How does Dorian Gray’s portrait play a central role in Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray?
Bavarian International School
Candidate Name: Sandra Forro
Candidate Number:
“There is something fatal about a portrait. It has a life of its own.”
Supervisor: J. Cook
Subject: English Literature
Examination Session: April 2015
Word Count:
In his novel The Picture of Dorian Gray, Oscar Wilde depicts a tale that revolves around the full-length portrait of Dorian Gray, whose marvelous youth, beautiful nature and exquisite beauty enthralls those around him. Basil Hallward, a talented artist with a somewhat idealistic mind, is fascinated by Dorian’s beauty and develops a wild adoration for the young man, who then becomes a dominant motive in his art. He thus paints a portrait of Dorian, a creation that turns into …show more content…
The portrait serves as “the most magical of mirrors” (Wilde 86), a work of art that exposes Dorian Gray’s innermost conscience and lays bare the face of his soul. Though Dorian is spared the physical burdens of age and sin, the portrait does not fail to reflect these and starts to decay in his place. The painted image supposedly “bears the burden of his shame” (Wilde 73), yet the accumulating knowledge of his sins slowly plagues Dorian. As a result, the portrait’s role in the story is more significant than one may think; it serves as a living allegory that has a direct correlation with various themes in the story. I aim to reveal Wilde’s intentions of incorporating the portrait in the book and the significance it holds. Consequently, my research question is How does Dorian Gray’s portrait play a central role in Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray? I intend to answer this through in-depth analysis of relevant quotes and themes that exist or are emphasized through the
Bavarian International School
Candidate Name: Sandra Forro
Candidate Number:
“There is something fatal about a portrait. It has a life of its own.”
Supervisor: J. Cook
Subject: English Literature
Examination Session: April 2015
Word Count:
In his novel The Picture of Dorian Gray, Oscar Wilde depicts a tale that revolves around the full-length portrait of Dorian Gray, whose marvelous youth, beautiful nature and exquisite beauty enthralls those around him. Basil Hallward, a talented artist with a somewhat idealistic mind, is fascinated by Dorian’s beauty and develops a wild adoration for the young man, who then becomes a dominant motive in his art. He thus paints a portrait of Dorian, a creation that turns into …show more content…
The portrait serves as “the most magical of mirrors” (Wilde 86), a work of art that exposes Dorian Gray’s innermost conscience and lays bare the face of his soul. Though Dorian is spared the physical burdens of age and sin, the portrait does not fail to reflect these and starts to decay in his place. The painted image supposedly “bears the burden of his shame” (Wilde 73), yet the accumulating knowledge of his sins slowly plagues Dorian. As a result, the portrait’s role in the story is more significant than one may think; it serves as a living allegory that has a direct correlation with various themes in the story. I aim to reveal Wilde’s intentions of incorporating the portrait in the book and the significance it holds. Consequently, my research question is How does Dorian Gray’s portrait play a central role in Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray? I intend to answer this through in-depth analysis of relevant quotes and themes that exist or are emphasized through the