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Salomé
Written originally in French in 1892, Wilde's one-act tragedy Salomé was translated into English by Lord Alfred Douglas, inspired some of Aubrey Beardsley's finest illustrations (long available in a Dover edition), and served as the text (in abridged form) for Strauss' renowned opera of the same name. The play's haunting poetic imagery, biblical cadences, and febrile atmosphere have earned it a reputation as a masterpiece of the Aesthetic movement of fin de siècle England. The present volume reprints the complete text of the first English edition (1894), including „A Note on Salomé” by Robert Ross. It will be welcomed by students and lovers of literature and drama, and any admirer of the incomparable Oscar Wilde.
Languages: French, English
Languages: French, English
64 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1891
About the author
Oscar Wilde
5,231 books36.7k followersOscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde was an Irish playwright, poet, and author of numerous short stories, and one novel. Known for his biting wit, and a plentitude of aphorisms, he became one of the most successful playwrights of the late Victorian era in London, and one of the greatest celebrities of his day. Several of his plays continue to be widely performed, especially The Importance of Being Earnest.
As the result of a widely covered series of trials, Wilde suffered a dramatic downfall and was imprisoned for two years hard labour after being convicted of "gross indecency" with other men. After Wilde was released from prison he set sail for Dieppe by the night ferry. He never returned to Ireland or Britain, and died in poverty.
As the result of a widely covered series of trials, Wilde suffered a dramatic downfall and was imprisoned for two years hard labour after being convicted of "gross indecency" with other men. After Wilde was released from prison he set sail for Dieppe by the night ferry. He never returned to Ireland or Britain, and died in poverty.
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September 10, 2021
Salomé = Salome, Oscar Wilde
Salome is a tragedy by Oscar Wilde. The original 1891 version of the play was in French. Three years later an English translation was published.
The play tells in one act the Biblical story of Salome, stepdaughter of the tetrarch Herod Antipas, who, to her stepfather's dismay but to the delight of her mother Herodias, requests the head of Jokanaan (John the Baptist) on a silver platter as a reward for dancing the dance of the seven veils.
تاریخ نخستین خوانش: سال 1972میلادی
عنوان: سالومه؛ نویسنده: اسکار وایلد؛ مترجم: هوشنگ ایرانی؛ تهران، گلشائی، 1327، در 61ص؛ چاپ دیگر بی جا، عباس جهانگیری، 1327؛ در61ص؛ موضوع نمایشنامه های نویسندگان ایرلند - سده 19م
عنوان: سالومه، اهمیت ارنست بودن و بادبزن خانم ویندمر؛ نویسنده: اسکار وایلد؛ مترجم: محمد سعیدی؛ تهران، بنگاه ترجمه و نشر کتاب، 1336، در302ص؛ چاپ دیگر انتشارات علمی فرهنگی؛ 1379، در 231ص، شابک 9644452216؛
عنوان: سالومه؛ نویسنده: اسکار وایلد؛ مترجم: سیروس بهروزی؛ تهران، امیرکبیر، 1342؛ در 100 ص؛ چاپ دیگر: تهران، آوای روزان، 1395، در78ص؛ شابک 9786008267614؛
عنوان: سالومه؛ نویسنده: اسکار وایلد؛ مترجم: عبدالله کوثری؛ تهران، چاپ کتاب،هرمس، 1385؛ در 94ص؛ شابک: 9643633489؛ چاپ دیگر تهران، هرمس، 1388؛ در 92ص؛ شابک 9789643633486؛ دوزبانه؛
عنوان: یک تراژدی در فلورانی و سالومه؛ نویسنده: اسکار وایلد؛ مترجم: محمدرضا مکوندی؛ تهران، نشر قطره، 1395؛ در 127ص؛ شابک9786001198816؛
نمایشنامه و درام، بازسازی افسانه ی «سالومه» شاهزاده خانم شرقی است، که برای به دست آوردن سر بریده ی «جان باپتیست» یا «یحیی تعمید دهنده»، با پاهای برهنه، برای شوهر مادر خویش رقصید؛ «اسکاروایلد» نمایشنامه ی «سالومه» را، با وجود قانون منع توصیف شخصیتهای کتاب مقدس نگاشتند؛
تاریخ بهنگام رسانی 16/08/1399هجری خورشیدی؛ 18/06/1400هجری خورشیدی؛ ا. شربیانی
Salome is a tragedy by Oscar Wilde. The original 1891 version of the play was in French. Three years later an English translation was published.
The play tells in one act the Biblical story of Salome, stepdaughter of the tetrarch Herod Antipas, who, to her stepfather's dismay but to the delight of her mother Herodias, requests the head of Jokanaan (John the Baptist) on a silver platter as a reward for dancing the dance of the seven veils.
تاریخ نخستین خوانش: سال 1972میلادی
عنوان: سالومه؛ نویسنده: اسکار وایلد؛ مترجم: هوشنگ ایرانی؛ تهران، گلشائی، 1327، در 61ص؛ چاپ دیگر بی جا، عباس جهانگیری، 1327؛ در61ص؛ موضوع نمایشنامه های نویسندگان ایرلند - سده 19م
عنوان: سالومه، اهمیت ارنست بودن و بادبزن خانم ویندمر؛ نویسنده: اسکار وایلد؛ مترجم: محمد سعیدی؛ تهران، بنگاه ترجمه و نشر کتاب، 1336، در302ص؛ چاپ دیگر انتشارات علمی فرهنگی؛ 1379، در 231ص، شابک 9644452216؛
عنوان: سالومه؛ نویسنده: اسکار وایلد؛ مترجم: سیروس بهروزی؛ تهران، امیرکبیر، 1342؛ در 100 ص؛ چاپ دیگر: تهران، آوای روزان، 1395، در78ص؛ شابک 9786008267614؛
عنوان: سالومه؛ نویسنده: اسکار وایلد؛ مترجم: عبدالله کوثری؛ تهران، چاپ کتاب،هرمس، 1385؛ در 94ص؛ شابک: 9643633489؛ چاپ دیگر تهران، هرمس، 1388؛ در 92ص؛ شابک 9789643633486؛ دوزبانه؛
عنوان: یک تراژدی در فلورانی و سالومه؛ نویسنده: اسکار وایلد؛ مترجم: محمدرضا مکوندی؛ تهران، نشر قطره، 1395؛ در 127ص؛ شابک9786001198816؛
نمایشنامه و درام، بازسازی افسانه ی «سالومه» شاهزاده خانم شرقی است، که برای به دست آوردن سر بریده ی «جان باپتیست» یا «یحیی تعمید دهنده»، با پاهای برهنه، برای شوهر مادر خویش رقصید؛ «اسکاروایلد» نمایشنامه ی «سالومه» را، با وجود قانون منع توصیف شخصیتهای کتاب مقدس نگاشتند؛
تاریخ بهنگام رسانی 16/08/1399هجری خورشیدی؛ 18/06/1400هجری خورشیدی؛ ا. شربیانی
November 14, 2024
Salome is the daughter of Herodiade, Herod's new wife, Galileo's tetrarch. She's beautiful; she dances well, and she charms. In a shaft well kept, she hears the voice of Iokanaan, imprisoned because he says very disgusting things. Some say he's the messiah. Salome wants to see him. And despite the soldiers' reluctance, despite the threats of Iokanaan himself, despite the horrors that he prophesies and which everyone says concern Herodiade, the mother of Salome, she wants to see him, talk to him, kiss him. He refuses. Herod and Herodiade then arrive. Herod devours his daughter-in-law with his eyes, which his wife has blamed him since. He then begs her to dance for him at any price.
The biblical episode is exceptionally well known. But Oscar Wilde concealed the identity of the prophet St. John the Baptist by giving him his Hebrew name. Therefore, The Catholic tradition is carefully distant, and the character appears almost ridiculous, disturbing, enlightened, and out of the world. But what surprised me most was the character of Salome, which surprisingly worked. We know Herod's lubricity; we see the cruelty of Herodiade, who wished for the prophet's death. It is even assumed that it is to go in the direction of his mother, and Salome will ask for his head. Now, she becomes manipulative, tries to seduce the prophet, to subjugate him by charm as by insults, and it is because he refuses her kiss that condemns him. Finally, on her own, she decides to ask for the head of Jean-Baptiste in a relentless scene where Herod repeatedly lays all the world's riches at Salome's feet. Begging her to ask for something else, she replies, laconic and nagging: "I want the head of Iokanaan." Where she could still be the unwitting object of so much passion, Oscar Wilde makes her a femme fatale and dangerous of her own free will.
The biblical episode is exceptionally well known. But Oscar Wilde concealed the identity of the prophet St. John the Baptist by giving him his Hebrew name. Therefore, The Catholic tradition is carefully distant, and the character appears almost ridiculous, disturbing, enlightened, and out of the world. But what surprised me most was the character of Salome, which surprisingly worked. We know Herod's lubricity; we see the cruelty of Herodiade, who wished for the prophet's death. It is even assumed that it is to go in the direction of his mother, and Salome will ask for his head. Now, she becomes manipulative, tries to seduce the prophet, to subjugate him by charm as by insults, and it is because he refuses her kiss that condemns him. Finally, on her own, she decides to ask for the head of Jean-Baptiste in a relentless scene where Herod repeatedly lays all the world's riches at Salome's feet. Begging her to ask for something else, she replies, laconic and nagging: "I want the head of Iokanaan." Where she could still be the unwitting object of so much passion, Oscar Wilde makes her a femme fatale and dangerous of her own free will.
