The sexual dynamics of Salome and its accompanying illustration was a main theme across all our discussions this week. More specifically, female sexuality as dominating was discussed in a few of the presentations. Visually, we see this dynamic in Beardsley’s illustration through the Salome being positioned higher than male characters in the same illustration. This was something I noticed as I was analyzing “The Eyes of Herod” for my Research Question assignment, but it was fascinating to notice that this is a common motif throughout the illustrations. In “The Peacock Skirt” for example, Salome is pictured towering over the Young Syrian, and appears to be intimidating him. As we know from Wilde’s text, the Young Syrian offs himself, the object of his unrequited love, almost as an offering to Salome. Here, then, Salome’s feminine sexuality is totally dominating, to the extent that it overpowers the Young Syrian, and that dynamic is rendered beautifully by Beardsley in “The Peacock Skirt.”

I think this sexual dynamic (which I guess is basically the archetype of the femme fatale) is what is so compelling about the story of Salome and John the Baptist that Wilde based his play on. Nicole pointed it out in her discussion leading that feminine sexuality is exoticized and othered in this play and its accompanying illustrations: it is both a source of fascination and of the grotesque and immoral. I think this othering is perhaps a way of containing feminine sexuality, keeping it subordinate. Perhaps historically we are so drawn to retell it because it contains this struggle between female sexuality and its potential threat to male power.