Salome

Salome is a one-act tragedy by Oscar Wilde. Wilde’s play was originally written in French in 1891. Translated into English and published in London in 1894. The tragedy is based on the story of Salome, the New Testament character (name not mentioned in the Bible, it first occurs in Flavius Josephus). Salome, the stepdaughter of tetrarch Herod Antipas, deceived Herod by dancing the Dance of the Seven Veils. To her stepfather’s dismay, and to the delight of her mother Herodias, she requested the head of prophet Jokanaan (in the Bible John the Baptist) on a silver platter as her reward. Interpretation of the biblical story caused a scandal in England.

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