King Herod and his wife Herodias enter onto the terrace, looking for Salomé. Herodias admonishes her husband for always looking at Salomé. Herod also notices the strange moon, saying that it reminds him of a mad woman who is drunkenly removing her clothes. He slips in the Young Syrian’s blood, which disturbs him as he believes it is a bad omen. After learning of the death by suicide, he discusses the custom of suicide among Roman stoic philosophers with Tigellinus, a Roman diplomat sent by Emperor Caesar Augustus. Herod, as the Tetrarch of Galilee and Perea, is subordinate to the Roman Empire.

Herod is once again disturbed when he hears the sound of beating wings. Herodias assures him it is nothing. Seeing Salomé outside, Herod invites her to drink wine and eat fruit with him, although she refuses his offer. They hear the voice of Jokanaan, continuing to preach against Herodias. Herodias asks Herod to kill the prophet for insulting her, but he claims he cannot kill a holy man. Some of the Jews in his court debate the doctrine of prophets and whether any man can truly see God other than the prophet Elias.