“Life is too important to be taken seriously.” – Oscar Wilde

1. “Life is too important to be taken seriously.” – Oscar Wilde

2. Full name: Oscar Fingal O’Flahertie Wills Wilde Birth date: October 16, 1854 Birth place: Dublin, Ireland Death date: November 30, 1900Death place: Paris, FranceHair color: BrownEye color: Grey College: Trinity College, Magdalen College (Oxford) Occupation: Playwright, novelist, poet, editor

3. Oscar excelled at school, doing particularly well with the classics. • He earned numerous awards and scholarships for his writing. “I have nothing to declare except my genius.”

4. In 1878, Oscar Wilde moved to London with a desire to achieve stardom. Within two years, he had made quite a name for himself, though his works were met with mixed reviews. He viewed life as a performance. His wardrobe was designed by theatre costumiers, including a velvet coat edged with braid, and a large flowing pale green tie. This was considered an effective way to gain attention. - A “Dandy” Everyone should strive for beauty, which was the ideal. "I love acting. It is so much more real than life."

5. Wilde decided to adopt a life of respectability. In 1884, he married Constance Lloyd and they had two sons. "Nowadays all the married men live like bachelors and all the bachelors live like married men." 34 Tite Street, Chelsea – in the fashionable part of London. This was their home until 1895

6. In the summer of 1891, Oscar met Lord Alfred 'Bosie' Douglas, the third son of the Marquis of Queensberry. • Bosie was well acquainted with Oscar's novel Dorian Gray and was an undergraduate at Oxford. • They soon became lovers and were inseparable until Wilde's arrest four years later.

7. ... the real tragedies of life occur in such an inartistic manner that they hurt us by their crude violence, their absolute incoherence, their absurd want of meaning, their entire lack of style. • In April 1895, Oscar sued Bosie's father for libel as the Marquis had publicly accused him of homosexuality. • Oscar withdrew his case but was himself arrested and convicted of gross indecency and sentenced to two years hard labor.

8. He was never the same after his release from prison in 1897. • Wilde, in November 1900, died in a low-budget Paris hotel, having said, "I am in a duel to the death with this wallpaper, one of us has got to go."

9. Quotes "Genius is born, not paid." "Every woman is wrong until she cries." "I can resist everything except temptation.""No man is rich enough to buy back his past." “Women are meant to be loved, not to be understood." "A man who does not think for himself does not think at all." "The public have an insatiable curiosity to know everything, except what is worth knowing.“

10. The Late Victorian Era (1870-1901): Decay of Victorian Values • For many, the late-Victorian period was merely an extension, at least on the surface, of the affluence of the preceding years. • For many others, though, the late-Victorian period became a time to fundamentally question―and challenge―the assumptions and practices that had made such affluence possible.  It became a time to hold England to account for the way in which it had generated wealth for so few on the backs of so many, both at home and throughout the empire. • Home-rule for Ireland became an increasingly controversial topic of debate. • Source: http://wwnorton.com/college/english/nael9/section/volE/overview.aspx .

11. Guiding Ideas in Dorian Gray • Aestheticism • Art for art’s sake & search for sensations • Dandyism • Cultivating beauty and satisfying passions as an expression through physical appearance and manner • Japonisme • Japanese influence on English culture during the Victorian Era; seen in Basil’s studio • Hedonism • Pleasure and sensation without concern of consequence

12. Key term: Aesthetics Aesthetics: The study or philosophy of the beautiful in nature, art, and literature. There is a strong focus on the senses. Philosophical dimension— What is art? What is beauty? What is the relationship of the beautiful to other values? Psychological dimension— What is the source of aesthetic enjoyment? How is beauty perceived and recognized? From what impulse do art and beauty arise?

13. Key term: Aestheticism The aesthetic study of literature concentrates its attention on the sense of the beautiful rather than on moral, social, or practical considerations. When pursued with great vigor, it leads to aestheticism Aestheticism: A late nineteenth-century literary movement that rested on the credo of “Art for Art’s Sake.” Oscar Wilde insisted on the separation of art and morality.

14. Key term: Dandy • Charles Baudelaire (French poet) defined the dandy as one who elevates aesthetics to a living religion • "Dandyism in certain respects comes close to spirituality and to stoicism" • "These beings have no other status, but that of cultivating the idea of beauty in their own persons, of satisfying their passions, of feeling and thinking….Contrary to what many thoughtless people seem to believe, dandyism is not even an excessive delight in clothes and material elegance. For the perfect dandy, these things are no more than the symbol of the aristocratic superiority of his mind.” • Source: answers.com

15. Key term: Japonisme When reading about Basil’s art studio, picture the following… • Japonisme: A trend during the Victorian Era in London which embraced the culture of Japan and was evident through art, fashion, and other forms of “beauty.” • Famous example: The Peacock Room, designed by the interior architect Thomas Jeckyll for Fredrick R. Leyland's dining room, perhaps stands as the most powerful testament to this all-encompassing Japonisme (most famously depicted through some of artist James McNeill Whistler’s works). (blogs.princeton.edu)

16. “The Peacock Room” Photos from ibiblio.org and Google images; interior architect Leyland; portrait by Wilde’s friend and famous artist James Whistler

19. Major Characters • Dorian Gray -  A radiantly handsome, impressionable, and wealthy young gentleman, whose portrait the artist Basil Hallward paints. Lord Wotten’s influence changes the young man’s personality. • Lord Henry Wotton -  A nobleman and a close friend of Basil Hallward. Urbane and witty, Lord Henry is perpetually armed and ready with well-phrased epigrams criticizing the moralism and hypocrisy of Victorian society. His pleasure-seeking philosophy of “new Hedonism,” which espouses garnering experiences that stimulate the senses without regard for conventional morality, plays a vital role in Dorian’s development.

20. Major Characters (Cont.) • Basil Hallward -  An artist, and a friend of Lord Henry. Basil becomes obsessed with Dorian after meeting him at a party. He claims that Dorian possesses a beauty so rare that it has helped him realize a new kind of art. Dorian also helps Basil realize his artistic potential. • Sibyl Vane -  A poor, beautiful, and talented actress with whom Dorian falls in love. Source for Character Info.: Sparknotes.com

21. Themes • The Purpose of Art • The Supremacy of Youth and Beauty • The Superficial Nature of Society • The Negative Consequences of Influence

22. Where’s Wilde?