Salome: A Tragedy in One Act [Paperback]

Aubrey Beardsley (Author), Oscar Wilde (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 1967

Lord Alfred Douglas' translation of Wilde's great play — originally written in French — with all well-known Beardsley illustrations, including suppressed plates. Features 28 Beardsley illustrations and an introduction by Robert Ross.

Product Details

• Paperback: 67 pages
• Publisher: Dover Publications (June 1, 1967)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0486218309
• ISBN-13: 978-0486218304
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.1 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #409,894 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wilde's erotic play with Beardsley's decadent illustrations, December 23, 2002

By 

Lawrance M. Bernabo (The Zenith City, Duluth, Minnesota) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Salome: A Tragedy in One Act (Paperback)

The Salome legend has its beginnings in the Gospels of Matthew (14:3-11) and Mark (6:17-28), which tells of the beheading of John the Baptist at the instigation of Herodias, wife of Herod. The queen was angered by John's denunciation of her marriage as incestuous (she had been married to Herod's brother). In both accounts, Herodias uses her daughter (unnamed in scripture but known to tradition, through Josephus, as Salome) as the instrument of the prophet's destruction by having her dance for Herod. The story of Salome was prominent in both literature and the visual arts until the end of the Renaissance, and was revived in the nineteenth century by Heinrich Herne, and explored by such divergent authors as Gustave Flaubert, Stephane Mallarme, Joris-Karil Huysmans, and Oscar Wilde.

Wilde wrote "Salome" in French in 1893 for the famous actress Sarah Bernhardt. The play was performed once in Paris in 1904, and today is much better known as the libretto for Richard Strauss' operetta. In large part Wilde ignores the idea that Heroidas is the prime mover behind John death, focusing instead on the eroticism of Salome's passions for the Baptist. In this version of the story, John rejects the princess who then dances the infamous Dance of the Seven Veils for Herod to achieve her revenge. Of course, fans of Wilde, or at least those who know the highlights of his life's story, will recognize the name of Lord Alfred Douglass, the translator of the play into English. However, whatever the merits of the play, the chief attraction of this volume remains the illustrations.

Aubrey Beardsley was an important artist in the Esoteric Art movement of the "fin du siecle" (end of the 19th-century). A close friend of Oscar Wilde, he did both the illustrations and stage designs for Wilde's play "Salome." Obviously Beardsley represents the "Art Nouveau" school, but he also showed an affinity with the Symbolists and Pre-Raphaelite schools as well, all of which explored the rich symbolism of Judeo-Christian and pre-Judeo-Christian Pagan mythos. In this context the story of Salome is ideal. However, Beardsley remains the most controversial artist of the Art Nouveau era, renowned for his dark and perverse images and the grotesque erotic themes which he explored in his later work. Beardsley was not interested in creation any illusion of reality, but like the Eastern artists he studied, was concerned with making a beautiful design within a given space. His work on "Salome" is considered some of his finest examples of decadent erotica. This volume has 20 such illustrations, including those originally suppressed when the book was first published in 1905.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beauty and eloquence and a perfect distillation of love, November 21, 2002

By 

Rebecca M. Deaver (Memphis, TN, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Salome: A Tragedy in One Act (Paperback)

This play takes a psychotic murderer from the bible who used her beauty and sex appeal to get her way...and turns her into a wholly sympathetic character. The star of this play is charged with life and vitality and a kind of beautiful, moving viciousness, and Oscar Wilde reminds us that Salome was not the [person] portrayed in the Bible and most Christian literature. She was an old-fashioned fairytale princess, albeit one capable of murder, and she had never truly loved a man before Iokanaan.

As for Iokanaan (the exotic Hebrew name given to John the Baptist), he is arrogant, vicious, and cold, and his emotional brutality toward Salome makes him literally impossible to like--an interesting portrayal of this so-called "Holy Man" and a reminder that John the Baptist was not a Christian, but an old-fashioned, "law of Moses", stone-casting Hebrew of the time.

Still, above and beyond the characters is the trademark beauty of Wilde's word-play, which in my opinion has never quite equaled this anywhere else. From the ironic wit of Herodias ("There are others who look too much at her"), to the sappy, empty-headed, yet still beautiful pomposity of Herod, to the pitiable misery of Narraboth, a young Syrian guard who loves Salome, to the religious rants and prophecies of Iokanaan (mostly re-written Bible verses), every word of the play is a treasure.

However, none of these things can equal Salome's adoring eloquence when describing Iokanaan's beauty. Every word of that speech is a treasure. The fact that she loves him is, in fact, the only thing that makes Iokanaan likeable to any degree. This play proves that Oscar Wilde can actually write serious literature as well as or better than he can write witty banter.

Of all the stage plays I have ever had the privilege of experiencing, this one is by far the most dear to me. You haven't lived until you have at least read it. Get this manuscript; it is the most precious you will ever buy.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Macabre Gem, February 27, 2004

By 

T. Hooper "thdizzy" (Osaka, Japan) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Salome: A Tragedy in One Act (Paperback)

Salome is a play based on the bibical story of the beheading of John the Baptist. As the story opens, Salome becomes fascinated by this man of God, and the fascination quickly devolves into lust. She desires John and does her best to tempt him. However, John doesn't give in and he holds onto his faith. With each rejection, she becomes angrier and angrier. In the end, she is driven to bloodlust, and orders for the head of John the Baptist.

The language of this play is beautiful to read and highly poetic. This is one of the best plays for reading. Of course you can draw your own conclusions as to the relationship between lust and bloodlust. False passions lead to bad ends.