Oscar wilde

The picture of Dorian Grey

Inner-Outer self

Oscar Wilde

• 16 October 1854, Dublin, Ireland
• Brillant student
• Lecture tour around the world-->leading figure in the aesthetic movment
• 1900, The picture of Dorian Grey
• The dandy
• Accuse of homosexuality
• 30 November 1900, France

Cinema, Theatre

Aestheticism

Plot

Characters, Style

Art

Links with other subjects

Italian

Spanish

Philosophy

German

NARCISO'S METAMORPHOSIS

by Salvador Dalì

1. Perils of excessive self-love and vanity-beautiful youth who becomes infatuated with his own reflection
2. Cautionary tales about the: conseguences of vanity and the pursuit of superficial beauty
3. Importance of inner value and moral integrity

•The Picture of Dorian Gray tells the story of a rich, beautiful young man who has his portrait painted by Basil Hallward. •At Basil's studio Dorian meets Lord Henry Wotton. •Dorian leads a hedonistic life of pleasure, sin, crime and corruption. •the image in the portrait, which is hidden away, becomes old and ugly, bearing all the signs of Dorian's sins. •Dorian's actions lead to the death of an actress and the murder of Basil, who discovers Dorian's secret when he sees the disfigured portrait. •Dorian stabs the portrait, leading to his own death, which transforms him into a hideous old man while the portrait returns to its original beauty.

Narrative tecnique

• GENRE: The picture of Dorian Gray is a gothic and philosophical novel;
• NARRATOR: Is in the third person and omniscient;

• DIALOGUE;
• INTERNAL REFLECTIONS OF THE CHARACTERS ;
• MONOLOGUES;
• THE TONE IS DARK, SUPERNATURAL AND COMIC;
• EMBLEMATIC AND PROVOCATIVE PHRASES.

INNER-OUTER SELF

• Public persona
• Social image
• Artistic representation

• Moral decay
• self-indulgence
• artistic representation

SYMBOLISM OF THE PORTRAIT

• Mirror of the soul
• Dualism

• Dorian is an embodiment of youth and beauty for Basil and Lord Henry. • Basil admires Dorian and immortalizes his beauty in his painting of him. • Dorian becomes obsessed with staying young and would like the painting to age in his place. • Lord Henry’s teachings have corrupted Dorian’s soul and ruined his reputation.

Dorian Gray

• Basil is a painter fascinated by Dorian Gray's beauty and purity. • When Basil makes a portrait that is an exact representation of Dorian, he is overcome with emotion. • It is the best work, but he also feels that the painting reveals too much of himself. • Dorian becomes so angry at what this portrait has done to him that he kills Basil.

Basil Hallward

•Lord Henry Wotton is a sophisticated and educated person. • He’s very fond of appearance and youth. • Dorian follows Wotton’s ideas on art and pleasure, which are more essential than morality. • He’s responsible for Dorian’s obsessions.

Lord Henry

Critique of the Victorian Society

Superficiality and aestheticism

- Asthetic pursuit- Dorian's trasformation

Hypocrisy of society

- Double standards - Moral duplicity

Critique of moral rigidity

- Repression and conformity - Dorian's rebellion

Art and influence

- Basil's artistic influence - Corruption through art

Individualism and Hedonism

- Emphasis on individual desires

Goethe's "Faust"

• Bergaining with the devil
• The quest for immortality
• Human duality
• Moral and spiritual consequences

Friedrich Nietzsche

• Vanity and pride
• Morality and social conventions
• Self-discovery and authenticity

THE DANDY FIGURE

GABRIELE D'ANNUNZIO

• impeccable style, wit and indulgence in pleasure-seeking pursuits
• aestheticism of 19th century
• portrait as a visual representation of his hidden sins and moral decay
• superficiality of the dandy's lifestyle

From the Pre-Raphaelite Movement to the Aestheticism

- The origins of the English Aesthetic movement-->Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. - They rejected the academic taste and the ugliness of the contemporary industrial world. - Dante Gabriel Rossetti - Aestheticism--> The sake of beauty - Oscar Wilde and The Picture of Dorian Gray

MARIANO JOSE DE LARRA

El castellano viejo

• exploration of societal norms and the consequences of moral decay
• spanish society and bourgeoisie
• theme of duality of human nature
• irony and satire to expose the flaws and hyprocrisies of their societies

The 1945 FILM direct by ALBERT LEWIN is the best adaptation of "The Picture of Dorian Gray." It sticks closely to the book, has great acting, and captures the story's vibe well.

These are the playwrights responsible for adapting "The Picture of Dorian Gray" for the theater

"The Picture of Dorian Gray" by John Osborne - 1975. "Dorian Gray" by David Chambers - 2009. "Dorian Gray" by Roberto Cavosi - 2004.