December 8, 2023
"No le hago caso a mi madre. Es por mi gusto que pido la cabeza de Jokanaán en una bandeja de plata."
Originalmente escrita en francés por Oscar Wilde, “Salomé” fue estrenada en Paris en 1894 con notable éxito. El compositor alemán Richard Strauss compuso una ópera inspirada en esta obra y el gran ilustrador Audrey Beardsley realizó sus famosos dibujos a pedido de Wilde; además, el amante de Wilde, Lord Alfred “Bosie” Douglas la tradujo al inglés.
Hasta el propio Wilde se dio el gusto él mismo de caracterizarse como Salomé (ver foto debajo).
Oscar Wilde revitalizaba el teatro inglés y lo ponía en primera plana, luego de que Inglaterra reinterpretara automáticamente obras de Shakespeare o del teatro francés.
"Tragedia en un solo acto" se aclara al comienzo de la obra. Con una adaptación distinta al episodio bíblico, Wilde ejecuta este gran acto alrededor de la obsesión, tanto de Herodes, como de Herodías y obviamente, de la princesa Salomé transformando la acción en una sucesión de diálogos efectivos y de final atrapante.
Tiene ingredientes claros de la obra de Wilde: descripciones poéticas, con personajes góticos inmersos dentro de un teatro griego, donde Salomé descolla por su magnetismo sexual, que atrae incestuosamente a Herodes, su padre, mientras ella se desvive por Jokanaán, o Juan el Bautista.
Una mini obra de gran simbología que posee la crónica de una obsesión anunciada.
Originalmente escrita en francés por Oscar Wilde, “Salomé” fue estrenada en Paris en 1894 con notable éxito. El compositor alemán Richard Strauss compuso una ópera inspirada en esta obra y el gran ilustrador Audrey Beardsley realizó sus famosos dibujos a pedido de Wilde; además, el amante de Wilde, Lord Alfred “Bosie” Douglas la tradujo al inglés.
Hasta el propio Wilde se dio el gusto él mismo de caracterizarse como Salomé (ver foto debajo).
Oscar Wilde revitalizaba el teatro inglés y lo ponía en primera plana, luego de que Inglaterra reinterpretara automáticamente obras de Shakespeare o del teatro francés.
"Tragedia en un solo acto" se aclara al comienzo de la obra. Con una adaptación distinta al episodio bíblico, Wilde ejecuta este gran acto alrededor de la obsesión, tanto de Herodes, como de Herodías y obviamente, de la princesa Salomé transformando la acción en una sucesión de diálogos efectivos y de final atrapante.
Tiene ingredientes claros de la obra de Wilde: descripciones poéticas, con personajes góticos inmersos dentro de un teatro griego, donde Salomé descolla por su magnetismo sexual, que atrae incestuosamente a Herodes, su padre, mientras ella se desvive por Jokanaán, o Juan el Bautista.
Una mini obra de gran simbología que posee la crónica de una obsesión anunciada.
September 4, 2019
(Reread, with a friend)
A one-act play not nearly as famous as Wilde’s other plays, it is nevertheless fascinating. From what I gather, during the time Wilde wrote this, there was a Salomé craze going on. Wilde put his own interpretation on the story, as well as being influenced by a painter; a poet; Flaubert; and a novel (not Flaubert's) he adored. Though not written in his ‘typical’ style, his wit can be discerned; and though his use of repetition may at first sound childish, he makes effective use of it.
In contradiction of the Biblical account, a lustful, vengeful Salomé is front–and-center. Herodias is ineffectual: she stands on the sidelines issuing commands that neither her daughter nor her husband pay attention to. Salomé is given power through her intellect, by means of a trick; yet she's also portrayed as unreasonable, irrationally wanting what she wants no matter what. Forbidden or unseen stares are a constant motif, even with the minor characters; yet the one eroticized male is the one who does not look at anyone.
A one-act play not nearly as famous as Wilde’s other plays, it is nevertheless fascinating. From what I gather, during the time Wilde wrote this, there was a Salomé craze going on. Wilde put his own interpretation on the story, as well as being influenced by a painter; a poet; Flaubert; and a novel (not Flaubert's) he adored. Though not written in his ‘typical’ style, his wit can be discerned; and though his use of repetition may at first sound childish, he makes effective use of it.
In contradiction of the Biblical account, a lustful, vengeful Salomé is front–and-center. Herodias is ineffectual: she stands on the sidelines issuing commands that neither her daughter nor her husband pay attention to. Salomé is given power through her intellect, by means of a trick; yet she's also portrayed as unreasonable, irrationally wanting what she wants no matter what. Forbidden or unseen stares are a constant motif, even with the minor characters; yet the one eroticized male is the one who does not look at anyone.
November 15, 2023
Whoo boy, that Salomé chick was a little unstable, wasn't she? I mean, executing the man you “love” (having met him all of ten minutes prior) because he rejects you is one thing, but passionately kissing his decapitated head is taking things just a bit too far.
And let's not even get started on lecherous ol' step-daddy Herod. Ew. At least his creepiness backfired on him, I suppose.
Oh, and for those of you who are fellow heathens, Jokanaan is John the Baptist. Thank you very much to Wikipedia for sorting that out for me – I should really donate to that fundraiser they have going on right now because their plot summaries have probably saved me a hundred times.
Salomé is the first of Oscar Wilde's tragedies that I've read (or listened to), and I have to say that I'm impressed. It obviously lacks the humor of some of his more famous comedic plays, but I still enjoyed it tremendously.
And, as always, the L.A. Theatre Works audiobook recording was perfection. I've loved every one of their productions that have involved James Marsters (who plays Jokanaan), and this one is no exception.
If you like reading about unstable women who can't handle rejection, definitely give this one a go. Or if you like bible stories, I guess. Or icky old men. Or Oscar Wilde. Take your pick as far as the reason goes, but definitely read it when you get the chance. It's a Wild(e) ride.
And let's not even get started on lecherous ol' step-daddy Herod. Ew. At least his creepiness backfired on him, I suppose.
Oh, and for those of you who are fellow heathens, Jokanaan is John the Baptist. Thank you very much to Wikipedia for sorting that out for me – I should really donate to that fundraiser they have going on right now because their plot summaries have probably saved me a hundred times.
Salomé is the first of Oscar Wilde's tragedies that I've read (or listened to), and I have to say that I'm impressed. It obviously lacks the humor of some of his more famous comedic plays, but I still enjoyed it tremendously.
And, as always, the L.A. Theatre Works audiobook recording was perfection. I've loved every one of their productions that have involved James Marsters (who plays Jokanaan), and this one is no exception.
If you like reading about unstable women who can't handle rejection, definitely give this one a go. Or if you like bible stories, I guess. Or icky old men. Or Oscar Wilde. Take your pick as far as the reason goes, but definitely read it when you get the chance. It's a Wild(e) ride.
September 9, 2021
Salomé needs therapy, hell everyone in this play needs therapy 🙄
November 22, 2021
well that was... weird. i feel like oscar wilde was really high.
i read this play in three languages: french, english and spanish and in any of those languages i understood the mean or purpose of this... i was asking myself the entire time "what's the fucking purpose of this? why's salomé acting this way? is she really kissing a dead man's head? WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK?"
and i know i will probably fail my exam of this play, JAKJSHKJHDF wish me luck!
i read this play in three languages: french, english and spanish and in any of those languages i understood the mean or purpose of this... i was asking myself the entire time "what's the fucking purpose of this? why's salomé acting this way? is she really kissing a dead man's head? WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK?"
and i know i will probably fail my exam of this play, JAKJSHKJHDF wish me luck!
February 27, 2019
“The mystery of love is greater than the mystery of death.”
Wilde's Salome was weird and disgusting and also a little satisfying. I can't really talk about any biblical, historical or political backgrounds, but it makes for an entertaining and unusual play that I'd love to see on stage some day.
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Wilde's Salome was weird and disgusting and also a little satisfying. I can't really talk about any biblical, historical or political backgrounds, but it makes for an entertaining and unusual play that I'd love to see on stage some day.
Find more of my books on Instagram
August 24, 2007
a gothic classic. particularly pleasing if you are now, or have ever been rejected by a man who thought he was better than you.
off with their heads!
off with their heads!
February 7, 2010
So this has to be one of the oddest, most oddly enthralling things I've come across in a while. Taken on it's own, Wilde's play isn't much: ponderous, dull. But combine it the whimsical illustrations by Aubrey Beardsley, and through some kind of alchemical wizardry a rather extraordinary intertextual experience is created.
The text itself seems kind of antithetical to what we now associate with Wilde: nowhere to be found is anything resembling wit, snap, humor, double-entendre. Wilde apparently claimed its genesis was as an experiment involving an author writing in a language that is not his own (which, in this particular situation, is more interesting in concept than execution). It certainly has its moments of interest and several moments of undeniable poetry, and does manage to evoke a dreamy, hothouse atmosphere, but I highly doubt you'll find many people proclaiming it as a masterpiece (and those few that do are probably working on a doctoral thesis with a vested interest in proving as much).
