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Interesting facts about O.Wilde

1. Oscar Wilde was a prominent Irish playwright, novelist, poet, and essayist who lived in the late 19th century.

2. He was born on October 16, 1854, in Dublin, Ireland, and was the second of three children.

3. Wilde was a leading figure of the aesthetic movement, which emphasized the importance of beauty and art for art's sake.

4. He was a flamboyant dresser who was known for his dandyism and his wit.

5. Wilde was married and had two children, but he was also known to have had affairs with men.

6. In 1895, Wilde was convicted of homosexual offences and sentenced to two years of hard labour in prison.

7. After his release from prison, Wilde spent the rest of his life in exile in France and died in Paris on November 30, 1900.

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Plot summary

Lord Henry encourages Basil to show his art in London's most famous gallery, but Basil declines -too much of him and his emotions have been put into this painting of a beautiful young man. It's Dorian Gray. Basil opens up about his fascination with him and how he met him. He went to a cocktail party at Lady Brandon where he saw Dorian and fell in love with him, they were introduced awkwardly. Then Henry wants to know more about this young lad, Basil talks about Dorian and how he is his muse, his art. Henry had heard about Dorian from his Aunt Lady Agatha, but now he can't wait to meet this young beauty.

Characters: | Lord Henry Wotton, Basil Hallward.
Setting (place): | Basils art studio.

Quotes

“He is all my art to me now.”

"I know you will laugh at me," he replied, "but I really can’t exhibit it. I have put too much of myself into it.’’

"Don't spoil him. Don't try to influence him. Your influence would be bad."

"One’s own soul, and the passions of one’s friends—those were the fascinating things in life."

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Plot summary

Basil introduces Henry to Dorian, Henry is infatuated with the young man's beauty. Dorian poses for Basil's portrait while Henry entertains him with his Hedonistic views of life, he believes in yielding to all desires and temptations. Dorian is intrigued but disturbed by this conversation, which seems to awaken something in him. When the portrait is finished, Dorian is pleased with how beautiful he looks but becomes upset at the thought of losing his beauty as he grows old, wishing that he’d stay young forever. Basil decides to destroy the portrait, but Dorian stops him.

Characters | Lord Henry Wotton, Basil Hallward, Dorian Gray.
Setting (place)  | Basils art studio.

Quotes

"The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it"

"If only if it were the other way! If it were I who was to be always young, and the picture that was to go old! For that-for that- I would give everything! Yes, there is nothing in the whole world I would not give! I would give my soul for that!"

"How sad it is! I shall grow old, and horrible, and dreadful. But this picture will remain always young. .. If it were I who was to be always young, and the picture that was to grow old! .. I would give my soul for that!"

"I know, now, that when one loses one's good looks, whatever they may be, one loses everything."

“It is only shallow people who do not judge by appearances."

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Plot summary

Lord Henry visits his uncle George to learn more about Dorian's background, discovering that Dorian is an orphan, and his mother married beneath her social rank and died tragically. Lord Henry is intrigued by Dorian and wants to influence and be a part of his life. Later, Lord Henry and Dorian attend a dinner at Aunts Agathas, discussing the poor values of America and current social problems in England.

Characters | Lord Henry Wotton, Lord Henry Wotton’s uncle - George(Lord Fermor), Dorian Gray, Lady Agatha, Mr.Erskine, Sir Thomas.
Setting (place)  | Lord Henry Wotton’s uncle’s home, restaurant.

Quotes

"There was something terribly enthralling in the exercise of influence. .. To project one's soul into some gracious form, and let it tarry there for a moment; to hear one's own intellectual views echoed back to one .. ."

‘’Young people, nowadays, imagine that money is everything.’’

"To get back one's youth, one has merely to repeat one's follies."

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Plot summary

Dorian is waiting for Lord Henry at his Mayfair home when he meets Henry's wife, Victoria. When Henry arrives he talks about marriage and women, how it’s useless and women are just decorative sex. Then Dorian reveals that he is in love with an actress named Sibyl Vane, he saw her in the theatre playing Juliet and has been visiting her every night since. It’s the best thing that has happened to him and he’s never felt this happy before, but Henry is against it. When Henry returns home later that night, he discovers that Dorian and Sibyl are engaged.

