The Picture Of Dorian Gray Essay

William Shakespeare’s play, the Tempest (1611) is an abortive revenge drama that focuses on the character of Prospero as his discovery of the nature of humankind allows him to rekindle his sense of empathy. Conversely, Oscar Wilde’s novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray (1890) follows the life of the titular protagonist whose discovery of the power of his youth and the inevitability of growing old causes the degradation of his virtue. Although these texts differ greatly in content and context, a…

Sinning Isn’t Winning The Picture of Dorian Gray: A novel that shows the drastic influence of a sinful person on a youthful, loving individual. Dorian Gray starts out as a young and innocent character, but over time, with the influential push of Lord Henry Wotton, develops an ugly soul with a still-youthful face. Oscar Fingal O’Flahertie Wills Wilde was born in Dublin, Ireland on October 16, 1854. He wrote many fairy tales along with other works. Some of these include The Soul of Man, Lady…

evoke change through understanding. Throughout The Picture of Dorian Gray, it is very easy for one to relate to at least one of the characters given their situations, circumstances, and feelings. This may be true because Dorian Gray, especially, is flawed like the rest of society. As a general society, people tend to see themselves in the worst light. It is often said that “you are your own worst critic.” This is especially true for Dorian Gray. After seeing a portrait of himself, painted by his…

Dorian is quickly won over by Lord Henry's argument that everyone must face the horrible fact of aging, and he takes the implications of the inevitability of aging grimly. Following this realization, Dorian comments on his self-portrait “Why should it keep what [he] must [lose]” (26)? This is particularly poignant because it illustrates the transition that comes with age, one whereby the individual loses their purity. Youth, for Wilde and for Dorian, is where we maintain the sense of purity.…

While today’s acceptance levels of the LGBT+ community are at the highest levels in modern history, for a long time the level of acceptance was a negative one. During the 1800s and some parts of the world today, being homosexual is thought to be a disease and/or crime. Writers who were apart of the LGBT+ community in the 1800s were marked by their sexuality. Their pieces of work, if even read, were ridiculed. Anything they did was placed below writings of their straight counterparts, no matter…

The Picture of Dorian Gray As Albert Camus once stated, “At the heart of all beauty lies something inhuman.” In this novel, beauty is a key component. Multiple characters, such as Lord Henry and Dorian Gray, obsess over it and how it affects one’s life and how long it will last. The obsession with beauty and mortality within the story uncover how superficial and selfish the characters are. They feign as though they are compassionate and caring, but deep down, all they care about is their…

to appreciate nature’s beauty during the time he has left: “And since to look at things in bloom/ Fifty springs are little room” (Housman 9-10). The genuinity of the speaker can be contrasted with Dorian Gray’s lack thereof: “How sad it is I shall grow old, and horrible, and dreadful. But this picture will remain always young. It will never…

Every book has a set of symbols; these are items throughout a novel that have a hidden meaning or value. Symbols are prominent in the novel The Picture of Dorian Grey written by Oscar Wilde, the most obvious symbol being the picture itself. However, some other important symbols are the book Lord Henry gives Dorian, the dagger Dorian uses, and the Chinese opium houses. These symbols are used to help readers better understand the situation or characters and also provide foreshadowing throughout…

“The Picture of Dorian Gray” by Oscar Wilde demonstrates how immoral behavior and obsession with physical appearance can influence man to be monstrous. When one thinks of actual monsters in society they think of immorality, lack of compassion, and lack of remorse. Dorian Gray exhibits these qualities when he begins to believe “beauty conquers all”. This thought along with his obsession with eternal youth and beauty obstruct his true values and morals he once had. As time goes on and Dorian…

the assorted methods to entertain the claim whilst exhibiting a diverse cast of characters. The malevolent forces of man require a catalyst of an outside force to materialize, and often is contributed to social pressure by peers. In The Picture of Dorian Gray, Dorian was initially innocent until he was consumed by the influence of Lord Henry’s vile nature. The relationship between the two began as an experiment into the psyche of a…