But place the text side by side with Aubrey Beardsley's famous illustrations, and suddenly the written text is brimming with resonances it previously did not seem to possess. The most famous line of the play is probably Herod's pronouncement that "it is not wise to find symbols in everything that one sees. It makes life full of terrors." But that's exactly what Beardsley does: he fills his illustrations with symbols, both plucked from the text and from his own imagination, and the results, while at first glance look like the kind of ironically nostalgic thing a trendy San Francisco coffee shop would hang on its walls, become upon closer inspection quite grotesque, even a bit repulsive.
The result? Beardsley's illustrations work to actively retranslate Wilde's text, both locating within it and imposing upon it a kind of subversive sexuality, embroidering upon Wilde's suggestion of quasi-incest with undeniable overtones of bisexuality, homosexuality, and sexual ambiguity and deconstruction of all sorts. Essentially, Beardsley recontextualizes and reconfigures Wilde's play into something much different than it initially seems.
Making it in the end, rather ironically, much more recognizably Wildean.
The text itself seems kind of antithetical to what we now associate with Wilde: nowhere to be found is anything resembling wit, snap, humor, double-entendre. Wilde apparently claimed its genesis was as an experiment involving an author writing in a language that is not his own (which, in this particular situation, is more interesting in concept than execution). It certainly has its moments of interest and several moments of undeniable poetry, and does manage to evoke a dreamy, hothouse atmosphere, but I highly doubt you'll find many people proclaiming it as a masterpiece (and those few that do are probably working on a doctoral thesis with a vested interest in proving as much).
But place the text side by side with Aubrey Beardsley's famous illustrations, and suddenly the written text is brimming with resonances it previously did not seem to possess. The most famous line of the play is probably Herod's pronouncement that "it is not wise to find symbols in everything that one sees. It makes life full of terrors." But that's exactly what Beardsley does: he fills his illustrations with symbols, both plucked from the text and from his own imagination, and the results, while at first glance look like the kind of ironically nostalgic thing a trendy San Francisco coffee shop would hang on its walls, become upon closer inspection quite grotesque, even a bit repulsive.
The result? Beardsley's illustrations work to actively retranslate Wilde's text, both locating within it and imposing upon it a kind of subversive sexuality, embroidering upon Wilde's suggestion of quasi-incest with undeniable overtones of bisexuality, homosexuality, and sexual ambiguity and deconstruction of all sorts. Essentially, Beardsley recontextualizes and reconfigures Wilde's play into something much different than it initially seems.
Making it in the end, rather ironically, much more recognizably Wildean.
July 1, 2017
Ένα εξαιρετικό θεατρικό έργο, κάτι εντελώς διαφορετικό. Η Σαλώμη φιλάει για πρώτη φορά το κεφάλι του Ιωάννη... Το διάβασα στο γαλλικό πρωτότυπο, ο Ουάιλντ το έγραψε στα γαλλικά πρώτα και έπειτα το μετέφρασε στα αγγλικά. Ακολουθεί ένα αγαπημένο μου κομμάτι όπου μιλάει η Σαλώμη, σε δική μου μετάφραση από το γαλλικό πρωτότυπο.
A! Δε μ' άφησες να σε φιλήσω, Ιωάννη! Ωραία λοιπόν! Θα σε φιλήσω τώρα. Θα δαγκώσω το στόμα σου όπως θα δάγκωνα ένα ώριμο φρούτο. Ναι, θα σε φιλήσω, Ιωάννη. Στο 'χα πει, έτσι δεν είναι; Θα σε φιλήσω τώρα κιόλας... Μα γιατί δεν με κοιτάς, Ιωάννη; Τα μάτια σου, που κάποτε ήταν τόσο φριχτά, βυθισμένα στην οργή και το μίσος, τώρα σφάλισαν. Γιατί είναι σφαλιστά; Άνοιξέ τα! Κούνησε τα βλέφαρά σου, Ιωάννη. Γιατί δεν με κοιτάς; Με φοβάσαι, Ιωάννη, για αυτό δε θες να με κοιτάξεις; Και η γλώσσα σου που ήταν ένα φίδι κόκκινο που έχυνε δηλητήριο, δεν σαλεύει πια, και δε λέει τίποτα πια, Ιωάννη, αυτή η κόκκινη οχιά που τόσο δηλητήριο έχυσε για μένα. Παράξενο δεν είναι; Πώς γίνεται να μη σαλεύει πια η κόκκινη οχιά;... Δεν με ήθελες, Ιωάννη. Με απέρριψες. Ξεστόμισες λόγια αισχρά. Μου φέρθηκες σαν να ήμουν πόρνη, γύναιο, εμένα, τη Σαλώμη, κόρη της Ηρωδιάδας, Πριγκίπισσα της Ιουδαίας!
Καλά λοιπόν, Ιωάννη, εγώ είμαι ακόμα ζωντανή, αλλά εσύ είσαι νεκρός και το κεφάλι σου είναι πλέον δικό μου. Μπορώ να το κάνω ό,τι θέλω. Μπορώ να το πετάξω στα σκυλιά ή στα όρνια. Ό,τι αφήσουν οι σκύλοι, θα το φάνε τα όρνια... Αχ! Ιωάννη, Ιωάννη, ήσουν ο μόνος άντρας που αγάπησα. Όλοι οι άλλοι με αηδιάζουν. Αλλά εσύ, εσύ ήσουν όμορφος. Το σώμα σου ήταν σαν φίλντισι πάνω στο ασήμι. Ήταν σαν κήπος γεμάτος ασημένια περιστέρια και κρίνα. Ήταν σαν πύργος από ασήμι με στολίδια τις φιλντισένιες του ασπίδες. Τίποτα στον κόσμο δεν ήταν τόσο λευκό όσο το κορμί σου. Τόσο μαύρο όσο τα μαλλιά σου. Σε ολόκληρο τον κόσμο δεν υπήρχε τίποτε τόσο κόκκινο όσο το στόμα σου. Η φωνή σου ήταν θυμιατό που ανέδιδε αρώματα παράξενα, και όποτε σ' έβλεπα άκουγα μια απόκοσμη μελωδία!
Αχ! Γιατί δε με κοίταξες Ιωάννη; Έκρυψες το πρόσωπο σου πίσω από τα χέρια και πίσω απ΄ τις βλασφήμιες σου. Κάλυψες τα μάτια σου με το πέπλο εκείνου που θέλει να αντικρύσει τον Θεό του. Ε λοιπόν, τον είδες τον Θεό σου, Ιωάννη, αλλά εμένα, εμένα... εμένα δε με είδες. Αν μ' έβλεπες θα με είχες αγαπήσει. Εγώ όμως σε είδα, Ιωάννη, και σ' αγάπησα. Ω! Πόσο πολύ σ΄ αγάπησα. Ακόμα σ' αγαπώ Ιωάννη. Μόνο εσένα αγαπώ... Διψώ για την ομορφιά σου. Θέλω να χορτάσω με το σώμα σου. Κι ούτε το κρασί, ούτε τα φρούτα μπορούν να με ικανοποιήσουν. Τι θα κάνω τώρα Ιωάννη; Τα ποτάμια και οι καταρράκτες δεν μπορούν να σβήσουν το πάθος μου. Ήμουν Πριγκίπισσα, με περιφρόνησες. Ήμουν άνθος παρθένο και εσύ με μίανες. Ήμουν αγνή, και εσύ έβαλες φωτιά στο αίμα μου. Αχ! Αχ! Γιατί δεν με κοίταξες Ιωάννη; Αν με κοιτούσες θα με είχες αγαπήσει. Είμαι σίγουρη πως θα με αγαπούσες, το μυστήριο της αγάπης είναι πιο σπουδαίο από το μυστήριο του θανάτου. Μόνο την αγάπη πρέπει να επιδιώκεις.
A! Δε μ' άφησες να σε φιλήσω, Ιωάννη! Ωραία λοιπόν! Θα σε φιλήσω τώρα. Θα δαγκώσω το στόμα σου όπως θα δάγκωνα ένα ώριμο φρούτο. Ναι, θα σε φιλήσω, Ιωάννη. Στο 'χα πει, έτσι δεν είναι; Θα σε φιλήσω τώρα κιόλας... Μα γιατί δεν με κοιτάς, Ιωάννη; Τα μάτια σου, που κάποτε ήταν τόσο φριχτά, βυθισμένα στην οργή και το μίσος, τώρα σφάλισαν. Γιατί είναι σφαλιστά; Άνοιξέ τα! Κούνησε τα βλέφαρά σου, Ιωάννη. Γιατί δεν με κοιτάς; Με φοβάσαι, Ιωάννη, για αυτό δε θες να με κοιτάξεις; Και η γλώσσα σου που ήταν ένα φίδι κόκκινο που έχυνε δηλητήριο, δεν σαλεύει πια, και δε λέει τίποτα πια, Ιωάννη, αυτή η κόκκινη οχιά που τόσο δηλητήριο έχυσε για μένα. Παράξενο δεν είναι; Πώς γίνεται να μη σαλεύει πια η κόκκινη οχιά;... Δεν με ήθελες, Ιωάννη. Με απέρριψες. Ξεστόμισες λόγια αισχρά. Μου φέρθηκες σαν να ήμουν πόρνη, γύναιο, εμένα, τη Σαλώμη, κόρη της Ηρωδιάδας, Πριγκίπισσα της Ιουδαίας!
