The Picture of Dorian Gray

1. The Picture of Dorian Gray Oscar Wilde The first edition: 1890 in Lippincott’s Monthly Magazine

2. ABOUT THE AUTHOR • Oscar FingalO'Flahertie Wills Wilde, otherwise known as Oscar Wilde, was a well-known writer of his time. He wrote mostly plays with satirical themes, but also created poems and other works. He was born in Dublin in 1854 and died in 1990 due to bad health. During his life he attended Trinity College in Dublin and a Magdalen College, in Oxford. Later on in his life, at a trial between Wilde and Queensbury about his newest play, "The Importance of Being Earnest", where Oscar was accused of being a sodomite, and revelations were made during the trial about the nature of Wilde's relationship with Queensbury's son. He was tried again and sent to jail in 1895, which sent him spinning into bad health. After his imprisonment Wilde was never the same, released from prison in 1897 he hide under the name of Sebastian Melmoth, no longer a shadow of his former self, he died poor, and alone in a Hotel room in Paris. Other Listed Works~ Salome (1891. play) The Importance of Being Earnest (Published 1899, play) A Woman of No Importance (1893, play) An Ideal Husband (1898, play) The Ballad of Reading Gaol (1898, poem) Lady Windermere's Fan (1892, play) The Happy Prince and Other Tales 1888- Fairy tales for his sons

3. SETTING • The Picture of Dorian Gray takes place in the late nineteenth century London, England. Usually taking place in Dorian's estate, yet frequently going out to have a good time ,e.g., clubs, operas, ect., and visiting friends, and his girlfriend Sybil.

4. CHARACTERS • Dorian Gray- A young and beautiful boy. He is Basil’s model for most of his paintings. He later becomes Lord Henry’s corrupted pupil. He falls in love with a girl named Sybil Vane, only very shortly breaking up with her. Dorian goes into a spiral effect in his life moving in to evilness. He discovers his painting changing as he continues with his evil doings, though he does nothing to change. He never ages due to a wish he would stay young forever. He murders Basil out of a fight of rage when Basil wants him to repent his sins. Also he commits suicide after finally being overwhelmed with guilt.

5. CHARACTERS • Basil Hallward- A gifted painter. A more shy person, though he will attend a party or two with his friend Lord Henry. He adores Dorian, wanting to keep him safe and lovely; he loves to paint Dorian constantly. He sees Dorian as innocent and pure, until his friend ,Lord Henry, corrupts him. When he painted his masterpiece of Dorian he is afraid to show it to anyone. He says it “holds too much of himself in it”. Meaning his emotions are shown how he sees Dorian in the painting. Basil created the picture of Dorian Gray, the picture that changed due to the corruption in Dorian’s soul.

6. CHARACTERS • Lord Henry Wotton- The Devil. He is the friend of both Basil and Dorian. He corrupts Dorian very soon into their relationship. It is also known that as Dorian never changes, neither does Lord Henry; thus reveling he is the devil. Also revels that Lord Henry made the wish come true for Dorian to stay young and beautiful.

7. Literary Elements • Tone • Admiring- the narrator seems fascinated by Lord henry’s depravity and the effect it has on Dorian • Admonishing- At the same time the narrator is disgusted by the acts in the book and comes down on the characters quite harshly • Symbolism • The portrait- Dorian's’ soul • The yellow book- Lord Henry’s poisonous influence on Dorian

8. Plot Summary Basil Hallward paints a portrait of the exceptionally beautiful and pure Dorian Gray. However, when Basil’s friend Lord Henry Wotton meets Dorian his influence turns him into a vain hedonist who values beauty and pleasure more than anything else. Upon the completion of the portrait Dorian becomes upset that he is destined to grow old and ugly while the portrait will always be beautiful and he wishes that it were the other way around. Later, Dorian meets the lovely and talented actress Sybil Vane and they fall in love but after Sybil’s overwhelming passion for Dorian causes her acting to falter Dorian brutally dumps her and she commits suicide. When Dorian returns to his home he finds that the portrait has changed and looks cruel. Dorian begins to live a truly hedonistic lifestyle with only the portrait to document the inner corruption of his soul. Basil comes to see Dorian on his 38th birthday to confront him about the rumors that have been spreading about Dorian. Dorian snaps and shows Basil the portrait, which is hideous by now, and Basil implores Dorian to pray for his soul. Instead, Dorian murders him and blackmails another friend to dispose of the body.

9. Plot Summary Cont. He retreats to an opium den to calm his nerves and meets James Vane-Sybil’s brother- who’s mission in life is to avenge his sister’s death by killing Dorian. Through a lie Dorian is able to escape James’ wrath but begins to live in fear of his retribution. James begins to stalk Dorian and is killed in a hunting accident. This event sparks a kind of mid-life crisis: he begins to wonder if his vile but enjoyable lifestyle is worth it. He actually does a good(ish) deed, by deciding not to corrupt a young girl he's got the hots for, which makes him question his past actions even more. Seeking some kind of reassurance, Dorian talks to Lord Henry, who's not any help at all, unsurprisingly. Dorian even practically admits to murdering Basil, but Henry laughs it off and doesn't believe him. That night, Dorian returns home in a pensive mood. Catching a glimpse of himself in the mirror, he hates his own beauty and breaks the mirror. Again, he vows to be good, but we find out that his various crimes don't really haunt him, because he doesn't consider them his fault. Instead, he selfishly wants to be good so that the painting will become beautiful again. Heartened by this thought, he goes up to see if his recent good deed has improved the painting – in fact, it only looks worse. Frustrated, Dorian decides to destroy the picture, the visible evidence of his dreadful crimes, and the closest thing to a conscience he has. Dorian slashes at the painting with the same knife that killed Basil, trying to destroy the work as he did the artist. A tremendous crash and a terrible cry alert the servants that something very, very bad has happened – it's even audible outside the house. Finally, they go upstairs to check it out, and are horrified by what they find: a portrait of their master, as beautiful as ever, hangs on the wall, and a mysterious, grotesquely hideous dead man is lying on the floor with a knife in his heart. Upon close examination, the rings on the dead man's hand identify him as Dorian Gray.

10. QUOTES • Jacob- “Strange , that my first passionate love-letter should have been addressed to a dead girl.” In this section Dorian has come to the delusional conclusion that Sibly Vane’s death is some overly passionate love to him. He pictures this as something great in his new life. • Katie- "An artist should create beautiful things, but should put nothing of his own life into them.“ - Oscar Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray Ch. 1 This quote was taken from the first chapter of Oscar Wilde's "The Picture of Dorian Gray". During this time in the book, a man named Basil, was painting a picture and talking to Lord Henry. He was explaining that he was not going to exhibit the picture, no matter how good it looked, because the Artist, Basil, felt that he had put too much of himself into the painting. • Giuseppe-"The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it. Resist it, and your soul grows sick with longing for the things it has forbidden to itself, with desire for what its monstrous laws have made monstrous and unlawful.“ - Oscar Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray Ch. 2

11. Critiques • ITS SHARING TIME!!! • We all had different views on the book • Jacob- • Guiseppe- • Katie- • Leah-

12. JOBS • Jacob- Putting together PowerPoint, character descriptions, quotes, critics. • Katie-Plot summary, literary elements, quotes, critics. • Guiseppe-Author biography, setting, quotes, critics. • Leah- Job slide, title page, quotes, critics.