Oscar wilde

Oscar wilde

THE AESTHETICISM

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Index

07. other works

04. the picture of dorian gray

01. THE LATE VICTORIAN AGE

08. LEGACY IN CONTEMPORARY world

05. THE ballad of reading gaol

02. THE AESTHETICISM

06. theatre and irony

03. OSCAR WILDE'S LIFE

09. QUESTIONS

TIMELINE

Prince Albert's death

1861

Public Heath Act

1875

Queen Victoria became Empress of India

1877

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Factory Act

1878

First Boer war

1880-1881

Second Boer war

1899-1902

Queen Victoria's death

1901

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THE LATE VICTORIAN AGE

• Last decades of the 19th century, peak of the British Empire.
• Society based on strict moral rules, respectability, and order.
• Expansion of industrialization: growth of cities and new jobs.

• Scientific discoveries and new ideas.
• Growth of urban life.

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THE AESTHETICISM

• Oscar Wilde is a central figure of the Aesthetic Movement in the late nineteenth century.
• The movement follows the motto “art for art’s sake”, meaning art exists only for beauty.
• It rejects the idea that art should teach moral or social lessons.
• Walter Pater is another key author, focusing on personal experience and the appreciation of beauty.

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OSCAR WILDE'S LIFE TIMELINE

1882

1854

1891

1884

Tour in the US

Birth in Dublin

Publication of the novel The picture of Dorian Gray

Marriage with Constance Lloyd

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1897

1891

1900

1898

Release and move to France

Public trial for homosexuality

Death in Paris

Publication of The Ballad of Reading Gaol

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OSCAR WILDE'S LIFE

• Born in 1854 in Dublin, showed early interest in literature and art.

• Traveled to the United States, delivering lectures on art and beauty.
• Married Constance Lloyd, had two sons.
• Accused of homosexuality and sentenced to two years of hard labor in Reading Gaol.

• Died of meningitis in Paris.

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THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY

CHARACTERS

THEMES

PLOT

THE INFLUENCE OF GOTHIC FICTION

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THE BALLAD OF READING GAOL

PLOT AND THEMES

STYLE

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THEATRE AND IRONY

• His theatre is famous for its strong use of irony to reveal Victorian society’s contradictions and hypocrisy.

• Irony serves not only as humor, but also as social criticism, exposing superficial moral norms and social conventions.
• Characters often have double lives or wear masks, emphasizing the contrast between appearance and reality.
• The tone is light and playful, making serious themes more accessible and engaging.

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Other WORKS

The Importance of Being Earnest

Lady Windermere's Fan

De Profundis

An Ideal Husband

A Woman of no Importance

Salomé

LEGACY IN CONTEMPORARY world

• Oscar Wilde’s legacy: endures through sharp wit, critique of social conventions, and celebration of individuality.
• His works are still widely read and performed, valued for timeless humor and insight into human behavior.
• Wilde is seen as a symbol of intellectual freedom and resistance to rigid moral norms.
• His life and trials connect him to discussions about identity, justice, and LGBTQ+ rights.
• His courage under persecution has redefined his works as literary and cultural milestones.

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QUESTION 1 - THE LATE VICTORIAN AGE

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QUESTION 2 - Oscar wilde's life

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Question 3 - the picture of dorian gray

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question 4 - de profundis

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THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION

This work was presented by: - Antonio Pio Ascolese - Mariagrazia Catapano - Gabriele Idra - Salvatore Parisi

• Lady Windermere’s Fan → comedy (1892)
• Plot: Lady Windermere suspects affair → misunderstandings, secrets, deception
• Themes: morality, social hypocrisy, double lives in Victorian society
• Key contrast: appearance vs reality → shown through irony and wit
• Style: witty dialogue, subtle humor
• Ending: truth revealed, conflicts resolved → highlights fragility and strength of relationships
• Message: critique of social conventions and role of women

• Dangers of beauty, appearance, and vanity
• Faustian pact → portrait ages, he stays youthful, hides moral decay
• Reality vs appearance → charm can mask corruption
• Style: symbolic language, third-person narrator, no explicit judgment
• Desire, pleasure, corruption, warning about neglecting inner integrity