Καλά λοιπόν, Ιωάννη, εγώ είμαι ακόμα ζωντανή, αλλά εσύ είσαι νεκρός και το κεφάλι σου είναι πλέον δικό μου. Μπορώ να το κάνω ό,τι θέλω. Μπορώ να το πετάξω στα σκυλιά ή στα όρνια. Ό,τι αφήσουν οι σκύλοι, θα το φάνε τα όρνια... Αχ! Ιωάννη, Ιωάννη, ήσουν ο μόνος άντρας που αγάπησα. Όλοι οι άλλοι με αηδιάζουν. Αλλά εσύ, εσύ ήσουν όμορφος. Το σώμα σου ήταν σαν φίλντισι πάνω στο ασήμι. Ήταν σαν κήπος γεμάτος ασημένια περιστέρια και κρίνα. Ήταν σαν πύργος από ασήμι με στολίδια τις φιλντισένιες του ασπίδες. Τίποτα στον κόσμο δεν ήταν τόσο λευκό όσο το κορμί σου. Τόσο μαύρο όσο τα μαλλιά σου. Σε ολόκληρο τον κόσμο δεν υπήρχε τίποτε τόσο κόκκινο όσο το στόμα σου. Η φωνή σου ήταν θυμιατό που ανέδιδε αρώματα παράξενα, και όποτε σ' έβλεπα άκουγα μια απόκοσμη μελωδία!
Αχ! Γιατί δε με κοίταξες Ιωάννη; Έκρυψες το πρόσωπο σου πίσω από τα χέρια και πίσω απ΄ τις βλασφήμιες σου. Κάλυψες τα μάτια σου με το πέπλο εκείνου που θέλει να αντικρύσει τον Θεό του. Ε λοιπόν, τον είδες τον Θεό σου, Ιωάννη, αλλά εμένα, εμένα... εμένα δε με είδες. Αν μ' έβλεπες θα με είχες αγαπήσει. Εγώ όμως σε είδα, Ιωάννη, και σ' αγάπησα. Ω! Πόσο πολύ σ΄ αγάπησα. Ακόμα σ' αγαπώ Ιωάννη. Μόνο εσένα αγαπώ... Διψώ για την ομορφιά σου. Θέλω να χορτάσω με το σώμα σου. Κι ούτε το κρασί, ούτε τα φρούτα μπορούν να με ικανοποιήσουν. Τι θα κάνω τώρα Ιωάννη; Τα ποτάμια και οι καταρράκτες δεν μπορούν να σβήσουν το πάθος μου. Ήμουν Πριγκίπισσα, με περιφρόνησες. Ήμουν άνθος παρθένο και εσύ με μίανες. Ήμουν αγνή, και εσύ έβαλες φωτιά στο αίμα μου. Αχ! Αχ! Γιατί δεν με κοίταξες Ιωάννη; Αν με κοιτούσες θα με είχες αγαπήσει. Είμαι σίγουρη πως θα με αγαπούσες, το μυστήριο της αγάπης είναι πιο σπουδαίο από το μυστήριο του θανάτου. Μόνο την αγάπη πρέπει να επιδιώκεις.
March 29, 2024
Όποιες αδυναμίες και αν βρήκα στην συγκεκριμένη έκδοση, τις σκέπασε όλες το συγκλονιστικό επίμετρο του Θανάση Τριαρίδη. Από την πρώτη κιόλας παράγραφο με χτύπησε ρεύμα. Δεν έχω λόγια, ειλικρινά.
January 20, 2024
Bare Bones Edition
Review of the HarperPerennial Classics Kindle eBook (November 25, 2014) of the English language translation (1894) of the French language original (1893).
I read Oscar Wilde's Salome as background for my current reading of Silvia Moreno-Garcia's upcoming The Seventh Veil of Salome (currently available as a NetGalley ARC, expected publication July 16, 2024). Although published under the HarperPerennial Classics imprint there was no introductory essay or background to provide any historical context which you would normally expect in a "classics" edition. A reader interested in those things will have to do a considerable amount of research.
The history of the play can be read on Wikipedia. The (mostly) mythical history of Salome can also be read on Wikipedia. The main points of interest about the play were that it was originally written in French, and even after translation it could not be performed in England (supposedly because of a ban on portraying Biblical characters on stage) due to the public censors. Although the English translation was published in 1894, the translation had to wait until 1931 to be performed.
The other curious thing is the use of the name Jokanaan for John the Baptist. Introducing the letter "k" into the name is odd, as the Biblical version (Biblical Greek: Ἰωάννης / Iōánnēs) doesn't have anything like it. Presumably it comes from the occasional Hebrew spelling as "Jochanan" with the "ch" pronounced as a "k"?
Title page of the original French language edition (1893). Image sourced from Wikipedia.
The Salome portrayed in Wilde's play is an exaggerated fictional figure used to convey various degrees of lust and depravity. Character motivation is slim. Salome lusts for John the Baptist and when he rebuffs her, she takes her revenge by demanding his beheading so that she can finally kiss his lips. Her stepfather, the Tetrarch Herod Antipas, horrified at the blood-drenched spectacle, orders his soldiers to end the play. The real life Salome went on to marry 3 times, finally becoming the Queen of Armenia.
The Biblical references (Mark 6:25–27; Matthew 14:8–11) do not give her name, but they do say that it was a daughter of Herodias (wife of Herod Antipas) who brought about John's execution. The later account by Roman/Jewish historian Josephus in Antiquities of the Jews or Jewish Antiquities (A.D. 94) became the source for associating the name of Salome as the previously unidentified daughter.
Original full painting of “Salome” by Juana Romani (1867-1923), cropped for the HarperPerennial Classics cover. Image sourced from Wikipedia by Carolina Carlesimo - Transferred from it.wikipedia to Commons. 20 October 2011 (original upload date). Original uploader was Gabriele Romani at it.wikipedia, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index....
Trivia and Links
Salome is in the Public Domain and can be read online at various sites such as Project Gutenberg.
The original French language Salomé is also in the public domain and can be read online at various sites such as Project Gutenberg.
Oscar Wilde's Salome has been the inspiration and source of the plot / libretto / screenplay for various ballets, operas and films which are too many to list here. See a list at the Wikipedia for Salome (Play): Themes and Derivatives.
Review of the HarperPerennial Classics Kindle eBook (November 25, 2014) of the English language translation (1894) of the French language original (1893).
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…? But perchance it is the taste of love…They say that love hath a bitter taste…But what of that?
I read Oscar Wilde's Salome as background for my current reading of Silvia Moreno-Garcia's upcoming The Seventh Veil of Salome (currently available as a NetGalley ARC, expected publication July 16, 2024). Although published under the HarperPerennial Classics imprint there was no introductory essay or background to provide any historical context which you would normally expect in a "classics" edition. A reader interested in those things will have to do a considerable amount of research.
The history of the play can be read on Wikipedia. The (mostly) mythical history of Salome can also be read on Wikipedia. The main points of interest about the play were that it was originally written in French, and even after translation it could not be performed in England (supposedly because of a ban on portraying Biblical characters on stage) due to the public censors. Although the English translation was published in 1894, the translation had to wait until 1931 to be performed.
The other curious thing is the use of the name Jokanaan for John the Baptist. Introducing the letter "k" into the name is odd, as the Biblical version (Biblical Greek: Ἰωάννης / Iōánnēs) doesn't have anything like it. Presumably it comes from the occasional Hebrew spelling as "Jochanan" with the "ch" pronounced as a "k"?
Title page of the original French language edition (1893). Image sourced from Wikipedia.
The Salome portrayed in Wilde's play is an exaggerated fictional figure used to convey various degrees of lust and depravity. Character motivation is slim. Salome lusts for John the Baptist and when he rebuffs her, she takes her revenge by demanding his beheading so that she can finally kiss his lips. Her stepfather, the Tetrarch Herod Antipas, horrified at the blood-drenched spectacle, orders his soldiers to end the play. The real life Salome went on to marry 3 times, finally becoming the Queen of Armenia.
The Biblical references (Mark 6:25–27; Matthew 14:8–11) do not give her name, but they do say that it was a daughter of Herodias (wife of Herod Antipas) who brought about John's execution. The later account by Roman/Jewish historian Josephus in Antiquities of the Jews or Jewish Antiquities (A.D. 94) became the source for associating the name of Salome as the previously unidentified daughter.
Original full painting of “Salome” by Juana Romani (1867-1923), cropped for the HarperPerennial Classics cover. Image sourced from Wikipedia by Carolina Carlesimo - Transferred from it.wikipedia to Commons. 20 October 2011 (original upload date). Original uploader was Gabriele Romani at it.wikipedia, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index....
Trivia and Links
Salome is in the Public Domain and can be read online at various sites such as Project Gutenberg.
The original French language Salomé is also in the public domain and can be read online at various sites such as Project Gutenberg.
Oscar Wilde's Salome has been the inspiration and source of the plot / libretto / screenplay for various ballets, operas and films which are too many to list here. See a list at the Wikipedia for Salome (Play): Themes and Derivatives.
July 23, 2020
"Bien está que cambie el agua en vino,
que sane a los leprosos
y dé vista a los ciegos...,
todo eso puede hacerlo, si le place.
No me opongo: es más,
hasta me parece una buena obra curar a los enfermos;
pero no le permito resucita a los muertos.
¡Sería terrible que los muertos volviesen a este mundo!"
