Oscar Wilde: Life, Works, and Aestheticism

• Oscar Wilde was born in Dublin, Ireland, on October 16, 1854, into a wealthy family.
• Wilde's father, Sir William Wilde, was a renowned doctor.
• Wilde studied Classics at Trinity College, Dublin, and later attended Magdalen College, Oxford, graduating with distinction.
• Wilde moved to London and began writing poetry, publishing his first collection in 1881.
• He lectured on aesthetics in America, England, and Ireland, becoming a key figure in the Aesthetic Movement.
• The Aesthetic Movement prioritized beauty over moral or utilitarian considerations.
• In 1884, Wilde married Constance Lloyd, and they had two sons.
• Wilde edited a women's magazine and published The Happy Prince and Other Tales in 1888.
• Wilde published his novel The Picture of Dorian Gray in 1890, which faced criticism for being immoral.
• Wilde defended The Picture of Dorian Gray, arguing art exists beyond morality.
• Wilde's plays include:

Plays

- Lady Windermere's Fan (1892)
- A Woman of No Importance (1893)
- An Ideal Husband (1895)
- The Importance of Being Earnest (1895)

• Wilde's plays combined wit, satire, and social criticism.
• Wilde's affair with Lord Alfred Douglas led to accusations of homosexuality.
• Homosexuality was a criminal offense in Victorian England.
• Wilde lost a libel lawsuit and was convicted of "gross indecency" in 1895.
• He served two years of hard labor at Reading Gaol.
• After prison, Wilde lived in exile in France and wrote The Ballad of Reading Gaol.
• Oscar Wilde died in Paris on November 30, 1900, at age 46.

The Picture of Dorian Gray (1890)

• Dorian Gray wants to stay young while his portrait ages and reflects his sins.
• He lives a hedonistic life marked by crimes, with his portrait symbolizing his moral decay.
• After murdering Basil, Dorian destroys the portrait and dies as an old man, restoring the portrait to its original state.

Themes in The Picture of Dorian Gray

• The duality of human nature is represented by the portrait, which symbolizes Dorian's hidden corruption.
• Aestheticism is contrasted with morality, ending with a moral lesson about the consequences of sin.
• The novel criticizes Victorian society's emphasis on appearances:
  • Victorian society is portrayed valuing superficial beauty over morality.
  • Dorian’s success stems from his appearance, reflecting a society that separates beauty from goodness.

Aestheticism and the Cult of Beauty

• Aestheticism values art for beauty, not for moral or political reasons.
• Wilde's philosophy of aestheticism suggests that art should not be judged by moral standards.
• Wilde was influenced by French Decadent writers like Charles Baudelaire and J.K. Huysmans.

Symbolism and Style in The Picture of Dorian Gray

• The portrait symbolizes Dorian's conscience and hidden self.
• Wilde used a blend of Gothic elements with detailed, sensory descriptions.

The Importance of Being Earnest (1895)

• Jack Worthing lives a double life, known as Jack in the countryside and "Ernest" in London.
• Jack proposes to Gwendolen, who loves the name Ernest.
• Lady Bracknell opposes the marriage due to Jack's unknown parentage.
• Algernon visits Jack's ward, Cecily, pretending to be "Ernest," and they fall in love.
• The truth about Jack and Algernon's false identities emerges.
• Jack is revealed to be Lady Bracknell’s nephew, Algernon's brother, and his real name is Ernest.
• The play concludes with Jack and Gwendolen and Algernon and Cecily planning to marry.

Critique of Victorian Society in The Importance of Being Earnest

• The play satirizes Victorian values, especially regarding marriage as a business arrangement.
• Victorian morality is mocked through the hypocrisy of "earnest" characters.
• Lies and invented lives lead to a happy resolution, highlighting societal absurdities.

Features of Wilde’s Comedy of Manners

• Setting in contemporary times. Satirizes aristocratic manners, marriage, and gender relationships.
• Complex plots include misunderstandings, mistaken identities, and witty dialogue.
• Puns, especially on "earnest," add humor and irony, contrasting characters' dishonesty with the play's title.
• Language critiques Victorian hypocrisy, creates comedic effects, and hides the truth.
• Wilde uses language to challenge traditional norms and values, anticipating trends in 20th-century drama.

Lady Bracknell Interrogates Jack Worthing

• Lady Bracknell questions Jack's suitability to marry her daughter.
• She approves of his smoking, seeing it as a sign of having an occupation.
• She is pleased that Jack knows nothing, valuing ignorance in the upper class.
• His income and properties meet her standards, though the townhouse's location is criticized.
• She is appalled to learn Jack was found in a handbag at Victoria Station.
• She views his origins as improper and advises him to "acquire some relations."

Oscar Wilde (1854-1900) Biographical Information

• Wilde's mother was interested in Ireland’s independence.
• He was a gifted student who attended Trinity College and Oxford.
• He published Poems in 1881.
• Wilde married Constance Lloyd in 1884.
• He wrote The Canterville Ghost (1887) and The Happy Prince and Other Tales (1888) for his children.
• Wilde published The Picture of Dorian Gray in 1890.
• Wilde's first play, Lady Windermere’s Fan, debuted in 1892.
• Wilde also wrote A Woman of No Importance, Salomé, The Importance of Being Earnest, and An Ideal Husband.
• His affair with Lord Alfred Douglas led to a trial and imprisonment for homosexuality.
• He wrote De Profundis in prison, reflecting on his relationship with Alfred Douglas.
• After prison, he moved to Paris. His wife sent him money, due to his bankruptcy.
• Wilde wrote The Ballad of Reading Gaol, about the execution of a prisoner.
• Wilde's wife, Constance, never abandoned him, but his children changed their surname.

Themes in Wilde's Work

• Provocation. Aestheticism. Rejection of social and moral codes.
• The antagonism between the artist and bourgeois society. Social criticism.

Wilde's Style

• Puns (e.g., Wilde and wild; Ernest and earnest), paradoxes in dialogues, irony, and nonsense.
• Wilde aimed to make people laugh and think about what they laughed at.

The Picture of Dorian Gray Analysis

• Aphorisms in the preface relate to the artist's role, reader's role, nature of art, requirements for art, and art appreciation.
• The novel uses an unobtrusive, third-person narrator, carefully selected words, detailed phrases, and dialogues.
• It includes gothic elements and decadent fiction and symbols such as flowers and the portrait.
• Flowers symbolize the brevity of youth. The portrait symbolizes the decay of Dorian's soul.
• Considered the "manifesto" of the Aesthetic Movement. The theme of the double reflects the Victorian compromise.

The Importance of Being Earnest Analysis

• Its subtitle was "A Trivial Comedy for Serious people".
• Revival of the comedy of manners deals with love and marriages in a contemporary setting with intricate plots.
• Parody of Victorian melodrama. The protagonist lives a double life: Jack in the countryside, Ernest in the city.
• Witty dialogues satirize the hypocrisy of contemporary society, especially the aristocracy.
• In the play, being "earnest" means accepting social restrictions; Jack and Algernon invent false identities.

Explore the life and works of Oscar Wilde, from his birth in Dublin to his literary achievements. This lesson covers his education, the Aesthetic Movement, and key works like The Picture of Dorian Gray and his successful plays. Discover Wilde's impact on literature and aesthetics.