Özet:

19th century is the one when England was largely shaped by traditions but significant changes were observed in the social life pattern especially under the influence of the Industrial Revolution. Unlike many writers who usually dealt with traditional characters and subjects, Oscar Wilde wrote contradicting plays in the traditional society of England of the 1890s; however, he was severely condemned, criticized and even imprisoned for his contradictory views and life-style. The play Salome, which he wrote in harmony with art for art’s sake, also led to serious debates and was censored on the grounds that the female protagonist employs her sexual identity as a means of attaining her own desire and target instead of serving her sexuality to the male authority as expected of the traditional woman. In this sense, Salome could be taken as a feminist woman that sets an example to the new woman character put against the tradition-bound woman of the English society until the late 19th century on one hand, and as a feminine woman who uses her sexual appearance as a weapon for her purpose. In this study, the character of Salome has been analyzed within the context of these two close concepts and it has been concluded that Salome is more a feminine character than a feminist one. In reaching this conclusion, the social and historical position of woman has been dealt with in the study and comparisons have been made between the traditional woman and new woman.

Anahtar Kelimeler: