat. Loosen my mantle. Quick! quick! loosen my mantle. Nay, but leave it. It is my garland that hurts me, my garland of roses. The flowers are like fire. They have burned my forehead. [He tears the wreath from his head, and throws it on the table.] (328)
Herod's every perception seems to be in flux. Flowers turn to fire, cold turns to hot—his world is totally unstable.
Quote #10
HERODIAS What is it to thee if she dance on blood? Thou hast waded deep enough in it…
HEROD What is it to me? Ah! look at the moon! She has become red. She has become red as blood. Ah! the prophet prophesied truly. He prophesied that the moon would become as blood. Did he not prophesy it? All of ye heard him prophesying it. And now the moon has become as blood. Do ye not see it?
HERODIAS Oh, yes, I see it well, and the stars are falling like unripe figs, are they not? and the sun is becoming black like sackcloth of hair, and the kings of the earth are afraid. That at least one can see. The prophet is justified of his words in that at least, for truly the kings of the earth are afraid… Let us go within. You are sick. They will say at Rome that you are mad. Let us go within, I tell you. (333-338)
Here see that transformation can be totally subjective. While Herod sees the terrible disaster Jokanaan predicted, Herodias sees, well, nothing at all.