The story in one page
On a moonlit palace terrace, a young princess refuses to return to a banquet, mesmerized by the prophet imprisoned in an old cistern. Her stepfather, the Tetrarch, is unnerved by the prophet's presence and obsessed with the princess. After an ill-omened slip into blood, he begs her to dance. She agrees only when he swears an oath to grant her any wish. Upon finishing the dance, she demands the prophet's head. Despite the Tetrarch's desperate offer of jewels or his own kingdom, she insists. The executioner descends into the cistern, returns with the head, and the princess claims her gruesome prize, leading to her immediate execution.
Who's who
- Salomé
Daughter of the queen who demands a prophet's head.
- Herod Antipas
Tetrarch of Judæa who swears a rash, fatal oath.
- Jokanaan
A prophet imprisoned in a cistern for his preaching.
- Herodias
The wife of the Tetrarch who supports her daughter's demand.
What it's really about
- The fatal oath
- A king's binding word causes his undoing.
- Morbid fixation
- Desire turns into a lethal, bloody obsession.
Why it's memorable
- The princess kissing the lips of a severed, blood-stained head.
- The moon described as a mad, naked woman reeling through clouds.
The ending, explained
Spoilers — show the ending
After the princess revels in kissing the prophet's severed mouth, a terrified Herod orders his guards to crush her beneath their shields.
For your book club
- The moon reflects the characters' erratic and shifting sanity.
- The cistern serves as a tomb for past and present grievances.