Es una obra de teatro de un solo acto. Lo que a mí por un lado me desagradó y por otra me hace no ser tan severo con esta pieza de teatro.
El argumento es bastante conocido, el destino de Juan el Bautista (Jokanaan) a manos de Salomé, la hija de Herodías (esposa de la autoridad máxima de Judea: Herodes). Herodes por un lado tiene preso a Jokanaan por su catolicismo y sus profecías aunque siente gran respeto por él debido a que teme que realmente conozca y sirva a Dios.
La escena está muy bien pensada como para un acto, estamos ante el profeta preso y en el conjunto una serie de personajes "tipo" como soldados, sirios, judíos, romanos, Etc. Eso me pareció bien hecho y la manera cómo interactúan, me gustó el desenlace de Narraboth particularmente.
Por otra parte se trasluce la intención en cierta manera erótica y pasional que rodea al personaje de Salomé quien actuado seguro tendrá un mejor desenlace pues el texto no me parece descollante con respecto a otras obras de teatro, en realidad la trama está bastante fiel al original histórico y no veo grandes variaciones, si bien desde luego Wilde carga las tintas en el deseo de Herodes por su hijastra, en el poder de seducción de Salomé, que lleva a algún grado de "locura" en todos los personajes diría. Ese sello me parece particular del autor aunque no es tanto de mi agrado.
Creo que debió ser innovador para la época por los parlamentos que los veo bastante modernos e incluso abusados actualmente en el teatro contemporáneo que no son muy de mi gusto; hay también pasajes con frases medio recargadas que no dan tanto sentido. Con respecto al tema no le veo tan gran escándalo aunque ya en su momento fue censurado, quizás, como tantos otros casos, ha sido la causa de su popularidad. Y cuando una obra es recordada más por el escándalo que causó muchas veces no se defiende por sí misma.
De a puro gusto le hubiera puesto un 2, pero es innegable que es una buena estructura para un solo acto y que tiene su cuota personal. Sin embargo, no me parece una obra memorable.
que sane a los leprosos
y dé vista a los ciegos...,
todo eso puede hacerlo, si le place.
No me opongo: es más,
hasta me parece una buena obra curar a los enfermos;
pero no le permito resucita a los muertos.
¡Sería terrible que los muertos volviesen a este mundo!"
Es una obra de teatro de un solo acto. Lo que a mí por un lado me desagradó y por otra me hace no ser tan severo con esta pieza de teatro.
El argumento es bastante conocido, el destino de Juan el Bautista (Jokanaan) a manos de Salomé, la hija de Herodías (esposa de la autoridad máxima de Judea: Herodes). Herodes por un lado tiene preso a Jokanaan por su catolicismo y sus profecías aunque siente gran respeto por él debido a que teme que realmente conozca y sirva a Dios.
La escena está muy bien pensada como para un acto, estamos ante el profeta preso y en el conjunto una serie de personajes "tipo" como soldados, sirios, judíos, romanos, Etc. Eso me pareció bien hecho y la manera cómo interactúan, me gustó el desenlace de Narraboth particularmente.
Por otra parte se trasluce la intención en cierta manera erótica y pasional que rodea al personaje de Salomé quien actuado seguro tendrá un mejor desenlace pues el texto no me parece descollante con respecto a otras obras de teatro, en realidad la trama está bastante fiel al original histórico y no veo grandes variaciones, si bien desde luego Wilde carga las tintas en el deseo de Herodes por su hijastra, en el poder de seducción de Salomé, que lleva a algún grado de "locura" en todos los personajes diría. Ese sello me parece particular del autor aunque no es tanto de mi agrado.
Creo que debió ser innovador para la época por los parlamentos que los veo bastante modernos e incluso abusados actualmente en el teatro contemporáneo que no son muy de mi gusto; hay también pasajes con frases medio recargadas que no dan tanto sentido. Con respecto al tema no le veo tan gran escándalo aunque ya en su momento fue censurado, quizás, como tantos otros casos, ha sido la causa de su popularidad. Y cuando una obra es recordada más por el escándalo que causó muchas veces no se defiende por sí misma.
De a puro gusto le hubiera puesto un 2, pero es innegable que es una buena estructura para un solo acto y que tiene su cuota personal. Sin embargo, no me parece una obra memorable.
December 17, 2021
Oscar Wilde's one-act tragedy that he wrote in french is a wild(e) ride. 🤦♀️😆
It depicts the events leading to the execution of Iokanaan (John the Baptist) at the instigation of Salome, step-daughter of Herod Antipas, Tetrarch of Judea, and although Wilde changed minor details, most of the plot stays loyal to the original biblical story.
The most interesting aspect of Wilde's version is the sense that everyone is under some kind of spell, except Herodias, Salome's mother. She is logical and calculating as opposed to the others who seem to be totally out of control. Her frank and matter of fact dialog is in great contrast with the manic nature of the others'. When I was reading the play I made jokes in my stories about how everyone in this play seems to be high. See it for yourself:
Salome: "How good to see the moon! She is like a little piece of money. You would think she was a little silver flower. The moon is cold and chaste. I am sure she is a virgin, she has a virgin's beauty. Yes, she is a virgin. She has never defiled herself. She has never abandoned herself to men, like the other goddesses."
At the beginning of the play Salome is a femme fatale type of character with considerable power due to her stepfather's infatuation with her, but she goes through a transformation and ends up becoming a victim herself. I didn't expect the ending at all. Wilde turns her into a crazy bitch and I don't know why, but find it very fascinating.
All in all, it wasn't my favourite play of his, but I can't stop thinking about it either.
There are a few different adaptations, I already watched the Al Pacino/Jessica Chastain version and planning to check out the Strauss opera next.
Have you read this play? If so, what did you think? Were you scandalized by the ending? 😆
It depicts the events leading to the execution of Iokanaan (John the Baptist) at the instigation of Salome, step-daughter of Herod Antipas, Tetrarch of Judea, and although Wilde changed minor details, most of the plot stays loyal to the original biblical story.
The most interesting aspect of Wilde's version is the sense that everyone is under some kind of spell, except Herodias, Salome's mother. She is logical and calculating as opposed to the others who seem to be totally out of control. Her frank and matter of fact dialog is in great contrast with the manic nature of the others'. When I was reading the play I made jokes in my stories about how everyone in this play seems to be high. See it for yourself:
Salome: "How good to see the moon! She is like a little piece of money. You would think she was a little silver flower. The moon is cold and chaste. I am sure she is a virgin, she has a virgin's beauty. Yes, she is a virgin. She has never defiled herself. She has never abandoned herself to men, like the other goddesses."
At the beginning of the play Salome is a femme fatale type of character with considerable power due to her stepfather's infatuation with her, but she goes through a transformation and ends up becoming a victim herself. I didn't expect the ending at all. Wilde turns her into a crazy bitch and I don't know why, but find it very fascinating.
All in all, it wasn't my favourite play of his, but I can't stop thinking about it either.
There are a few different adaptations, I already watched the Al Pacino/Jessica Chastain version and planning to check out the Strauss opera next.
Have you read this play? If so, what did you think? Were you scandalized by the ending? 😆
February 13, 2017
...the mystery of love is greater than the mystery of death.
I bow to the greatness of Oscar Wilde. This was the strangest work of his that I have read and trust me I've read almost everything that this man has written. It lacked the distinguishable witty, sarcastic style of his and most importantly his quotes, but that didn't make it any less interesting.
Salome is a play based on biblical figures and many symbols can be found here. It's short and clever. I repeat this isn't the typical Oscar Wilde that we are familiar with, but still it's worth reading.
I bow to the greatness of Oscar Wilde. This was the strangest work of his that I have read and trust me I've read almost everything that this man has written. It lacked the distinguishable witty, sarcastic style of his and most importantly his quotes, but that didn't make it any less interesting.
Salome is a play based on biblical figures and many symbols can be found here. It's short and clever. I repeat this isn't the typical Oscar Wilde that we are familiar with, but still it's worth reading.
August 20, 2021
Interesting read, I wish I knew Oscar Wilde has written this play in French originaly, I would not have bought this in English.
Not my favorite of Wilde's work but the biblical and symbolical themes are quite fun to dig into. I'm very curious to see how this translate on the stage, as it gives a very unusual atmosphere.
The illustrations by Aubrey Beardsley are intriguing (to say the least) and contribute to the confusing vibe. It is worth taking some time to really research about, and I believe you need to be on a very special mood to be able to grasp a bit of its deeper meaning.
Not my favorite of Wilde's work but the biblical and symbolical themes are quite fun to dig into. I'm very curious to see how this translate on the stage, as it gives a very unusual atmosphere.
The illustrations by Aubrey Beardsley are intriguing (to say the least) and contribute to the confusing vibe. It is worth taking some time to really research about, and I believe you need to be on a very special mood to be able to grasp a bit of its deeper meaning.
September 27, 2023
✩ 3 stars
~
everyone in this is severely ill & now i’ve read my first oscar wilde story
~
everyone in this is severely ill & now i’ve read my first oscar wilde story
December 6, 2022
«سالومه» یک اثر تاریخی‌است. وایلد با اقتباسی متفاوت از کتاب مقدس، این طرح بزرگ را در حجم کم حول وسوسه های هرود، هیرودیاس و پرنسس سالومه با دیالوگ‌های موثر و پایانی جذاب شکل داده است.
