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SceneFiend library

Salome

By Oscar Wilde - Stage play

Stage playStageOne act play

Roles

  • Herod - Adult (36-50), Senior (>50), Male

About this piece

Herod begs Salome to spare John the Baptist's life

Summary

The play is about the biblical story of Salome, the stepdaughter of the tetrarch Herod Antipas who is married to her mother Herodias. Herod is smitten by Salome's beauty and when asked to dance the "Dance of the Sever Veils" for him, she refuses. Eventually he promises her anything she desires if she accepts to dance for him. To her stepfather's disappointment, Salome asks for the head of Iokanaan (John the Baptist), a prophet who is Herod's prisoner and who had refused Salome's advances. In this monologue Herod laments Salome's request of John the Baptist's head as reward for her dance. He promises her anything she wants, even jewels that not even her mother has seen, if she accepts to spare the prophet's life.

Tone

PersuasiveDescriptiveLamentingFrustrated

Use cases

classaudition
View on Actorama

Library metadata only. SceneFiend never includes script text here - pick up the published version to rehearse.

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