Oscar Wilde was a renowned Irish writer in the late-Victorian era most known for his poetry, plays, and literary criticism. His works remain critically acclaimed to this day, and it is widely accepted that Wilde had a profound influence on the arts in the 19th century. However, questions have been raised over the past century about his personal life, particularly about his relationships with young men during his lifetime. The possibility, however indisputable, of Wilde potentially being a paedophile has been the source of an intense debate due to a lack of concrete evidence either way.
The idea of Oscar Wilde as a paedophile was first suggested in the late 1960s by the founders of the National Council of Civil Liberties, who made claims against him in the ‘Oscar Wilde Memorial Book’. This claim was soon dismissed by members of the intellectual elite and has since been a subject of debate. Much of the speculation surrounding Wilde’s relationships with young boys is due to his association with the aesthetic movement, a movement which focused heavily on the notion of ‘beauty’ and thus created an environment in which homosexuality, and specifically paedophilia, were accepted.
Given the context of Wilde’s day and age, it is unsurprising that his relationships with young boys have come under scrutiny. However, there is no clear evidence to suggest that these relationships were anything other than platonic. Part of the problem is that during the 19th century the idea of paedophilia was not yet fully understood as a concept, and that the answer can only be determined from a modern perspective.
As such, the question of Wilde’s paedophilia remains largely up for debate. The lack of information about the intimate details of his relationships makes it difficult to form an opinion either way. All that can be said is that the evidence which exists does not lead to a definitive answer.
What is clear, however, is that the scandal Wilde was caught up in because of these relationships had an immense impact on his life and career. He was eventually convicted and sentenced to two years of imprisonment in hard labour, a grave punishment for a crime to which he may or may not have been guilty. This ordeal ended his literary career, and he ultimately died penniless.
Oscar Wilde’s Relationship With Lord Alfred Douglas
One of the most contentious relationships between Wilde and a young man was his relationship with Lord Alfred Douglas, son of the 8th Marquess of Queensbury. The pair met in 1891, when Lord Alfred Douglas was just 16, and the scandal between the two was brought to light by Douglas’ father in 1895 with his now-infamous “posing somdomite” letter.
The relationship between the two was highly controversial, as Douglas was just 19 when the scandal broke out and Wilde was almost twice his age. The relationship became the subject of much public criticism, with many suspecting that their relationship was far more than just platonic.
The speculation surrounding the two men’s relationship was further fuelled by the court documents of the trial, which included passages containing homoerotic language between the two. Wilde also wrote to Douglas in a letter expressing his love and admiration, although whether it was simply platonic or something more is a matter of great debate.
Ultimately, there is no concrete evidence which would suggest that Wilde was a paedophile. Every relationship of Wilde’s has been subject to scrutiny, but ultimately it is impossible to determine his true intentions without further evidence.
The End of Oscar Wilde’s Career
The impact of these scandals on Wilde’s literary career was immense. Such controversy, however inevitable, created a cloud of suspicion around Wilde, and his successes started to wane. His fame began to die out and his works were no longer published. His most famous novel, The Picture of Dorian Grey, was heavily criticized, and as a result was banned in some places. What once heralded him as a genius was now seen as something of an embarrassment.
Wilde’s work was finally silenced in 1895 when he was arrested and convicted of the crime of ‘gross indecency’. He was sentenced to two years in prison, but due to ill health he had to be moved to Reading Gaol where he was released after a year and a half. Upon his release, his reputation was ruined and Wilde had no choice but to flee to France, a country to which he had never been before.
The final blow to Wilde’s career came in 1898 when his novel The Ballad of Reading Gaol, a work based on his own experiences in the prison, was published anonymously. The book was instantly despised by the public, with the criticism largely based on the fact that it was written by the now-disgraced Wilde.
Ultimately, Wilde’s life spiralled out of control over the course of his career and the speculation over his personal life and his relationship with young men were a large part of this. His later works were seen as a scandal, and the financial and personal cost of the whole ordeal was immense.
The Criticism of Wilde in Modern Times
Wilde’s fame has recently resurged as modern audiences have been more willing to accept the possibility of his innocence and complain about his ordeal. Modern scholarship has also brought many new perspectives on Wilde’s works and life, with some scholars claiming that his conviction was in fact due to anti-gay prejudice and homophobia rather than his personal proclivities. This has certainly changed attitudes in recent times.
However, the criticism of Wilde’s trial is still largely based on the idea that he was an innocent victim and that the charges he faced were unjust, rather than an argument refuting the idea that he was in fact guilty of the crime. While this is a valid point, it fails to address the possibility that Wilde’s relationships with young boys may have in fact been more than just innocent.
The debate surrounding Wilde’s potential paedophilia remains heated and is unlikely to be resolved any time soon. The lack of concrete evidence either way leaves much to be speculated, and the only thing that can be determined is that the scandal had a profound impact on Wilde’s life and career.
Contemporaries’ Opinion of Oscar Wilde
Wilde’s contemporaries, of course, had their own opinions of his character and of the accusations against him. For example, the well-known author Henry James was an outspoken critic of Wilde and wrote extensively on the topic of homosexuality and paedophilia, the latter of which he considered a “calamity of the human race”.
Similarly, the philosopher George Bernard Shaw was highly critical of Wilde’s situation as he felt that ruling Wilde guilty was simply done out of public morality rather than fact or justice. He believed that Wilde was used as a scapegoat and that this should not be seen as a reflection of his innocence or guilt.
Other literary figures such as Augustus Hare, Lord Tennyson and Samuel Butler spoke out in support of Wilde, claiming that his trial was unjust and that his liaisons with young men should not be judged so harshly. These critics were in direct contrast to those such as James, who saw Wilde as a victimizer and not a victim.
The opinions of Wilde’s contemporaries are highly varied, and this serves to reflect the difficulty in evaluating what really happened during his trial and his relationships with young men. Most of these opinions also rely heavily on morals and beliefs, which makes it even harder to determine what really went on.
The Controversy Surrounding Wilde’s Works
The controversy surrounding Wilde and his works did not end with his trial and imprisonment. His works have long been met with suspicion and criticism due to their homoerotic themes. His most famous work, The Picture of Dorian Grey, was heavily criticised by some as they saw it as a celebration of immoral behaviour.
Likewise, his play Salome was widely condemned by audiences as they felt it was an inappropriate view of Biblical events. Similarly, his poem ‘The Ballad of Reading Gaol’ was seen as glorifying the act of homosexuality, and the fact that he was imprisoned himself made the matter even worse.
As a result, Wilde often found himself at the centre of many heated debates about the morality of his works. Critics argued that he was promoting immoral behaviour with his writings, while others argued that these works should be seen as artistic expressions and thus not subject to moral judgement.
The scandal surrounding Wilde and his work continues to this day, and his works are still met with criticism from moralists who condemn him for his subject matter. Nonetheless, many are able to appreciate Wilde’s work without making a judgement on his personal life, and what remains clear is that Wilde had an immense impact on literature and the arts during the 19th century.
