Sa­lo­me

Long before Oscar Wilde’s interpretation, the figure of Salome already appeared in the Bible. There, the story was about how King Herod, his stepdaughter Salome, and John the Baptist (Jochanaan) each lose their heads—although in very different ways...

King Herod has his eyes set on his stepdaughter, Salome. She, in turn, recoils from his improper glances and has her own sights set on another man: the imprisoned prophet Jochanaan, who refuses to even look at her. Herod commands Salome to dance for him, as he wants to see her completely—without veils. The Dance of the Seven Veils becomes the pivotal moment, with Salome exposing herself to the gaze of the king and his reveling guests. But for this dance, she demands from Herod an extraordinary reward: ‘The head of Jochanaan!’ Thus unfolds a tragedy of gazes, until the very last glance.