The Picture of Dorian GrayThe Picture of Dorian Gray

By Oscar By Oscar WildeWilde

published 1890

Immediately criticized ad scandalous and immoral

Dorian Gray, the protagonist, is a HANDSOME, YOUNG MAN

A narcissist or better he MADE OF HIS BEAUTY A NARCISSIST, DECADENT, INSANE CULT

Oscar Wilde’s Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian GrayThe Picture of Dorian Gray

Part gothic novelPart gothic novel Part comedy of Part comedy of

mannersmanners Part treatise on the Part treatise on the

relationship relationship between art and between art and moralitymorality

““The Picture of Dorian Gray”The Picture of Dorian Gray”

Wilde with Lord Alfred Douglas

• The novel portraits not only the physical The novel portraits not only the physical degradation, but also the corruption of a souldegradation, but also the corruption of a soul• • AFTER the FULLFILMENT of his desire, he leads an IMMORAL and DISSOLUTE LIFE

•He makes USE of EVERYBODY, letting people DIE AS A RESULT of his INSENSITIVITY

•He commits crimes, even murder

• He lives ONLY for the ECSTASY OF PLEASURE

The Life and Death of Oscar WildeThe Life and Death of Oscar Wilde

The painter Basil sees the CORRUPTED and DEFORMED IMAGE OF THE PORTRAIT

Dorian kills him

And finally Dorian decides to free himself of his own spiritual corruption and stabs with a dagger the portrait And Dorian

mysteriously kills himself.

DEEPLY ALLEGORICAL STORYDEEPLY ALLEGORICAL STORY Somehow a 19° Somehow a 19°

century version century version of the MYTH OF of the MYTH OF FAUSTFAUST

THE STORY OF A THE STORY OF A MAN WHO MAKES MAN WHO MAKES A PACT WITH THE A PACT WITH THE DEVIL so that all DEVIL so that all his desires may his desires may be satisfiedbe satisfied Dorian, in return to his

youth, SELLS HIS SOUL

Some Some Golden LinesGolden Lines from the from the NovelNovel

All art is quite useless. There is only one All art is quite useless. There is only one thing in the world worse than being thing in the world worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about, and that is not being talked about. talked about.

Being natural is simply a pose, and the Being natural is simply a pose, and the most irritating pose I know.most irritating pose I know.

I like persons better than principles, and I like persons better than principles, and I like persons with no principles better I like persons with no principles better than anything else in the world. than anything else in the world.

More GMore Golden Lines olden Lines from from Dorian Dorian GrayGray

The only way to get rid of a The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it. (Page 21)temptation is to yield to it. (Page 21)

Beauty is a form of Genius—is higher, Beauty is a form of Genius—is higher, indeed, than Genius, as it needs no indeed, than Genius, as it needs no explanation. It is of the graet facts of explanation. It is of the graet facts of the world, like sunlight, or springtime, the world, like sunlight, or springtime, or the reflection in dark waters of that or the reflection in dark waters of that silver shell we call the moon. It silver shell we call the moon. It cannot be questioned. (Page 24)cannot be questioned. (Page 24)

One more sampling from the One more sampling from the thousands in the novel……thousands in the novel……

There is always something ridiculous There is always something ridiculous about the emotion of people whom one about the emotion of people whom one has ceased to love. has ceased to love.

No theory of life seemed to him to be of No theory of life seemed to him to be of any importance compared with life itself. any importance compared with life itself.

Is insincerity such a terrible thing? I Is insincerity such a terrible thing? I think not. It is merely a method by think not. It is merely a method by which we can multiply our personalities.which we can multiply our personalities.

Some Lasting Images Some Lasting Images