🎭 The Picture of Dorian Gray – Oscar Wilde (Exam Cheat Sheet)

 

📖 Overview

  • Author: Oscar Wilde

  • Published: 1890 (revised 1891)

  • Genre: Gothic fiction, philosophical novel, aestheticism/decadence.

  • Setting: London, late 19th century (Victorian era).

  • Core Idea: Obsession with beauty, pleasure, and moral corruption — what happens when you trade your soul for eternal youth?

🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Main Characters

  • Dorian Gray – Handsome young man; influenced by Lord Henry. Makes a Faustian wish that his portrait ages instead of him. Symbol of innocence corrupted.

  • Basil Hallward – Artist who paints Dorian’s portrait. Sees Dorian as muse and symbol of purity. Represents morality and art’s sincerity.

  • Lord Henry Wotton – Witty aristocrat, cynical, preaches hedonism (“live for pleasure”). Corrupts Dorian with his philosophy.

  • Sibyl Vane – Young actress, innocent, loves Dorian. Commits suicide after he cruelly rejects her. Symbol of destroyed innocence.

  • James Vane – Sibyl’s brother, seeks revenge on Dorian for her death. Represents justice and conscience.

  • The Portrait – Symbolic character; reflects Dorian’s sins, aging, and corruption.

📚 Plot Summary (Step by Step)

  1. Dorian Meets Lord Henry – Basil paints Dorian’s portrait. Lord Henry tells Dorian that youth and beauty are the only things that matter.

  2. The Faustian Wish – Dorian wishes the portrait ages instead of him. Wish comes true.

  3. Sibyl Vane’s Tragedy – Dorian falls for Sibyl’s acting, but when she loves him, she loses her talent. He cruelly rejects her; she kills herself. Portrait shows the first sign of corruption.

  4. Life of Hedonism – Guided by Lord Henry, Dorian pursues pleasure, luxury, and sin. His portrait grows uglier with every crime.

  5. Corruption Deepens – Rumors spread of Dorian’s wickedness, but he remains youthful. The portrait hides his corruption.

  6. Basil’s Death – Basil confronts Dorian; horrified by the portrait, he urges repentance. Dorian murders him. Portrait grows even more hideous.

  7. James Vane’s Revenge – Sibyl’s brother hunts Dorian but dies in an accident before he can kill him.

  8. Final Attempt at Redemption – Dorian decides to “be good” but realizes it’s selfish, not true repentance.

  9. Climax – Dorian stabs the portrait to destroy it. Servants later find Dorian’s corpse — aged, hideous — while the portrait is restored to its original beauty.

🌍 Themes

  • Aestheticism & Hedonism – “Art for art’s sake” and pursuit of beauty/pleasure without morality.

  • Corruption & Influence – Lord Henry’s words poison Dorian; external influence can shape one’s soul.

  • Youth & Beauty – Obsession with eternal youth leads to downfall.

  • Duality of Human Nature – Outer beauty vs inner corruption (Dorian vs the portrait).

  • Conscience & Guilt – The portrait = visual representation of Dorian’s soul.

  • Art & Morality – Wilde questions if art should be purely aesthetic or carry moral responsibility.

📝 Symbols

  • The Portrait – Soul, conscience, and the truth of moral corruption.

  • Yellow Book (given by Lord Henry) – Decadent philosophy, temptation, moral downfall.

  • Sibyl Vane – Innocence, purity, destroyed by Dorian’s cruelty.

  • Opium Dens – Escape from guilt, symbol of moral decay.

  • Mirror & Beauty – Vanity and obsession with self-image.

📌 Important Quotes

  • “The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it.” – Lord Henry.

  • “The books that the world calls immoral are books that show the world its own shame.” – Wilde’s preface.

  • “The picture had been painted to delight the world. It would be a symbol of his conscience.”

  • “He grew more and more enamoured of his own beauty, more and more interested in the corruption of his own soul.”

  • “Each of us has Heaven and Hell in him.”

🔑 Character Symbolism

  • Dorian Gray → Innocence corrupted by vanity & influence. Faust-like figure.

  • Basil Hallward → Moral conscience, purity of art.

  • Lord Henry → Temptation, influence of bad philosophy, cynicism.

  • Sibyl Vane → Pure love and innocence destroyed by corruption.

  • The Portrait → Hidden truth of sin, inevitable decay of morality.

🧠 Exam Tips

  • Always link Dorian’s outer beauty vs inner corruption → theme of duality.

  • Show how Lord Henry acts as the “devil figure” → corrupts with words, not actions.

  • Mention Gothic elements → supernatural portrait, horror, decay, death.

  • Point out Victorian hypocrisy → society values appearance while hiding immorality.

  • Use the ending to argue that you cannot escape conscience or the consequences of sin.

⚡ One-Liner Takeaway

The Picture of Dorian Gray is Wilde’s dark exploration of vanity, temptation, and the price of a life devoted to pleasure — proving beauty can hide corruption, but truth always comes out. 🖼️💀

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