Oscar Wilde was an Irish author and poet most famously known for his plays and novel The Picture of Dorian Gray. Wilde was born in Dublin in 1854 and later attended prestigious colleges, Oxford and then Trinity College Dublin (TCD), to gain an education. His social adeptness and elegant mannerisms saw him become an instant high-society favourite in London. Wilde was a prominent figure of London’s Aesthetic Movement, which emphasized “art for art’s sake”. He was a well-known wit, and considered one of the earliest exponents of literary Decadence and Aestheticism.
One of Wilde’s most famous works is The Importance of Being Earnest, a witty three-act play. It was considered among his most popular works, and it raised his literary reputation significantly. His successful satire of Victorian society and its values was followed by the release of several other plays and a novel – The Picture of Dorian Gray, which brought about public outrage due to its content. The novel spoke of a lonesome character living a life of extreme hedonism; an immoral lifestyle mirrored by Wilde himself.
Wilde’s dearest works were themed around his strong interest in literature, poetry, and the arts. He was renowned for his lyrical epigrams and thought-provoking aphorisms – such as ‘experimentation is the essence of life’. In 1884 he published his first collection of short stories, The Happy Prince and other tales. His humorous, some of which were philosophical, poems were diverse and entertaining, from ‘The Ballad of Reading Gaol‘, to ‘The Decay of Lying’.
Apart from his literary works, Wilde is remembered for his personal life, having been married to Constance Lloyd with whom he had two children, Cyril and Vyvyan. His works often showed his belief in the pursuit of happiness and his distress of the laws placed on it due to social constructs. Unfortunately, as a result of a renowned scandal concerning Wilde’s homosexuality, and his involvement with Alfred Douglas, his works were banned in some places. Wilde eventually spent time in jail and declared bankruptcy, leading him to find refuge in France.
Oscar Wilde’s homosexuality caused much consternation and distress during the time, since it was a period of homophobia and prejudice against homosexuals. This had a negative effect on his work, as some of his works were censored because of his sexuality, such as his most popular play The Picture of Dorian Gray, in which his male characters displayed what was seen as “unnatural” behaviours.
Wilde died in 1900 of cerebral meningitis. His death was widely mourned, for he was considered one of the most influential and unique writers of the Victorian era. His works are studied in any English Literature course to this day and his place in history remains secure.
The Picture of Dorian Gray
Wilde’s most famous work and his only novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray, was published in 1891, and focused on the themes of vanity, youth, and morality. The novel gained notoriety due to its controversial content, in regards to homosexuality and the ‘aesthetic lifestyle’ Wilde advocated during the time. Whereas, in turn, considered scandalous, today it is widely studied in english literature courses around the world.
The novel’s protagonist is Dorian Gray, a young, handsome man who is seduced by a Lord Henry Wotton. Lord Henry encourages Dorian to follow aestheticism and reject moral codes where beauty and pleasure should be held in high regard. Later, Gray comes across a portrait of himself and wishes for the portrait to age instead of himself, granting him the ability to achieve all pleasures without any repercussions. Eventually Gray indulges in every vice and sin, as all of it did not reflect on his appearance.
Although initially praised by reviewers upon its release, this work became condemned due to its immoral content in regards to Gray’s behaviour and his homosexuality. As a result, it was initially only published in Lippincott’s Monthly Magazine in July 1890, but only a censored version, as editors found the original too risqué. Eventually, a very rare pre-censored version was published during the 21st Century, which allowed readers to appreciate Wilde’s original subject matter.
Aestheticism and Decadence
The literary movement of Aestheticism, mainly expressed by Wilde and Swinburne, was taken from aesthetic principles from the times of philosopher Immanuel Kant and his essay ‘Critique of Judgment’. In Kant’s essay, he proposed that ‘judgment of taste’ is different than a judgment of cognition, which refers to stating facts and objective truths. Instead, a judgement of taste was meant to be more subjective, subjective to emotions and sensations of beauty and pleasure.
This new literary movement championed such theories, underlining the pleasure of beautiful art and beauty, and advocated an “art for art’s sake” attitude. Despite its support for art, this new movement was also against bourgeois values and its strict regulations of moral codes.
Aestheticism was very similar to another literary movement “Decadence”, inspired by the French author Joris-Karl Huysmans. This movement specifically concentrated on beauty, but with a deeper and darker texture. Decadence focused on values of decay and “fallen-elegance”, searching to find beauty in immoral, paradoxical and perverse behavior. The movement mainly placed its values on material objects and the pursuit of pleasure.
These two movements were very much in sync with Wilde’s beliefs, as he himself was an advocate for individual happiness, regardless of the prevalent moral standards and laws. He questioned social rules and questioned why individuals should not be able to explore their own paths for their own happiness. This was heavily portrayed in his works and his wit.
The Trails of Oscar Wilde
In 1895, Wilde was tried and convicted for ‘gross indecency’ and sent to prison, while his works were under heavy censorship and condemnation. Because of homosexuality being illegal during Victorian times, much of his works were banned and not published again until the early 1900s. Even then, they were heavily censored. Wilde was reportedly deeply affected during his time in prison, a time he called “the ball and chain of his life”.
After his release in 1897, Wilde was broken financially, physically and mentally. It was due to his friends and writing that Wilde was able to survive during this time. He had become a symbol of homosexuality and its marginalisation, and his friends fought to make sure his works were not forgotten. From helping Wilde financially, to defending him from slander and even writing plays that provided subtle glimpses as his life.
This caused for some of his works to be exonerated, starting most notably with The Picture of Dorian Gray. Within the 1930s, his works were no longer seen as scandalous and were read initially in young adult and school literature. This opened the door for many other works of his to be studied and re-discovered, in their original and uncensored version.
The Popular Myths of Oscar Wilde
One of the most popular figures of the Aesthetic Movement, Oscar Wilde is known for his witty, epigrammatic quotes, which many attribute to him. Although most of these quotes are in fact legitimate and written by Wilde, many of the most popular ones, such as the “Be yourself” quote, are in fact apocryphal and are not written by Wilde.
Despite this, Wilde’s wit and keen observations on life, which people believe come from his own life experiences, have created a certain image of him as a living and iconic figure. In fact, Wilde is seen as a symbol and an advocate for individualism and individual happiness, regardless of social constraints placed upon it.
Additionally, Ocar Wilde has also become a popular figure in television and film, with some films focusing on his life, such as “The Repulse of Oscar Wilde”, or him being featured as a character in a show, such as the show “Next onBoys”.
Oscar Wilde’s Legacy
Oscar Wilde’s legacy is one of contradiction. On the one hand, his works are still praised for their wit and humor, whilst on the other, he is still remembered for his scandalous behavior, his promotion of the decadent life and his trail for immorality. Regardless of the sides of Oscar Wilde, one can not deny his influence as a unique author and his lasting contributions to modern literature.
His works remain classics in English literature, being studied and reappraised in each generation. His epigrams are still frequently encountered, despite some being apocryphal. And he is still remembered and respected as a symbol of individualism and the pursuit of beauty and happiness, in opposition to the traditional morality of his time.
