The biblical myth of salome in Oscar Wilde's theatrical version

Abstract

From the second half of the nineteenth century, the biblical story about the daughter of Herodias, found in the Gospels of St. Matthew and St. Mark, appears personified in the image of femme fatale in the finissecular period. The myth of Salome, revered by the artists and writers of the time, tells the story of the princess of Judea who, through her voluptuous dance, asks King Herod as a reward for the show, the head of John the Baptist, influenced by his mother. However, the narrative has changed over the centuries until it reached its peak in the fin-de-siècle period. Oscar Wilde, one of the many writers who adapted the biblical gloss, conceives a character who, insane with passion for the prophet, but unrequited, decides willingly to demand the behead of the Holy man. This article starts from the comparison analysis between the biblical narrative and the play Salome, drama of an act, composed in 1891 by the Irish writer. The objective is to trace parallels between the two related stories in different millennia.