Characters | Lord Henry Wotton, Dorian Gray, Lady Henry.
Setting (place)  | Lord Henry Wotton’s house.

Quotes

"My dear boy, no woman is a genius. Women are a decorative sex. They never have anything to say, but they say it charmingly. Women represent the triumph of matter over mind, just as men represent the triumph of mind over morals."

“ I want a breath of our passion to stir their dust into consciousness, to wake their ashes into pain. My God, Harry, how I worship her!"

"It was to tell him that he was engaged to be married to Sibyl Vane."

"Never marry at all, Dorian. Men marry because they are tired; women, because they are curious: both are disappointed."

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Plot summary

Sibyl tells her brother and mother about her engagement with Dorian and that she’s never been happier, but they both are sceptical because she doesn’t even know his real name. Sibyl's brother, James, is suspicious of Dorian's intentions towards his sister and warns her to be careful, but Sibyl is convinced that he is Prince Charming. Before leaving for Australia, James asks his mother to take good care of Sibyl and threatens to come back and kill Dorian if he hurts her.

Characters | Sybil Vane, James Vane, Sybil’s and James’ mother.
Setting (place)  | Theatre, Vane family home.

Quotes

"My child, you are far too young to think of falling in

love. (..) I must say that you should have shown more consideration. However, as I said before, if he is rich..”

“I wish I had, for as sure as there is a God in heaven, if he ever does you any wrong, I shall kill him.”

“But what does he see in me? I am not worthy of him. And yet--why, I cannot tell--though I feel so much beneath him, I don't feel humble. I feel proud, terribly proud.”

“All I say is, watch over Sibyl. Don't let her come to any harm. Mother, you must watch over her.”

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Plot summary

Henry and Basil discuss Dorian's engagement before he arrives at the restaurant. Basil doesn't approve, but Henry sees it as part of his experiment. Dorian arrives and tells them the story of his engagement with Sibyl, which wins over Basil but not Henry. Henry goes on a philosophical rant about goodness, morality, and women, but Dorian promises that he will feel differently once he meets Sibyl. They leave in Henry's carriage, leaving Basil feeling sad that the marriage will drive them apart, but it's better than other possible outcomes.

Characters | Lord Henry Wotton, Basil Hallward, Dorian Gray.
Setting (place)  | Little private room in the restaurant “Bristol”.

Quotes

"But think of Dorian's birth, and position, and wealth.It would be absurd for him to marry so much beneath him.”

“I hope that Dorian Gray will make this girl his wife, passionately adore her for six months, and then suddenly become fascinated by someone else. He would be a wonderful study."

“I love Sibyl Vane. I want to place her on a pedestal of gold, and to see the world worship the woman who is mine.”

"The painter was silent and preoccupied. There was a gloom over him. He could not bear this marriage, and yet it seemed to him to be better than many other things that might have happened."

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Plot summary

Dorian, Lord Henry, and Basil go to the theatre to see Sibyl perform as Juliet. While she is still beautiful, her acting is terrible and Dorian breaks up with her, saying he no longer loves her. He leaves the theatre, ends up in Covent Garden, and begins to suspect that his wish to remain young and beautiful while his portrait ages and changes was granted. He puts a screen in front of the portrait and vows to return to Sibyl and marry her, hoping his love for her will return.

Characters | Lord Henry Wotton, Basil Hallward, Dorian Gray, Sibyl Vane.
Setting (place)  | The infamous theater.

Quotes

“"It is not good for one's morals to see bad acting. Besides, I don't suppose you will want your wife to act. So what does it matter if she plays Juliet like a wooden doll? She is very lovely, and if she knows as little about life as she does about acting, she will be a delightful experience.”