تراژدی وایلد نمادین و تمسخرآمیز است: سپیدی همچو مردگان ماه، پرندگان و آواهای شب از عذاب های آینده خبر می دهند. شخصیتهای متعددی مانند سربازان، ناصری‌ها، رومی‌ها و مردم عادی، روزگار و اندیشه‌های آن دوران نزاع و تعصب مذهبی را به تصویر می‌کشند. در این چارچوب، وایلد اشکال مختلفی از عشق را نیز قرار می‌دهد که هیچ‌کدام متعارف نیستند و از منظر زمان، همه مذموم هستند: خیانت، انتقام، همجنس‌گرایی، زنای با محارم و نکروفیلیا(مرده خواهی).
spoiler alert 👁️🗨️
سالومه، آتشین و قدرتمند، زن رام نشدنی و خواستنی‌است، گنجی ممنوع برای مردمان عادی و اشراف که اشتهای مریضی او را گرفتار کرده، در نهایت با لمس تلخی ها به بوسه‌ی آرزومند دست می یابد.
«لبهای سرد سَرِ بریده پیامبر را با لبهای گرم خودش لمس میکند و در پایان ندا می‌دهد: عشق قویتر از مرگ است.»
تراژدی وایلد نمادین و تمسخرآمیز است: سپیدی همچو مردگان ماه، پرندگان و آواهای شب از عذاب های آینده خبر می دهند. شخصیتهای متعددی مانند سربازان، ناصری‌ها، رومی‌ها و مردم عادی، روزگار و اندیشه‌های آن دوران نزاع و تعصب مذهبی را به تصویر می‌کشند. در این چارچوب، وایلد اشکال مختلفی از عشق را نیز قرار می‌دهد که هیچ‌کدام متعارف نیستند و از منظر زمان، همه مذموم هستند: خیانت، انتقام، همجنس‌گرایی، زنای با محارم و نکروفیلیا(مرده خواهی).
spoiler alert 👁️🗨️
سالومه، آتشین و قدرتمند، زن رام نشدنی و خواستنی‌است، گنجی ممنوع برای مردمان عادی و اشراف که اشتهای مریضی او را گرفتار کرده، در نهایت با لمس تلخی ها به بوسه‌ی آرزومند دست می یابد.
«لبهای سرد سَرِ بریده پیامبر را با لبهای گرم خودش لمس میکند و در پایان ندا می‌دهد: عشق قویتر از مرگ است.»
May 2, 2020
This play is very different from the other plays by Wilde that I've read. It's a tragedy based on a biblical story, and the writing is accordingly serious. There was no trace of what I came to associate with Wilde's writing - short and profound phrases that make you stop and question the truth of their meaning.
In Salomé the dialogue is very repetitive, the characters often set off ranting and raving almost madly, or speak in almost purple prose.
I've seen this play performed in a theater last year and enjoyed it immensely. This influenced my perception when reading it in print. Have I not seen it, I would probably have had a hard time appreciating it.
In Salomé the dialogue is very repetitive, the characters often set off ranting and raving almost madly, or speak in almost purple prose.
I've seen this play performed in a theater last year and enjoyed it immensely. This influenced my perception when reading it in print. Have I not seen it, I would probably have had a hard time appreciating it.
October 16, 2017
After finishing "Salomé", I laughed out loud. That doesn't seem unusual. Oscar Wilde is renown for his witty dialogue and snarky social commentary, so why not laugh? Well, I didn't laugh because of the play's humor, I laughed because I was weirded out. There was one thought that dominated my thinking, and that thought was: What the fuck did I just read?
I was taken aback by this play, I was surprised to learn that Oscar didn't solely write Society Plays. I was accostumed to his depiction of an upper class setting, dinner parties where all the attendants lowkey hate one another, and the dandy with his contradicting statements. I got none of that in "Salomé".
"Salomé" is Oscar's adaptation of the Biblical story of Herod and Herodias. I knew that Oscar was a religious man, and that he studied ancient texts at his time at Oxford; I didn't know that he was adapting them as well.
According to the New Testament, Salome was the daugher of Herodias. She is infamous for demanding and receiving the head of John the Baptist from Herod, the husband of her mother. She is often identified with the unnamed dancing woman – Christian traditions depict her as an icon of dangerous female seductiveness because of the erotic nature of her dance. Oscar went for a similar motif in his play, depicting Salomé as a femme fatale.
Since I am not well-read in the source material, I won't judge how well Oscar adapted her story. From what I understood, he altered certain things, e.g. that in the source material, after her dance, Salome asked her mother what she should demand of Herod, and that in Oscar's play Salomé is much more independant and manipulative, and wants Jonakaan's head for selfish reasons. However, Oscar remained quite true to the original story overall.
Upon my first reading of the play, I didn't see much in it. No greater meaning or any significance, for that matter. Herod gave me the actual creeps, the way he was lusting after Salomé, demanding her to dance for him, was extremely uncomfortable to read. Salomé wasn't better though. Her weird obsession with Jonakaan's body came out of the blue, and seemed extremely predatory. I was disgusted by her ending monologue and that she caressed and kissed Jonakaan's detached head.
In general, the play felt very anticlimatic. The execution of Jonakaan takes place behind closed doors and the audience is not let in on the action. Salomé's dance isn't described at all, and the reader has to imagine it himself. The play and its dialogue seemed very repetitive and lacked wit.
My opinion of "Salomé" changed for the better, after I did some research on it. Critics discuss this play with very interesting themes in mind – society's obessession with virginity, the male gaze and sexual power. I was really happy to learn about these discussions, because then I was able to see the textual proof myself. Herod is lusting after Salomé's body, and therefore throughout the entire play she is depicted through the eyes of a predatory male, her body is the focus of attention and overly sexualized. However, "female gaze" is also prevalent in the story, in Salomé's unhealthy obsession with the whiteness of Jonakaan's body and the ripeness of his mouth. Moreover, Salomé has power over Herod, he has to comply to her wishes, simply because of her appeal, of how highly sexual she is. She is all of that, despite the fact that she is still a virgin.
What I found really interesting is that some scholars discuss the homosexual subtext of the play. I didn't pick up on that at all, but I find it worth mentioning. In the play, Salomé promises the Young Syrian (who is madly in love with her) a flower, a typical signal of homosexuality in Oscar's time. These scholars argue that Salomé's sexuality is presented as typically masculine (after all, she is often described as being in a position of power, and she has a very predatory nature), which makes the relationship between her and the Young Sytian borderline homoerotic.
This fascinating, different view of the play gets even more interesting when we take into consideration that Oscar dedicated this play to his lover, Bosie, and furthermore, that Bosie attempted to translate this play (Oscar had originally written it in the French language). Oscar and Bosie acutally quarreled over the translation because Oscar wasn't satisfied with it, and Bosie blamed it on Oscar's poor mastery of the French language, claiming that the faults lay in the original version of the play. Oscar then translated the play himself, but gave Bosie credit for it, to not further upset him.
Additionally to that I was really eager to learn why Oscar decided to write in the French language. Apparently, he regarded writing in a foreign language as a self-experiment:
I find that very fascinating, and so I do not regard this play as a waste of my time. Sure, my time reading it wasn't the most enjoyable, but I loved discovering its important themes and the insight into the mind of Oscar Wilde that the subsequent research gave me.
So, in conclusion, I wouldn't necessarily recommend this to people who haven't read anything by Oscar before. It is quite the unusal play for him, and his society plays are much more accessible and funny. However, if you're really interested in the man himself and his work, "Salomé" is a vital read from which you can learn quite a bit.
I was taken aback by this play, I was surprised to learn that Oscar didn't solely write Society Plays. I was accostumed to his depiction of an upper class setting, dinner parties where all the attendants lowkey hate one another, and the dandy with his contradicting statements. I got none of that in "Salomé".
"Salomé" is Oscar's adaptation of the Biblical story of Herod and Herodias. I knew that Oscar was a religious man, and that he studied ancient texts at his time at Oxford; I didn't know that he was adapting them as well.
According to the New Testament, Salome was the daugher of Herodias. She is infamous for demanding and receiving the head of John the Baptist from Herod, the husband of her mother. She is often identified with the unnamed dancing woman – Christian traditions depict her as an icon of dangerous female seductiveness because of the erotic nature of her dance. Oscar went for a similar motif in his play, depicting Salomé as a femme fatale.
Since I am not well-read in the source material, I won't judge how well Oscar adapted her story. From what I understood, he altered certain things, e.g. that in the source material, after her dance, Salome asked her mother what she should demand of Herod, and that in Oscar's play Salomé is much more independant and manipulative, and wants Jonakaan's head for selfish reasons. However, Oscar remained quite true to the original story overall.
Upon my first reading of the play, I didn't see much in it. No greater meaning or any significance, for that matter. Herod gave me the actual creeps, the way he was lusting after Salomé, demanding her to dance for him, was extremely uncomfortable to read. Salomé wasn't better though. Her weird obsession with Jonakaan's body came out of the blue, and seemed extremely predatory. I was disgusted by her ending monologue and that she caressed and kissed Jonakaan's detached head.
In general, the play felt very anticlimatic. The execution of Jonakaan takes place behind closed doors and the audience is not let in on the action. Salomé's dance isn't described at all, and the reader has to imagine it himself. The play and its dialogue seemed very repetitive and lacked wit.
