salome monologue from the play by oscar wilde
A monologue from the enjoy by Oscar Wilde
NOTE: This monologue is reprinted from Rep One-Act Takes on by Uk and Irish Authors. Ed. Barrett H. Clark. Boston: Small, Brown, and Co., 1921.
SALOME: We am affectionate of thy body, Iokanaan! Thy body is white, like the lilies with the field that the mower hath never cut. Thy body is white such as the snows that lie within the mountains of Judaea, and come down in the valleys. The roses inside the gardens in the Queen of Arabia are not so white-colored as thy body. Nor the tulips in the yard of the California king of Arabia, the garden of spices in the Queen of Arabia, neither the feet with the dawn whenever they light for the leaves, neither the breast of the moon once she is placed on the breasts of the ocean. There is nothing at all in this world therefore white as they body. Suffer me to touch thy body. Thy body is grotesque. It is like the body of a leper. It can be like a plastered wall, wherever vipers possess crawled, just like a plastered wall membrane where the scorpions have made all their nest. It really is like a whited sepulchre, packed with loathsome things. It is awful, thy body is horrible. It can be of thy hair We am enamoured, Iokanaan. Thy hair is similar to clusters of grapes, just like the clusters of black fruit that hang up from the vine-trees of Edom in the property of the Edomites. Thy locks is like the cedars of Lebanon, just like the great cedars of Lebanon that give all their shade towards the lions and the criminals who would hide them by day.
The long dark nights, when the moon skins her confront, when the celebrities are afraid, are generally not so black as thy hair. The silence that dwells inside the forest is definitely not so dark. There is nothing at all in the world that may be so black as thy hair. Suffer me to touch thy hair. Thy hair can be horrible. It is covered with mire and dust. It is just like a crown of thorns added to thy mind. It is just like a knot of serpents coiled round thy neck. I love not thy hair. It can be thy mouth that I desire, Iokanaan. Thy mouth is like a strap of scarlet on a tower of off white. It is such as a pomegranate lower in twain with a knife of ivory. The pomegranate flowers that blossom in the gardens of Tyre, and they are redder than roses, are generally not so reddish colored. The red blasts of trumpets that herald the approach of kings, and make afraid the adversary, are not and so red. Thy mouth is usually redder compared to the feet of the people who follow the wine in the wine-press. It is redder compared to the feet of the doves who have inhabit the temples and therefore are fed by priests. It can be redder than the feet of him who cometh by a forest where he hath slain a lion, and seen gilded tigers. Thy mouth is a lot like a branch of coral that fishers have got found in the twilight from the sea, the coral that they can keep pertaining to the nobleman! It is such as the vermilion the Moabites locate in the mines of Moab, the vermilion that the kings take from them. It is just like the bow with the King from the Persians, that may be tainted with vermilion, and it is tipped with coral. There may be nothing on the globe so crimson as thy mouth. Go through me to kiss thy mouth. I will kiss thy mouth, Iokanaan. I will hug thy mouth area.
- Category: performing
- Words: 654
- Pages: 3
- Project Type: Essay