ipl-logo

The Picture Of Dorian Gray Character Analysis Essay

829 Words4 Pages

The Paper of Dorian Gray Throughout Oscar Wilde’s novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray, we view the horrible actions of the main character, Dorian Gray. These actions, however, never seem to affect Dorian. We soon come to realize that this self-portrait reflects Dorian’s actions and aging process instead of Dorian and allow him to live a secret life of horrible acts. In the novel, Dorian takes full advantage of the portraits power, calling the portrait a reflection of his soul, and makes no effort to preserve his soul due to the poisonous influence from Lord Henry and his own selfishness. At the beginning of the novel, we see Dorian Gray commit his first horrible act and how Lord Henry poisons his thoughts afterwards. This occurs when he harshly …show more content…

Basil has come to ask Dorian about all the horrible rumors surrounding him, and hopes they turn out false. Basil also asks about the portrait and why Dorian hides it, so Dorian decides to show him his “to see your soul. But only God can do that—you shall see it yourself to-night!”. Dorian then takes Basil to see his picture, which at first cannot be recognized by Basil, but soon he realizes the true horror of the situation, “an exclamation of horror broke out from the painter’s lips as he saw in the dim light the hideous face on the canvas grinning at him” (Wilde 113). Dorians soul has become rotten to the core with selfishness and pleasure, mainly because of Lord Henry’s poisonous words. He even further proves his evil soul when he murders Basil without even thinking minutes later. Dorian had turned from harsh and selfish to a murder. Dorian Gray starts off as a harsh person who thinks about repairing his mistakes, but transitions to a selfish murderer who seeks pleasure, all because of Lord Henrys poisonous words. Dorian Gray ruined countless lives throughout the book and goes from breaking hearts and causing suicides, to killing his good friend Basil Hallward. As a result of Lord Henry’s influence, he begins to think only about himself and for his own benefit and pleasure and nothing of anyone else. This leads him to a selfish, evil

Show More
Related

The Theme Of Superficiality In Dorian Wilde, By Oscar Wilde

1108 Words | 5 Pages

Another theme illustrated through Wilde’s use of motifs and symbols is the theme of superficiality. The theme of superficiality can be understood as a sense of the superficial view of outer beauty that is shown in the work. It relates to the concept of remaining young, which is an important factor of what is shown in the novel. This is an important part of the novel because outer beauty plays a bigger role for Dorian, than inner beauty does. In the beginning of the novel, Lord Henry and Dorian have a conversation that focuses on the topic of youth and Dorian 's outer beauty – Lord Henry mentions the fact that Dorian has a beautiful face, and later during this conversation, Lord Henry states that: “youth is the only thing worth having…”

Read More

Dorian Gray And Frankenstein Comparison Essay

1136 Words | 5 Pages

Choices Distinguish the Individual A man defines himself by his choices. The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde and Frankenstein by Mary Shelley both embody comparable characteristics about selfishness, prejudice, and desiring excess knowledge. The victims, Dorian Gray and Victor Frankenstein’s creation, become adversely influenced by Lord Henry and Victor Frankenstein respectively in divergent ways. Choosing to ignore his creation, Victor Frankenstein disregards any physical or emotional care needed by the creature. On the opposite hand, Lord Henry subjugates Dorian to his teachings by dominating his thoughts and lifestyle.

Read More

Social Commentary In The Picture Of Dorian Gray By Oscar Wilde

1121 Words | 5 Pages

Wilde writes about it being “perfectly charming”. The chapter then is corrupted by Lord Henry's influence on page 17. This structure of chapter continues through the first 10 chapters and then shifts to fill a more gothic idea. The setting becomes more ominous with the environment having blinding “fog” (Wilde 147) and the “cold rain”(Wilde 184). As corruption is about to take over Dorian's life he becomes blinded by the “lovely night” and environment again.

Read More

Theme Of Corruption In The Picture Of Dorian Gray

725 Words | 3 Pages

At the end of the book, he has lost all of his innocence and gained cruelty. Bad company and objects are what causes Dorian Gray 's corruption. Basil Hallward is a painter who wants to paint Dorian 's picture. He is a quiet and unchangeable man. When he first meets Dorian, they talk about how it was destiny for them to meet.

Read More

Cruelty In 'The Picture Of Dorian Gray'

760 Words | 4 Pages

Cruelty plays a vital role in developing the plot and characters in “The Picture of Dorian Gray”. Throughout the piece, many acts of cruelty are displayed from Dorian Gray and others that show truly who they are how they've developed from it. Dorian takes on a huge change in his morals and standards because of the influence taken in from others. This influence causes him to only care about his own youth and vanity, resulting in a huge change of personality. The more Dorian becomes influenced by Lord Henry and the painting, the crueler he becomes

Read More

Dorian Grey: An Example Of Gothic Literature

273 Words | 2 Pages

The Picture of Dorian Grey is not the typical gothic literature, but this book does include several examples of gothic literature. Although Dorian’s mansion was not spooky, the old, secret school room he kept the portrait in was spooky and covered in cobwebs. In spite of Basil’s attempts to keep Dorian innocent, Lord Henry acted as the Devil and corrupted young Dorian’s pure mind. Dorian decided to sell his soul early in the book and he watched the supernatural portrait change as he remained young and beautiful. He became evil by first destroying Sibyl and her family.

