THE PERSONS IN THE PLAY:

HEROD ANTIPAS, TETRARCH OF JUDAEA
IOKANAAN, THE PROPHET
THE YOUNG SYRIAN, CAPTAIN OF THE GUARD
TIGELLINUS, A YOUNG ROMAN
A CAPPODOCIAN
A NUBIAN
FIRST SOLDIER
SECOND SOLDIER
THE PAGE OF HERODIAS
JEWS, NAZARENES, ETC.
A SLAVE
NAMAAN, THE EXECUTIONER
HERODIAS, WIFE OF THE TETRARCH
SALOME, DAUGHTER OF HERODIAS
THE SLAVES OF SALOME



SCENE
A great terrace in the Palace of Herod, set above the banqueting-hall. Some soldiers are leaning over the balcony. To the right there is a gigantic staircase, to the left, at the back, an old cistern surrounded by a wall of green bronze. The moon is shining very brightly.

THE YOUNG SYRIAN
How beautiful is the Princess Salome to-night!

THE PAGE OF HERODIAS
Look at the moon. How strange the moon seems! She is like a woman rising from a tomb. She is like a dead woman. One might fancy she was looking for dead things.

THE YOUNG SYRIAN
She has a strange look. She is like a little princess who wears a yellow veil, and whose feet are of silver. She is like a princess who has little white doves for feet. One might fancy she was dancing.

THE PAGE OF HERODIAS
She is like a woman who is dead. She moves very slowly.

[Noise in the banqueting-hall.]

FIRST SOLDIER
What an uproar! Who are those wild beasts howling?

SECOND SOLDIER
The Jews. They are always like that. They are disputing about their religion.

FIRST SOLDIER
Why do they dispute about their religion?

SECOND SOLDIER
I cannot tell. They are always doing it. The Pharisees, for instance, say that there are angels, and the Sadducees declare that angels do not exist.

FIRST SOLDIER
I think it is ridiculous to dispute about such things.

THE YOUNG SYRIAN
How beautiful is the Princess Salome to-night!

THE PAGE OF HERODIAS
You are always looking at her. You look at her too much. It is dangerous to look at people in such fashion. Something terrible may happen.

THE YOUNG SYRIAN
She is very beautiful to-night.

FIRST SOLDIER
The Tetrarch has a sombre aspect.

SECOND SOLDIER
Yes; he has a sombre aspect.

FIRST SOLDIER
He is looking at something.

SECOND SOLDIER
He is looking at some one.

FIRST SOLDIER
At whom is he looking?

SECOND SOLDIER
I cannot tell.

THE YOUNG SYRIAN
How pale the Princess is! Never have I seen her so pale. She is like the shadow of a white rose in a mirror of silver.

THE PAGE OF HERODIAS
You must not look at her. You look too much at her.