1854 earnest trial Oscar Wilde Biting wit plays

1854 earnest trial Oscar Wilde Biting wit plays poetry Dublin Victorian Era

The Picture of Dorian Gray By Oscar Wilde

What can you expect from the story?

Gray The Picture of Dorian Gray is the only published novel by Oscar Wilde, appearing in Lippincott's Monthly Magazine on 20 June 1890. The Picture of Dorian Gray is considered a work of classic gothic horror fiction. The novel begins with Lord Henry Wotton observing the artist Basil Hallward painting the portrait of a handsome young man named Dorian Gray. Dorian arrives later and meets Henry Wotton. After hearing Lord Henry's view of the world, Dorian begins to think that beauty is the only worthwhile (=good) aspect of life. Dorian realizes that one day his beauty will disappear and he declares that he would give his soul (= âme) so that he could remain young and the painting would grow old instead of his real beautiful face. Dorian discovers actress Sibyl Vane, who performs Shakespeare in a theatre. He approaches her and soon proposes marriage. Sibyl, who refers to him as "Prince Charming, " rushes home to tell her mother and brother. Her protective brother, James, tells her that if "Prince Charming" hurts her, he will kill him.

Gray Dorian invites Basil and Lord Henry to see Sibyl perform in Romeo and Juliet. That night, Sibyl performs very badly and Dorian rejects her, saying her beauty was in her art, and he is no longer interested in her. When he returns home, he notices that his portrait has changed. Dorian realizes his wish has come true – the portrait will now grow old with each sin (= pêché) he commits, while his own appearance remains unchanged. He decides to reconcile with Sibyl, but Lord Henry arrives in the morning to say Sibyl has killed herself by swallowing prussic acid. But Dorian is unaffected. With the persuasion and encouragement of Lord Henry, Dorian realizes that vice is the best in life and that he needs nothing else. So begins the story of the boy’s descent into the low society of London while the picture of himself grows steadily older and more vicious looking compared to his own mirror image which remains young. The final question is: how will it end?