My opinion of "Salomé" changed for the better, after I did some research on it. Critics discuss this play with very interesting themes in mind – society's obessession with virginity, the male gaze and sexual power. I was really happy to learn about these discussions, because then I was able to see the textual proof myself. Herod is lusting after Salomé's body, and therefore throughout the entire play she is depicted through the eyes of a predatory male, her body is the focus of attention and overly sexualized. However, "female gaze" is also prevalent in the story, in Salomé's unhealthy obsession with the whiteness of Jonakaan's body and the ripeness of his mouth. Moreover, Salomé has power over Herod, he has to comply to her wishes, simply because of her appeal, of how highly sexual she is. She is all of that, despite the fact that she is still a virgin.
What I found really interesting is that some scholars discuss the homosexual subtext of the play. I didn't pick up on that at all, but I find it worth mentioning. In the play, Salomé promises the Young Syrian (who is madly in love with her) a flower, a typical signal of homosexuality in Oscar's time. These scholars argue that Salomé's sexuality is presented as typically masculine (after all, she is often described as being in a position of power, and she has a very predatory nature), which makes the relationship between her and the Young Sytian borderline homoerotic.
This fascinating, different view of the play gets even more interesting when we take into consideration that Oscar dedicated this play to his lover, Bosie, and furthermore, that Bosie attempted to translate this play (Oscar had originally written it in the French language). Oscar and Bosie acutally quarreled over the translation because Oscar wasn't satisfied with it, and Bosie blamed it on Oscar's poor mastery of the French language, claiming that the faults lay in the original version of the play. Oscar then translated the play himself, but gave Bosie credit for it, to not further upset him.
Additionally to that I was really eager to learn why Oscar decided to write in the French language. Apparently, he regarded writing in a foreign language as a self-experiment:
"I have one instrument that I know I can command, and that is the English language. There was another instrument to which I had listened all my life, and I wanted once to touch this new instrument to see whether I could make any beautiful thing out of it."
I find that very fascinating, and so I do not regard this play as a waste of my time. Sure, my time reading it wasn't the most enjoyable, but I loved discovering its important themes and the insight into the mind of Oscar Wilde that the subsequent research gave me.
So, in conclusion, I wouldn't necessarily recommend this to people who haven't read anything by Oscar before. It is quite the unusal play for him, and his society plays are much more accessible and funny. However, if you're really interested in the man himself and his work, "Salomé" is a vital read from which you can learn quite a bit.
April 1, 2024
”The piece is written in French — half biblical, half pornographic — by Oscar Wilde himself. Imagine the average British public’s reception of it.”
Official in Lord Chamberlain’s office censoring the play in 1892
I was chaste and thou did fill my veins with fire! Oh, wherefore did thou not look at me? If thou had looked at me, thou had loved me! Well I know that thou would have loved me, and the mystery of love is greater than the mystery of death.
Salome
Salome is an eldritch and ethereal one act play where innocence, decadence, longing and death dance together. Wilde took the biblical story of Salome, Herod, and John the Baptist and added his own twist of seduction rebuffed as Salome’s motivation. That change transforms the story and is at the heart of the play.
Aubrey Beardsley was hired to do the illustrations when the play was first published, which add to the haunted nature of the work. An Oscar Wilde play illustrated by Beardsley makes Salome one of the most significant works of the Aesthetic Movement. To best appreciate it, read it first in a volume that includes the Beardsley illustrations, then listen to LA Theater Works outstanding production of the play.
* * * * * * * * * *
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 Page of Herodias
How good to see the moon! She is like a little piece of money, a little silver flower. She is cold and chaste. I am sure she is a virgin. She has the beauty of a virgin. Yes, she is a virgin. She has never defiled herself. She has never abandoned herself to men like the other goddesses.
Salome
Oh! How strange the moon looks! Like the hand of a dead woman who is seeking to cover herself with a shroud.
The Page of Herodias
The moon has a strange look tonight. 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 feel like a drunken woman? She is like a mad woman, is she not?
Herod
Put out the torches! Hide the moon! Hide the stars! Let us hide ourselves in our palace — I begin to be afraid!
Herod
Official in Lord Chamberlain’s office censoring the play in 1892
I was chaste and thou did fill my veins with fire! Oh, wherefore did thou not look at me? If thou had looked at me, thou had loved me! Well I know that thou would have loved me, and the mystery of love is greater than the mystery of death.
Salome
Salome is an eldritch and ethereal one act play where innocence, decadence, longing and death dance together. Wilde took the biblical story of Salome, Herod, and John the Baptist and added his own twist of seduction rebuffed as Salome’s motivation. That change transforms the story and is at the heart of the play.
Aubrey Beardsley was hired to do the illustrations when the play was first published, which add to the haunted nature of the work. An Oscar Wilde play illustrated by Beardsley makes Salome one of the most significant works of the Aesthetic Movement. To best appreciate it, read it first in a volume that includes the Beardsley illustrations, then listen to LA Theater Works outstanding production of the play.
* * * * * * * * * *
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 Page of Herodias
How good to see the moon! She is like a little piece of money, a little silver flower. She is cold and chaste. I am sure she is a virgin. She has the beauty of a virgin. Yes, she is a virgin. She has never defiled herself. She has never abandoned herself to men like the other goddesses.
Salome
Oh! How strange the moon looks! Like the hand of a dead woman who is seeking to cover herself with a shroud.
The Page of Herodias
The moon has a strange look tonight. 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 feel like a drunken woman? She is like a mad woman, is she not?
Herod
Put out the torches! Hide the moon! Hide the stars! Let us hide ourselves in our palace — I begin to be afraid!
Herod
July 7, 2016
É bem conhecida a história de Salomé que, durante um banquete e a pedido do padrasto Herodes, dança a dança dos sete véus, sendo-lhe oferecida como recompensa a cabeça de João Batista. Segundo o Evangelho de São Marcos, o prémio exigido por Salomé tem como fundamento o ódio da sua mãe, Herodíade, pelo profeta; na peça de Oscar Wilde, assim como no libreto da ópera de Richard Strauss, o pedido de Salomé é motivado pela paixão.
Apesar de nada no enredo da peça ser novidade é uma leitura hipnotizante, pela escrita poética de Wilde que nos enleia no desejo obsessivo de Herodes por Salomé e de Salomé por Iocanaã (nome judeu de João Batista).
Deixo uma colagem de alguns diálogos como exemplo desta maravilha:
_____________________________
SALOMÉ
Fala mais. Iocanaã. A tua voz embriaga-me.
Não há nada no mundo tão branco como o teu corpo. Deixa-me tocar no teu corpo!
IOCANAÃ
Para trás, filha de Babilónia! Foi pela mulher que o mal entrou no mundo. Não me fales. Não te quero ouvir.
SALOMÉ
Não há nada no mundo tão negro como os teus cabelos... Deixa-me tocar nos teus cabelos!
IOCANAÃ
Para trás, filha de Sodoma! Não me toques.
SALOMÉ
Não há nada no mundo tão vermelho como a tua boca... Deixa-me beijar-te a boca.
IOCANAÃ
Nunca, filha de Babilónia! Filha de Sodoma, nunca!
SALOMÉ
Hei-de beijar-te a boca, Iocanaã. Hei-de beijar-te a boca.
_____________________________
HERODES
Salomé, Salomé, dança para mim.
Dança para mim, Salomé, e dar-te-ei tudo o que me pedires, nem que seja metade do meu reino.
SALOMÉ
Dar-me-ás tudo o que te pedir, tetrarca?
Jura-lo?
HERODES
Pela minha vida, pela minha coroa, pelos meus deuses. Tudo o que quiseres to darei, nem que seja metade do meu reino, se dançares para mim. Ó Salomé, Salomé, dança para mim.
SALOMÉ
Dançarei para ti, tetrarca.
_____________________________
HERODES
Ah, é magnífico, é magnífico! Dar-te-ei tudo o que quiseres. Que queres? Diz.
SALOMÉ
Quero que me tragam já numa bacia de prata...
A cabeça de Iocanaã.
HERODES
Não. Não. Não quero.
SALOMÉ
Dá-me a cabeça de Iocanaã.
_____________________________
A VOZ DE SALOMÉ
Ah! Beijei-te a boca, Iocanaã, beijei-te a boca. Havia um sabor acre nos teus lábios. Seria o sabor do sangue?... Mas talvez seja o sabor do amor. Diz-se que o amor tem um sabor acre... Mas que importa? Que importa? Beijei-te a boca, Iocanaã, beijei-te a boca.
_____________________________
(Gravura de Aubrey Beardsley)
Apesar de nada no enredo da peça ser novidade é uma leitura hipnotizante, pela escrita poética de Wilde que nos enleia no desejo obsessivo de Herodes por Salomé e de Salomé por Iocanaã (nome judeu de João Batista).
Deixo uma colagem de alguns diálogos como exemplo desta maravilha:
_____________________________
SALOMÉ
Fala mais. Iocanaã. A tua voz embriaga-me.
Não há nada no mundo tão branco como o teu corpo. Deixa-me tocar no teu corpo!
IOCANAÃ
Para trás, filha de Babilónia! Foi pela mulher que o mal entrou no mundo. Não me fales. Não te quero ouvir.
SALOMÉ
Não há nada no mundo tão negro como os teus cabelos... Deixa-me tocar nos teus cabelos!
