Bring on the tough stuff - there’s not just one right answer.
- After kissing Jokanaan, Salomé wonders to herself, "There was a bitter taste on my lips. Was it the taste of blood?…Nay; but perchance the taste of love…" (377). Can we know what that taste really is? Can love and blood ever be separate for Salomé?
- What are we to make of Wilde's depiction of the Jews?
- Throughout the play, Jokanaan resists temptation and maintains his convictions regarding the coming of the Messiah; he dies quietly, without struggling. That said, does he do anything wrong? Is he without sin?
- Is Salomé a pro-Christian play?
- Early in the play, one of the soldiers claims that it is "impossible to understand" what Jokanaan says (46). Is there any truth to his statement?
- What are we supposed to make of the Young Syrian? Should we blame Salomé for his suicide?
- In the Biblical versions of the story, Herodias tells Salomé to ask for John's head on a silver platter. In Salomé, she merely approves of the decision after the fact. How does this affect our understanding of Herodias?