Oscar Wilde

Oscar Wilde was an Irish poet, playwright, and wit who is regarded as one of the most celebrated writers of the late Victorian era. He is best known for his novel The Picture of Dorian Gray and for his plays, and for his trial and imprisonment.

Early Life and Education

Wilde was born in 1854 in Dublin to a surgeon and a poet. He studied at Trinity College, Dublin, and at Magdalen College, Oxford.

He was a brilliant classicist and won prizes for his poetry. He became a disciple of the aesthetic movement and adopted its doctrines and its style.

He moved to London and became a celebrity and a wit. He was a central figure of the aesthetic circle and a friend of the artists and writers of the period.

The Early Works

Wilde published a collection of poems in 1881 and lectured on aesthetics in the United States. He edited a magazine and wrote reviews and essays.

His early plays, including Vera and The Duchess of Padua, were not successful. He wrote short stories, including The Happy Prince and Other Tales.

The essay The Decay of Lying sets out his aesthetic doctrine. He argued for the primacy of art over nature and for the importance of style.

The Picture of Dorian Gray

The Picture of Dorian Gray was published in 1890 and was revised and expanded in 1891. The novel describes a young man who remains youthful while his portrait ages and records his corruption.

The novel was attacked for its immorality and for its hints of homosexuality. Wilde defended it in letters to the press.

The novel is regarded as a masterpiece of the gothic and of the aesthetic movement. It explores the relation between art and life and between beauty and morality.

The Plays

Wilde wrote a series of comedies that are among the finest in the English language. Lady Windermere's Fan, A Woman of No Importance, and An Ideal Husband are social satires.

The Importance of Being Earnest, first performed in 1895, is his masterpiece. The play is a comedy of manners and of mistaken identity.

The plays are characterised by their wit and by their epigrams. They satirise the hypocrisy and the conventions of Victorian society.

The Trial and the Imprisonment

Wilde's relationship with Lord Alfred Douglas led to a series of legal actions. He sued the father of Douglas for libel and lost.

He was then prosecuted for gross indecency and was convicted. He was sentenced to two years of hard labour.

He was imprisoned in Reading Gaol and wrote the long letter De Profundis. The Ballad of Reading Gaol was written after his release.

The Later Life and Death

Wilde was released in 1897 and went to France. He lived in poverty and in poor health under the name Sebastian Melmoth.

He wrote little after his release and died in 1900 in Paris. He was buried in the Père Lachaise Cemetery.

His tomb was designed by Jacob Epstein and bears a sculpture of a winged figure. It is a place of pilgrimage for admirers.

Legacy

Wilde is regarded as one of the greatest wits and playwrights of the English language. His plays are performed throughout the world.

His trial and his imprisonment became a symbol of the persecution of homosexuals. He was pardoned posthumously in 2017.

He is remembered for his epigrams and for his style. His work continues to be read and to be performed.

The American Lecture Tour

Wilde toured the United States in 1882 and lectured on aesthetics. The tour made him famous and a subject of ridicule.

He was parodied in the comic opera Patience by Gilbert and Sullivan. The tour was organised to promote the opera.

He met the leading writers and artists of the country. The experience provided material for his later work.

The Editorship and the Criticism

Wilde edited The Woman's World and wrote reviews and essays. He was a leading figure of the aesthetic movement and of the literary journalism of the period.

He wrote the dialogues The Decay of Lying and The Critic as Artist. The essays set out his views on art and on criticism.

He argued for the autonomy of art and for the importance of style. The ideas influenced the development of the aesthetic movement.

The Last Years

Wilde was released from prison in 1897 and went to France. He lived under the name Sebastian Melmoth and was supported by friends.

He wrote The Ballad of Reading Gaol, which was published in 1898. The poem is an indictment of the prison system.

He died in Paris in 1900 and was buried in the Père Lachaise Cemetery. His tomb is a monument and a place of pilgrimage.

The Plays

Wilde wrote a series of comedies in the early 1890s. Lady Windermere's Fan and A Woman of No Importance were produced in the West End.

The Importance of Being Earnest was produced in 1895. The play is a satire of the manners of the Victorian society.

The comedies are admired for the wit of the dialogue. They are still performed throughout the world.

The Trials and the Prison

Wilde was accused of gross indecency by the Marquess of Queensberry. He sued the marquess for libel and lost.

He was arrested and tried twice. He was convicted in 1895 and sentenced to two years of hard labour.

He was imprisoned at Reading and at Wandsworth. The experience broke his health and his spirit.

See also

• Aesthetic movement
• The Importance of Being Earnest