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A review by alishajuma
Salome by Oscar Wilde
3.0
Salomé retelling of the biblical story of the decapitation of John the Baptiste. However, John the Baptiste (Iokanaan) is not the focus of the play but rather is focuses on Salomé (the daughter of Herod Antipas in the Bible) and the relationships between the other characters, and their forbidden and/or incestuous desires.
The play focuses on the dynamic of the male gaze within a patriarchal society. Manipulating this patriarchal concept of gaze, Salomé shifts between portraying herself as a femme fatale and femme fragile throughout the play embracing both the demonisation and idealisation of female power. She exercises her agency by controlling and moulding the male gaze to suit her desires and objectives, exploiting the patriarchal power structure that seeks to define and confine her. Salome subverts the traditional roles imposed on women, turning the male gaze into a tool for her empowerment and liberation.
This narrative that focuses on Salomé’s agency seems to be undermined by the ending of the play unless you view it as a moral message. Wilde may be highlighting the consequences of using one's beauty and power to manipulate and harm others. It may suggest that even those who seem to hold power in a patriarchal society are not immune to its destructive forces.
Overall, this was very different from Wilde’s usual style, and I think I enjoyed the message of the play much more than the actual reading experience. I think Wilde relied a lot more on a campy stage set-up rather than his dialogue in this play for the comedic value, but it was an interesting read nonetheless.
The play focuses on the dynamic of the male gaze within a patriarchal society. Manipulating this patriarchal concept of gaze, Salomé shifts between portraying herself as a femme fatale and femme fragile throughout the play embracing both the demonisation and idealisation of female power. She exercises her agency by controlling and moulding the male gaze to suit her desires and objectives, exploiting the patriarchal power structure that seeks to define and confine her. Salome subverts the traditional roles imposed on women, turning the male gaze into a tool for her empowerment and liberation.
This narrative that focuses on Salomé’s agency seems to be undermined by the ending of the play unless you view it as a moral message. Wilde may be highlighting the consequences of using one's beauty and power to manipulate and harm others. It may suggest that even those who seem to hold power in a patriarchal society are not immune to its destructive forces.
Overall, this was very different from Wilde’s usual style, and I think I enjoyed the message of the play much more than the actual reading experience. I think Wilde relied a lot more on a campy stage set-up rather than his dialogue in this play for the comedic value, but it was an interesting read nonetheless.