ipl-logo

Death In Oscar Wilde's The Picture Of Dorian Gray

749 Words3 Pages

In Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray, the protagonist, Dorian, end ups being death after living a life of pleasure and sin. The character followed the advice of Lord Henry, which explained that “The only way to get rid of temptation is to yield to it.” (28).
Dorian took this aesthetic philosophy and aplicated it to his life. As the story continues, Dorian gray commits multiple crimes that will be reflected in his portrait. At the end of the book Dorian tries to destroy the portrait,that shows an image of his corrupted soul, which haunts him like a conscience. In the book it is said that “His beauty had been to him but a mask, his youth but a mockery. What was youth at best? A green, unripe time, a time of shallow moods and sickly …show more content…

It was Dorian´s decisions the ones that led him to his death. The end of the novel show that the painting didn´t actually had any “moral stance”, because it was reverted to its natural state of beauty. Dorian followed some aesthetic principles, and this ones stated how art should be apart from any moral feelings. Even the mentor of Dorian states this when saying to Basil that “An artist should create beautiful things but should put nothing of his own life into them” (chapter 1). This words of Lord Henry show how art should be separated from any kind of sentimentalism. Having into account Wilde's philosophy of aestheticism, it would be correct to state that the death of Dorian represents the responsibility he had for violating the philosophy of aestheticism. Dorian believed that his portrait reflected the state of his soul. Nevertheless, having into account the creeds of aestheticism, art has no moral component. Dorian lived the aesthetic philosophy Lord Henry teached to him, but he was violating his own living codes by believing that art was related to morality. This “violation” to his own codes led him to death. This is a reason to think that principles are shown as dangerous in this book. Dorian committed so much to an ideal of life that at the end that ideal killed him. As a conclusion, the

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

  • Examples Of Human Nature In Macbeth

    1223 Words  | 5 Pages

    Throughout this whole semester it seemed as if the all the novels that were assigned to read were, in some way, related to the nature of man. People would have thought about this topic before this prompt was issued because of the content, theme, and the morals each book offered their audience. They can give you enough examples in each book that they have read this semester to support the their claim, but they are only going to focus on the three most powerful examples. They would be most likely start with Macbeth. It is well aware that Macbeth was not meant to be read, so much as seen, but it could still be understood the lesson that it was meant to teach.

    Read More

  • The Picture Of Dorian Gray And The Beautiful And Damned

    1115 Words  | 5 Pages

    The researcher decides Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray and Fitzgerald’s The Beautiful and Damned to be the objects of the study on inferiority and superiority complex causing hedonistic lifestyle in main character. The first reason, both of literary works cover the changing of each life of the main character, society and ultimately the individual. Second, they both share the same social background of the main character in The Picture of Dorian Gray, Dorian, displays a well-respected young man. He doesn’t recognize his own beauty until he sees it reflected in Basil’s portrait, and, once he does, it’s all too late. While Anthony in The Beautiful and Damned is illustrates reaching pleasure as the lifestyle and it becomes a habit.

    Read More

  • Theme Of Corruption In The Picture Of Dorian Gray

    725 Words  | 3 Pages

    His idolization of Dorian causes him to let Dorian dominate him. Small as it is, it shows Dorian for the first time what his beauty can do to people. The fact that people are willing to believe and do anything for him because of his beauty. This realization causes a lot of problems later on in the storyline. Lord Henry Wotton is another influencer on Dorian Gray.

    Read More

  • The Sinner In Oscar Wilde's The Picture Of Dorian Gray

    714 Words  | 3 Pages

    This is an interesting question. The portrait of Dorian represents his corrupted soul, which Dorian will try to fix at the end of the book. The character starts performing “good” actions in order to see if there are changes in the portrait, however the result was negative. That the good act didn 't reverse the process implies that ,once committed, the sin is there forever. So a man would end up losing his soul when living as a

    Read More

  • In The Berea Coffee And Tea Shop Moral

    959 Words  | 4 Pages

    Life changes us, and the idea that Dorian still thought he could change, and become a better person should have proved that his morals had nothing to do with the picture. It was the painting that changed him. It was not until Dorian looked at the picture that he realized the terrible things he was doing in his life, but he could have stopped. Leading me to my opinion that Dorian Gray should not have worried about his morals, but rather his actions. Ms. Crocker: Ms. Crockett, you talk about the fact that Dorian 's life did change, and how he imitated his life because of a picture.

    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 Gray Good Vs Evil Essay

    997 Words  | 4 Pages

    Basil attempts desperately to lead Dorian to decency, to hold onto the perfect image of Dorian, being the one and only force of goodness in his life. He cannot accept the reality of Dorian’s actions after being influenced by Lord Henry. Basil’s good nature can be seen through the fact that he never loses faith that Dorian can change his ways and become the innocent, naïve boy he once painted and loved unconditionally. This goodness backfires after Dorian kills Basil. He had reached a point in his life in which he had lost his consciences and his corruption was out of control.

    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

  • Influence In The Picture Of Dorian Gray

    2219 Words  | 9 Pages

    Lord Henry’s painting showed Dorian the reality of life and all the sins he had committed. With the picture, Dorian destroyed it plus his own life because he could not bear the fact that his beauty was going to fade. In addition, Henry influences Dorian by manipulating him because; he carries on with his idea of remaining youthful. This is evident when he says, "To get back to my youth, I would do anything in the world, except take exercise, get up early, or be respectable" (Liebman 300). Lord Henry had everything to do with Dorian’s obsession of wanting to remain young especially with the picture and his philosophy.

    Read More

  • The Picture Of Dorian Gray Literary Criticism

    750 Words  | 3 Pages

    Dorian Gray is a handsome, narcissistic young man enthralled by Lord Henry 's new enjoyment. He satisfies in every pleasure of moral and immoral life ultimately heads to death. Henry tells

    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

  • Gothic Elements In Oscar Wilde's The Picture Of Dorian Gray

    1215 Words  | 5 Pages

    These three main characters had different personality that made the story more interesting. Dorian Gray was full of himself wishing to remain in youth, in return, he was willing to sacrifice his own soul and unfortunately his wish came true. Thus, this makes Dorian Gray commit all the sins he wants and only the portrait got affected as he become immortal and not aging, not a single wrinkle in his face. Second character is Lord Henry which was Basil’s friend when Dorian Gray first met him. Lord Henry enthralled Dorian Gray with his world view, which was an extreme hedonism form as he assumed that the only worthwhile life of a person spent was by pursuing beauty and satisfaction for the senses.

    Read More

  • The Importance Of Double Life In The Picture Of Dorian Gray

    828 Words  | 4 Pages

    “” At least you are like it in appearance. But it will never alter,” sighed Hallward. “that is something.”” (Wilde 33) The reader begins to perceive that Dorian is both intrigued and disgusted by the never changing portrait of his innocence.

    Read More

More about Death In Oscar Wilde's The Picture Of Dorian Gray

Open Document