Dance Of Desire

As one of the most important writers of Irish literature, as well as of the British literature, Oscar Wilde has always been a heated topic, whose witty remarks are quoted everywhere. He makes achievements in a wide range of fields- poem, drama, novel and essay. His literary output shows the versatility of his inventive powers as well as the complexity of his social and artistic ideas. He follows Walter Pater's theory of "Art for Art's Sake" and goes further to declare that art does not reflect life but life imitates art. His only tragedy Salome is the typical product of this literary trend. The centenary of his trial and his death makes him the subject of increasing critical attention in the past decade. His radical position as a critic has been revaluated. He is now recognized as a highly professional writer, acutely aware of his readership at a variety of levels and also one who deliberately and systematically explores the oral dimension. His position as an Irish writer gives him status in the context of postcolonial criticism.The thesis applies psychoanalytical theories to analyzing Oscar Wilde's Salome, attempting to explore the significance from a new perspective. Psychoanalytical theories have a great influence on the literary world in the twentieth century and have become one of the classical approaches favored by modern critics. The psychoanalytic reading of the themes, characters and the moon in Salome helps readers dig further into the depth of the play. By presenting the inner world and spiritual lives of two main characters respectively, a new angle in interpreting this tragedy is offered.This thesis consists of six parts: four chapters together with introduction and conclusion. In the four chapters, the thesis analyzes Wilde's tragedy with Freudian theories mainly in three aspects: the portrayal of the themes; analysis of main characters and interpretation of symbols.Chapter One explores the themes reflected in this play. Desire is the key concept held not only by the playwright but also by the psychoanalyst, for they both concern the repressed concern by the subject and the truth of the man's being. It is the key word "desire" that goes through the literary canon of Salome, that unites various characters, and that drives man insane, homosexual, fugitive, dead or neurotic. The desire of the characters in Salome testifies to their powerlessness; their rejection by the objects of their desire confirms their sense of incompleteness. Most of the action in the play is taken to remedy, obscure, or avenge such unfulfilled desires. From different aspects four themes are explored but "unfulfilled desire" is the main theme and the other central themes in the play should be considered as sub-themes that address the play's overarching exploration of the dynamics of desire.Chapter Two makes a thorough psychoanalytic reading of the main character-Salome. First, Salome is a victim of her unresolved Oedipus complex and the underlying cause for her sudden change from a chaste virgin to a lascivious vamp is analyzed, with the help of Freud's relevant theory on the unconscious Oedipus complex existing in the special stage of childhood. Second, the persona and subjective desire reflected in Salome are analyzed .When Salome succeeds in forcing Herod to compromise to give her the head of Jokanaan, she overthrows the supervision and control of Herod and Jokanaan blindly and thoroughly. And this certainly becomes an awfully dangerous state that can by no means last long. Salome is destined to be suppressed at last, so she cannot escape from her doomed death that results from her blind pursuit for the absolute freedom to satisfy her unbefitting desires.Chapter Three analyzes another important character of the play-Herod. In Salome, Herod's "dance monologue" is the manifestation of his sexual neuroses through symbolic language. The monologue of Herod just preceding "the Dance of the Seven Veils" demonstrates the depth of his desperate neuroses. While his intention is to implore Salome to dance for him, Herod ends up delivering a capricious, repetitious and intensely self-conscious monologue. He leaps between symbols, similes, metaphors and occasional puns. The structure of this monologue and the symbolism and wordplay involved define Herod's position in the play as a neurotic, ineffectual person constantly in fear of the perceived symbols and omens around him.Chapter Four mainly interprets the typical symbol in the play -the moon from the perspective of Freudian psychoanalytic literary criticisms. The moon, a recurring leitmotif in the play, is one of the most important symbolical referents for Wilde, and for the characters themselves. How the different characters describe the moon demonstrates this constant shifting of light and shadow. Various descriptions of the moon reveal the various watchers' desires for Salome up to a point. More specifically, however, the descriptions point to the way their desires construct their respective states of mind. And Salome is the very symbol of art in the drama: her dance, too, becomes a symbolic representation of her power to seduce, a fascinating blend of chastity and erotic manipulation.To sum up, through detailed analysis of Salome based on Freudian psychoanalytic theory, this thesis provides new and profound interpretations to the play. We have attained refreshing insight into its contents, its characters, its profound themes and also the symbol-the moon. The apparently traditional play turns out to be endowed with strong sense of modern psychological literature that consists of desire, love and repression, operating on the hidden drive of desperate desire. In the light of Freudian theory, we can really gain deeper understanding from the psychological analysis of Wilde's play.