The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

Oscar Wilde himself comments that this novel is based on the Faustian themes which would have been very well known to all of the educated men of his time, and it is very easy to see parallels between the legend and this story.ĭorian himself would represent the character of Faust, who gives up his soul in order to have beauty forever, as he cries 'Yes, there is nothing in the whole world I would not give! I would give my soul for that!' page 28 Dorian however the difference between Dorian and Faust is that Dorian is a truly innocent character, shown through his beauty which is described as 'pure' and has religious connotations. Finally however, Dorian decides that he is being silly and that he shouldn't allow himself to be ruled over by a portrait and so he stabs it but in doing so, restores the portrait to its original appearance and unintentionally takes his own life. The central protagonist's ultimate act of evil is when he murders Basil, the very man who painted the picture and whom Dorian believes is the cause of all the fiendishness in his soul. Furthermore everyone around him seems to die or fall under some great misfortune and it soon becomes obvious to society that even though Dorian has money and therefore status, he is still a character to be avoided. However this lifestyle comes with a price and Dorian becomes obsessed with is portrait, often being impressed with the evil of his soul but also committing several odd behaviours in order that no one else should ever set eyes on it. It is at this point that Dorian exclaims his wish that the picture should take all of the knocks of the world and he himself should never age.ĭorian's rather rash wish becomes true and what follows is a series of events that show how Dorian is living up to the debauched life Lord Henry has suggested for him.

However also present in these first scenes is a character named Lord Henry Wotton who encourages Dorian to seek a more hedonistic life, based on beauty and self fulfillment. Dorian is introduced to the readers as being the adored subject of a painter named Basil Hallward who paints his best work in the opening chapters – Dorian's portrait. EN272 The Faust Project (Interdisciplinary and Creative Collaboration)ĭorian Gray is a novel telling the rather Gothic story of a young man whom the book owes its name to.Staff Intranet (Restricted permissions).Undergraduates (Restricted permissions).

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde