The scene of Salome is set in the Palace of Herod. There are a few soldiers on a balcony overlooking an old well and a wall of green bronze. It is nighttime, yet the moon is unusually bright.

The young Syrian exclaims that he thinks the Princess Salome looks beautiful. His companion, the page of Herodias, tries to shift the young man's attention away from the Princess and towards the moon. The page announces the moon looks strange tonight, as it is so bright. He likens it to a dead woman because it is moving so slowly up towards the sky. The young Syrian however, likens the moon to a princess with feet of white doves. The page of Herodias disagrees arguing that the moon is not like a princess; rather it is like a dead woman.

Meanwhile, two soldiers are talking about the Jews...