Read More

Dorian Gray Good Vs Evil Essay

997 Words | 4 Pages

As soon as Dorian enters in Chapter 2 of The Picture of Dorian Gray, Oscar Wildes’ one and only novel, its is evident that there will be a battle between who will have the most influence on his pure, untouched soul. Basil Hallward, a painter and worshipper of art is an optimist and sees only the good in even the wickedest of people, such as Lord Henry. Lord Henry is a charming, self-indulgent aristocrat that shapes and molds Dorian to lead a life devoted to pleasure. Both Basil and Lord Henry represent two important opposing forces in the novel, good and evil. The greatest struggle in The Picture of Dorian Gray is inside Dorian; he himself embodies both pure good and pure evil.

Read More

The Picture Of Dorian Gray Moral Analysis

873 Words | 4 Pages

From the beginning of the novel we get to see a model of poor and unconventional morality, Lord Henry Wotton, a man who is moved by an ethic current called “New Hedonism” which taking into account society’s ethics (specially the ones from the Victorian Era) is quite immoral. The New Hedonism basically consists in looking for the individual’s best comfort, pleasure and happiness (based on beauty), leaving aside the other’s comfort and what should be morally done. This character with poor morality is who guides the book’s main character Dorian Gray along his adventure. However, it is vital to take into account the fact that Dorian Gray is never forced to follow New Hedonism and that Wilde never influences or invites the reader to follow New Hedonist

Read More

How Is Lord Henry Presented In The Book Of Dorian Gray

1711 Words | 7 Pages

Oscar Wilde utilizes Lord Henry as the catalyst of Dorian’s awakening of his true self, while the film adaptation portrays Dorian as the physical manifestation of Lord Henry’s evil inner soul. As a result of the different roles Lord Henry plays, the novel and the film portray Dorian’s true self in opposing ways. On one hand, the novel focuses on the influence Lord Henry has on Dorian Gray upon meeting him. Lord Henry stirs a change in Dorian’s perspective of the world and awakens Dorian’s evil intentions and soul. On the other hand, the film adaptation characterizes Dorian as the physical form of Lord Henry inner corrupted soul.

Read More

Hedonism In Oscar Wilde's The Picture Of Dorian Gray

1283 Words | 6 Pages

As a writer one is greatly influenced by their personal experiences with social, historical, and cultural context within their specific time period. Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray was shaped by the aspects of the world around him. The themes of the text are are influenced by morality in the Victorian Era. Throughout the Victorian Era a deeper movement was also prominent in London called Aestheticism. Aestheticism is the worship of beauty and self-fulfillment.

Read More

The Picture Of Dorian Gray Literary Criticism

750 Words | 3 Pages

The Picture of Dorian Gray written by Oscar Wilde. The Picture of Dorian Gray shocked the moral judgments of British book critics. Some of them said Oscar Wilde deserved to be pursuance for breaking the laws guarding the common morality because the uses of homosexuality were in that time banned. This book was for that time unusual because it had a pretty serious criticism on the society from that time. The novel is about a young and extraordinarily beautiful youngster, named Dorian Gray that have promised to his soul in order to live a life of eternal youth, he must try to adapt himself to the bodily decay and dissipation that are shown in his portrait.

Read More

Essay Comparing The Picture Of Dorian Gray And Narcissus

493 Words | 2 Pages

In the story The Picture Dorian Gray he slowly destroys himself with his narcissistic tendencies. With the encouragement from Lord Henry, Dorians narcissism only grows. While Dorian 's

Read More

Theme Of Appearance In Dorian Gray

937 Words | 4 Pages

The reader gets the impression that the portrait is a representation of Dorian 's inner self, and how it becomes uglier and more disgraceful as time gradually passes and with every horrific crime that he commits, as can be seen in the following quote: “The picture had to be concealed. There was no help for it.” (Wilde 113). The portrait serves as an image of Dorian 's true nature and the relationship between how his soul progressively becomes more nefarious, and how the evil of his soul becomes visible on the painted surface of the canvas. The way Wilde uses the portrait as a motif throughout the story helps the reader to see and understand how Dorian himself is not yet entirely unfettered by the influence of the portrait.

Read More

Gothic Elements In The Picture Of Dorian Gray

1087 Words | 5 Pages

In the early 18th century a new genre of fiction prose, named "Gothic Novel" was introduced. The term ”Gothic” used to refer to the German tribe of the Goths. The Gothic novel spread over the 19th century and had the popular theme of haunted places such as castles, crypts, gloomy monasteries; supernatural elements having the role to intensify the atmosphere. The characteristic motifs of the gothic genre were the strange places, the supernatural, magic objects, monsters, demons, science used for bad purposes. And many of them appear also in "The Picture of Dorian Gray".

Read More

How Did Lord Henry Change The Portrait Of Dorian Gray

210 Words | 1 Pages

Dorian Gray is a young, vain, impressionable, narcissistic man. He is obsessed with youth and goes as far as selling his soul to the devil. Gray realizes the beauty of youth while sitting for a painting for Basil Hallward. The influential Lord Henry changes his life. He tells Dorian the greatest secret of life to get rid of temptation by yielding to it.

Read More

More about The Picture Of Dorian Gray Character Analysis Essay

Related Topics

Open Document