"You have killed my love. You used to stir my imagination. Now you don't even stir my curiosity. You simply produce no effect. I loved you because you were marvellous, because you had genius and intellect, because you realised the dreams of great poets and gave shape and substance to the shadows of art. You have thrown it all away. You are shallow and stupid."

"She is quite beautiful, Dorian," he said, "but she can't act. Let us go."

“It was the girl's fault, not his. He had dreamed of her as a great artist, had given his love to her because he had thought her great. Then she had disappointed him. She had been shallow and unworthy. And, yet, a feeling of infinite regret came over him ..

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Plot summary

Dorian wakes up and goes about his daily routine before noticing the portrait has changed. He feels guilty for what he did to Sibyl and decides to write her a letter, but learns that she has died. Lord Henry tries to convince Dorian that Sibyl's death was necessary and that they would not have been happy together. Dorian becomes emotionally detached and decides to watch what happens to his soul while leaving the portrait unchanged. All that matters to him is that his physical beauty remains unmarred.

Characters | Dorian Gray, Lord Henry Wotton.
Setting (place)  | Dorian’s house.

Quotes

“Harry, (..) why is it that I cannot feel this tragedy

as much as I want to? I don't think I am heartless. Do you?”

“Someone has killed herself for love of you. I wish that I had ever had such an experience. It would have made me in love with love for the rest of my life.”

"It was perfectly true. The portrait had altered."

"It had made him conscious how unjust, how cruel, he had been to Sibyl Vane. .. She could still be his wife."

"Dorian," he said, "my letter--don't be frightened--was to tell you that Sibyl Vane is dead."

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Plot summary

Basil visits Dorian to comfort him after the death of Sibyl, but Dorian is unaffected and brushes off Basil's concern. Dorian explains his reasoning for being over Sibyl's suicide and asks Basil to never bring her up again. Basil wants to exhibit the portrait he painted of Dorian, but Dorian freaks out and asks him to never show it again. Basil reveals his deep love for Dorian, but he doesn’t feel the same way, and then he leaves heartbroken.

Characters | Dorian Gray, Basil Hallward.
Setting (place)  | Dorian’s house.

Quotes

“I can’t explain it to you, Basil, but I must never sit to you again. There is something fatal about a portrait. It has a life of its own.”

“ It is one of the great romantic tragedies of the age. As a rule, people who act lead the most commonplace lives. They are good husbands, or faithful wives, or something tedious.”

“ You talk as if you had no heart, no pity in you. It is all Harry's influence, I see that.”

"Dorian, from the moment I met you, your personality had the most extraordinary influence over me. I was dominated, soul, brain, and power, by you."

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Plot summary

Dorian hides the portrait in the old schoolroom of his house, wrapping it in a flashy cover. He regrets not telling Basil the truth about the painting, maybe he could have helped him, but now it’s too late the painting is ruined. Dorian's servant almost catches him with the portrait, so he quickly sends the servant on an errand and has a famous frame-maker move the picture to the schoolroom. Dorian has a brief moment of regret about his actions but ignores them. Lord Henry sends Dorian The Yellow book which is another attempt at controlling Dorian and a newspaper article about Sibyl Vane, telling him that he’s safe and no one knows that her death is his fault.

Characters | Dorian Gray, Lord Henry Wotton, Dorian’s housekeepers, Dorian’s friend who helped him with his portrait.
Setting (place)  | Dorian’s house, restaurant.

Quotes

“What the worm was to the corpse, his sins would be to the painted image on the canvas. They would mar its beauty, and eat away its grace. They would defile it, and make it shameful. And yet the thing would still live on. It would always be alive.”

"No one could see it. He himself would not see it. Why should he watch the hideous corruption of his soul? .. There was no reason that the future should be so full of shame."

''He shuddered, and for a moment he regretted that he had not told Basil the true reason why he had wished to hide the picture away. Basil would have helped him to resist Lord Henry's influence, and the still more poisonous influences that came from his own temperament.''

“Some love might come across his life, purify him, and shield him from those sins that seemed to be already stirring in spirit and flesh”