In 1895, five years after The Picture of Dorian Gray was first published in Lippincott’s Magazine, Wilde was put on trial for gross indecency. For example, art for art’s sake and the concept that something could just be beautiful with no specific purpose. An Irish poet and playwright, Wilde saw much success but provoked outrage in Victorian England for an eccentric lifestyle that went against the norm.īy the 1890s, Wilde was a popular playwright and figure in Aestheticism – a movement in art and literature that believed art should focus on beauty rather than conveying a message. Parallels have been made between the fate of Dorian Gray in the novel and the real life of the author Oscar Wilde. The Painting and the Painter in Dorian Gray On the floor, Dorian lies dead, hardly recognizable as he is now a wrinkled old man. To the reader’s surprise, the portrait is not damaged at all and shows Dorian as a beautiful and youthful man. A crash is heard and servants rush immediately to the room. This dramatic ending of The Picture of Dorian Gray is described by Oscar Wilde perfectly. With the same knife that he killed Basil with, he attempts to destroy the painting. Dorian never confesses to this crime, along with many others, and resorts to destroying the withered portrait. The portrait is now hideous and Dorian kills Basil in a rage of fury. As Dorian’s reputation has suffered, the painting has taken a physical resemblance of his life of sin. The whole plot line and the written language of the novel is a work of art in itself. He commits various crimes and even kills a number of people with little remorse. Throughout the book, Lord Henry’s influence on Dorian grows stronger and he pursues a life of sin and corruption. He wishes that the painting will bear the burden of age and that he will stay young forever. “When your youth goes, your beauty will go with it, and then you will suddenly discover that there are no triumphs left for you.”ĭorian is convinced by Lord Henry, agreeing that “youth is the only thing worth having.” As a result, Dorian casts a curse on the painted portrait. When they meet, Lord Henry upsets Dorian by discussing the changing effect of youth. Basil is worried about the effect that Lord Henry will have on Dorian. Lord Henry is a shallow friend of Basil, whose life revolves around hedonism, youth, beauty, and pleasure. Movie still from Dorian Gray, Lord Henry Wotton (Colin Firth) showing Dorian Gray (Ben Barnes) a mirror, 2009, directed by Oliver Parker.
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