• Dorian Gray: obsessed with youth, beauty, innocence → becomes morally corrupt while portrait shows his sins
• Lord Henry Wotton: symbolizes wit, charm, intellectual critique → challenges social and moral values
• Basil Hallward: represents morality, sincerity, affection → acts as moral conscience
• Overall conflict: corruption vs integrity, influence vs innocence

• The Importance of Being Earnest → comedy (1895)
• Plot: Jack and Algernon create false identities (“Ernest”) → escape social conventions
• Themes: deception, identity, appearance vs reality, social hypocrisy
• Style: wordplay, irony, satirical humor
• Ending: misunderstandings resolved, happy unions
• Message: critique of social rigidity and superficiality of appearances

• Story: a man condemned to death → set in prison, inspired by imprisonment
• Focus: waiting for execution → psychological suffering, inevitability
• Critique: justice system → hypocrisy, lack of compassion, dehumanization
• Central theme: love → universal force but also linked to guilt (“everyone kills what they love”)
• Inner journey: from despair to faith, search for meaning and divine mercy

DID YOU KNOW...

• Workhouses: system of poor relief but based on discipline and deprivation
• Conditions: harsh rules, forced labor, family separation
• Purpose: discourage dependence on public aid
• Reality: humiliation and dehumanization of the poor

• Portrait: central to Gothic elements → has supernatural and symbolic power

• Creates horror and suspense → shows grotesque consequences of actions
• Represents hidden evil, duality, and the mysterious
• Death, decay, dark desire → linked to Gothic fiction

• Structure: six sections, 109 stanzas → formal, controlled style
• Form: traditional ballad → slow, steady rhythm reflects monotony of prison life
• Refrain: “everyone kills what they love” → cyclical, haunting effect
• Language: simple yet evocative → expresses prisoners’ suffering
• Reader’s response: strong empathy, sense of shared pain and guilt

• Salome → tragedy (1891), set in biblical Palestine
• Plot: Salome’s obsessive desire for John the Baptist (Iokanaan) → he rejects her
• Key event: Dance of the Seven Veils → leads to request for John’s head (revenge)
• Themes: desire, power, obsession, death
• Style: lyrical, poetic, rich symbolism and sensual imagery
• Aesthetic: decadent aesthetic, vivid and striking imagery

• Long letter written in prison (1897)
• Addressee: Lord Alfred Douglas → reflection on relationship and downfall
• Content: mix of confession, philosophy, moral critique
• Themes: suffering, redemption, spiritual growth, consequences of vanity and selfishness
• Tone: serious, introspective → shows transformation
• Significance: profound, moving work → insight into personal life and Victorian society

• An Ideal Husband → comedy (1895)
• Plot: Sir Robert Chiltern → respected politician with a hidden past that threatens his career and marriage
• Themes: corruption, morality, secrets, forgiveness → appearance vs reality in Victorian society
• Style: witty, ironic, social satire
• Ending: forgiveness and overcoming mistakes → importance of honesty and compassion

• Dorian Gray, a young man of extraordinary beauty, has his portrait painted by Basil Hallward.
• Influenced by Lord Henry Wotton, Dorian wishes to stay forever young while the portrait ages instead of him.
• His wish comes true; Dorian remains youthful, while the portrait changes and reflects his immoral actions.
• He lives a life of pleasure and corruption, while the painting becomes increasingly grotesque.

• Dorian tries to destroy the painting, but this leads to his own death, and the portrait returns to its original beauty.

• A Woman of No Importance → social comedy (1893)
• Plot: Mrs. Arbuthnot → marginalized due to past scandal
• Themes: social injustice, Victorian hypocrisy, women’s role, class differences
• Style: witty, ironic, satirical language
• Ending: truth revealed, but strong critique of social conventions and moral discrimination

DID YOU KNOW...

• A dandy is a person, usually a man, focused on appearance, style, and manners.
• He emphasizes elegance, refinement, and fashion to stand out in society..

• He challenges social conventions and norms.