How we cite our quotes: (Line)
Quote #4
SALOMÉ Neither the roses of the garden of the Queen of Arabia, the garden of spices of the Queen of Arabia, nor the feet of the dawn when they light on the leaves, nor the breast of the moon when she lies on the breast of the sea… There is nothing in the world so white as thy body. Suffer me to touch thy body.
JOKANAAN Back! daughter of Babylon! By woman came evil into the world. Speak not to me. I will not listen to thee. I listen but to the voice of the Lord God.
SALOMÉ Thy body is hideous. It is like the body of a leper. It is like a plastered wall, where vipers have crawled; like a plastered wall where the scorpions have made their nest. It is like a whited sepulcher, full of loathsome things. It is horrible, thy body is horrible. (145-147)
Salomé perception of Jokanaan changes swiftly, without warning, and without explanation.
Quote #5
HEROD Where is Salomé? Where is the Princess? Why did she not return to the banquet as I commanded her? Ah! there she is!
HERODIAS You must not look at her! You are always looking at her!
HEROD The moon has a strange look to-night. Has she not a strange look? She is like a mad woman, a mad woman who is seeking everywhere for lovers. She is naked too. She is quite naked. The clouds are seeking to clothe her nakedness, but she will not let them. She shows herself naked in the sky. She reels through the clouds like a drunken woman… I am sure she is looking for lovers. Does she not reel like a drunken woman? She is like a mad woman, is she not?
HERODIAS No; the moon is like the moon, that is all, Let us go within… We have nothing to do here. (171-173)
Herodias' claim that "the moon is like the moon," suggests that she believes in only objective interpretations of things. For her, the world is what it is—it doesn't change dramatically.
Quote #6
FIRST NAZARENE This Man worketh true miracles. Thus, at a marriage which took place in a little town of Galilee, a town of some importance, He changed water into wine. Certain persons who were present related it to me. Also He healed two lepers that were seated before the Gate of Capernaum simply by touching them.
SECOND NAZARENE Nay; it was two blind men that He healed at Capernaum.
FIRST NAZARENE Nay; they were lepers. But He hath healed blind people also, and He was seen on a mountain talking with angels. (245-247)
The Nazarene's Messiah is capable of miraculous transformations both large and small, turning water into wine and healing the blind and leprous.