IOCANAÃ
Para trás, filha de Sodoma! Não me toques.
SALOMÉ
Não há nada no mundo tão vermelho como a tua boca... Deixa-me beijar-te a boca.
IOCANAÃ
Nunca, filha de Babilónia! Filha de Sodoma, nunca!
SALOMÉ
Hei-de beijar-te a boca, Iocanaã. Hei-de beijar-te a boca.
_____________________________
HERODES
Salomé, Salomé, dança para mim.
Dança para mim, Salomé, e dar-te-ei tudo o que me pedires, nem que seja metade do meu reino.
SALOMÉ
Dar-me-ás tudo o que te pedir, tetrarca?
Jura-lo?
HERODES
Pela minha vida, pela minha coroa, pelos meus deuses. Tudo o que quiseres to darei, nem que seja metade do meu reino, se dançares para mim. Ó Salomé, Salomé, dança para mim.
SALOMÉ
Dançarei para ti, tetrarca.
_____________________________
HERODES
Ah, é magnífico, é magnífico! Dar-te-ei tudo o que quiseres. Que queres? Diz.
SALOMÉ
Quero que me tragam já numa bacia de prata...
A cabeça de Iocanaã.
HERODES
Não. Não. Não quero.
SALOMÉ
Dá-me a cabeça de Iocanaã.
_____________________________
A VOZ DE SALOMÉ
Ah! Beijei-te a boca, Iocanaã, beijei-te a boca. Havia um sabor acre nos teus lábios. Seria o sabor do sangue?... Mas talvez seja o sabor do amor. Diz-se que o amor tem um sabor acre... Mas que importa? Que importa? Beijei-te a boca, Iocanaã, beijei-te a boca.
_____________________________
(Gravura de Aubrey Beardsley)
June 6, 2023
This awesome one-act play was originally written in French (while Oscar Wilde was in exile in Paris) to avoid Victorian censorship.
*spoiler alert*
Salome is a tale of complex passion. Oscar Wilde's Salome is not an instrument of Herodias. She's a sensual, sensitive lover who turns into a vengeful executioner. Her mother, Herodias and the present King had imprisoned her father, the former King and put him to death, making her a "Hamlet". She falls in love with John the Baptist not because he is a lovable man, but just because she is fascinated by him.
Other than the plot, there's a secondary story. I thought John the Baptist may be a metaphor for Oscar Wilde himself. A seer who is rejected but a society that dares not to destroy him completely. It was even more interesting to find out that this was translated by Lord Alfred Douglas.
*spoiler alert*
Salome is a tale of complex passion. Oscar Wilde's Salome is not an instrument of Herodias. She's a sensual, sensitive lover who turns into a vengeful executioner. Her mother, Herodias and the present King had imprisoned her father, the former King and put him to death, making her a "Hamlet". She falls in love with John the Baptist not because he is a lovable man, but just because she is fascinated by him.
Other than the plot, there's a secondary story. I thought John the Baptist may be a metaphor for Oscar Wilde himself. A seer who is rejected but a society that dares not to destroy him completely. It was even more interesting to find out that this was translated by Lord Alfred Douglas.
May 22, 2022
Εξαιρετικό το έργο, στο πρωτότυπο.
Η μεταγραφή απέχει πάρα πολύ από το κείμενο. Κάτι που συνηθίζει ο εκδοτικός οίκος. Θα προτιμούσα πιο πιστές ή τουλάχιστον ρεαλιστικές μεταφράσεις.
Η μεταγραφή απέχει πάρα πολύ από το κείμενο. Κάτι που συνηθίζει ο εκδοτικός οίκος. Θα προτιμούσα πιο πιστές ή τουλάχιστον ρεαλιστικές μεταφράσεις.
April 14, 2020
This one was kind of odd. Very short, it’s hard to imagine it being performed as an actual play. It must have been an incredibly short play. The story was a bit strange but apparently it is adapted from, or at least inspired by, a particular biblical story that I’m not familiar with so I guess that’s why. It was definitely interesting though.
Read
November 29, 2021A opção de Strauss de traduzir ipsis verbis o texto de Wilde, Salomé, para encenar a magnífica ópera com mesmo nome foi o motivo primeiro que me levou a pegar neste livro.
A imagem da princesa da Judeia é todo um mundo de estudo em história da arte a que já estava habituada, mas as cenas da ópera encenada por Weigl perseguem-me desde que primeiro a vi. E o poder das palavras que profere Salomé é de tal ordem que tinha mesmo de olhar o texto.
Nada ainda está por dizer sobre a escolha de Wilde (e posteriormente Strauss): a sua versão da história é blasfema - importe isso para leigos não -; a corte do rei Herodes é a epítome da consumação dos valores religiosos; o rei é um pai incestuoso; a rainha uma prostituta e a filha uma assassina necrófila que comete a heresia de profanar o corpo de um profeta (e diga-se também que o próprio São João Batista não sai muito bem no retrato)...
Mas há qualquer coisa em Salomé de profundamente atraente, magnético que nos obriga a fechar os olhos à baixeza deste mundo em que habita. Sensual, poderosa, Salomé partilha da péssima fama de outras mulheres fortes apresentadas em narrativas bíblicas - na sua decadência, como na escrita de Wilde, reside o seu poder.
Prefiro a maturidade da tentativa de Flaubert sobre este tema, em Herodíade, mas sem Wilde não existiria para mim imagem de Salomé.
A imagem da princesa da Judeia é todo um mundo de estudo em história da arte a que já estava habituada, mas as cenas da ópera encenada por Weigl perseguem-me desde que primeiro a vi. E o poder das palavras que profere Salomé é de tal ordem que tinha mesmo de olhar o texto.
Nada ainda está por dizer sobre a escolha de Wilde (e posteriormente Strauss): a sua versão da história é blasfema - importe isso para leigos não -; a corte do rei Herodes é a epítome da consumação dos valores religiosos; o rei é um pai incestuoso; a rainha uma prostituta e a filha uma assassina necrófila que comete a heresia de profanar o corpo de um profeta (e diga-se também que o próprio São João Batista não sai muito bem no retrato)...
Mas há qualquer coisa em Salomé de profundamente atraente, magnético que nos obriga a fechar os olhos à baixeza deste mundo em que habita. Sensual, poderosa, Salomé partilha da péssima fama de outras mulheres fortes apresentadas em narrativas bíblicas - na sua decadência, como na escrita de Wilde, reside o seu poder.
Prefiro a maturidade da tentativa de Flaubert sobre este tema, em Herodíade, mas sem Wilde não existiria para mim imagem de Salomé.
April 14, 2020
Li este livro há exactamente um ano. Voltei a ele porque não me saía da cabeça, sobretudo depois de ter visto duas versões distintas da ópera homónima de Richard Strauss. Sobretudo a primeira delas, no festival de Salzburgo de 2018, com Asmik Grigorian no papel principal, cuja encenação de Romeo Castellucci me deixou boquiaberto: Salomé é aí uma adolescente recém-menstruada; Herodes um Mussolini com metade do rosto pintado de vermelho; Iokanaan parece mais um apache do que judeu; Herodíade é ainda mais perversa; não há a cabeça de Iokanaan numa salva de prata, mas há a cabeça de um cavalo negro, não há a dança dos sete véus, etc. Para quem já leu esta peça genial de Oscar Wilde e se deparou com os inúmeros símbolos que ela guarda, ver a dita encenação deixa-nos a pensar como é possível encontrar ainda mais símbolos e acrescentar tantos níveis de leitura. Talvez por isso, reli tirando profusas notas. Não me demorarei em todas elas, mas há duas coisas que se me tornaram mais evidentes agora: a lua é outra das protagonistas, já o sabíamos, mas é-o no sentido em que as sociedades pré-históricas a viam. Sujeito ou deus que influencia e a quem importa aplacar com dádivas: tanto melhor se forem de sangue. E depois há o próprio sangue, também ele símbolo e presságio de que tudo pode correr mal. Salomé desce todas as escadas do poço da loucura em nome do Amor, do desejo carnal, e prova o sangue, amargo, porque também para ela a ideia de amor é amarga. Ler este texto e ver aquela encenação (ou outras, há tantas e tão boas), é uma das melhores e mais exigentes experiências intelectuais que já tive.
"No meu país, agora, não há deuses. Os Romanos expulsaram-nos. Há quem diga que se refugiaram nas montanhas, mas eu não acredito. Passei três noites nas montanhas a procurá-los por todos os lados. Não os encontrei. Por fim chamei-os pelos nomes e não apareceram. Suponho que morreram." p. 17
"No meu país, agora, não há deuses. Os Romanos expulsaram-nos. Há quem diga que se refugiaram nas montanhas, mas eu não acredito. Passei três noites nas montanhas a procurá-los por todos os lados. Não os encontrei. Por fim chamei-os pelos nomes e não apareceram. Suponho que morreram." p. 17
November 21, 2018
Ah, I'm revisiting this Oscar Wilde's awesome works about death, madness, twisted passion, blood and...last but not least, beauty.
Alice Poon's review for this masterpiece: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Alice Poon's review for this masterpiece: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
January 23, 2021
Oscar Wilde's vibrant descriptions, monologues, and symbolisms + Aubrey Beardsley's fascinating illustrations = perfection. I like how this was banned back then because of its sexual perversity lmao Wilde was ahead of his time.
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