This dossier will illustrate how Greek and Roman mythology was a foundation that Oscar Wilde used in creating the protagonist Dorian Gray from the novel, ‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’. It tells of a beautiful young man who falls into the temptation of exchanging his soul for the preservation of youth. An important aspect of the novel is the encounter between Dorian and the actress Sibyl Vane. It is this relationship that can been seen to be influenced by the myths of Actaeon and Artemis, Narcissus and Echo, and Adonis and Venus.
The myth that best connects the relationship between Dorian and Sibyl is that of Actaeon and Artemis. Actaeon was a hunter who saw the goddess Artemis bathing. As punishment for looking upon the nude goddess, Actaeon
…show more content…
This myth also parallels with the story of Narcissus and Echo. Both Narcissus and Adonis are troubled with sexuality, therefore illustrating Dorian’s relationship with Sibyl. Adonis avoids Venus and the myth suggests that such behaviour leads to death.
When Sibyl confesses her love to Dorian, his response is to abandon her and to search for new passions. This suggests that Sibyl no longer evokes a romantic curiosity for him. Dorian had only appreciated Sybil as an aesthetic object; she was a breathing piece of artwork.
Source 7 states that Adonis’ death was caused by Artemis. The myth of Adonis and Venus is narrated from a male perspective, which suggests that Adonis considers hunting more interesting than the company of the goddess. It is also ironic for hunting symbolizes the pursuit to understand one’s identity. Nonetheless, Adonis is not prepared to commit to a sexual relationship, therefore it becomes a contradiction. He convicts himself to a never-ending search of self-discovery with the objective of realising the value of such a relationship. Adonis’ fate resulted from his lack of desirable response to the sexual image of
…show more content…
Actaeon, Narcissus, and Adonis, are likened to Dorian to reveal a particular aspect of his character and his dilemma. Actaeon’s curiosity reflects Dorian’s unaware discovery of sexuality within the pure Sibyl. Whereas, both Narcissus and Adonis (as seen in Sources 8 and 9), echo his beauty and disinterest in the opposite gender. Furthermore, Narcissus emphasizes the character’s vanity and Adonis represents the portrait. This is because Adonis’ death and resurrection represents the decay and recovery of the plant year, which is similar to how the ugliness of aging had been transferred into Dorian’s portrait and restored his
"The Picture of Dorian Gray." Novels for Students. Ed. Ira Mark Milne and Timothy Sisler. Vol. 20. Detroit: Gale, 2005. 146-165. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 5 Sep. 2013.
Basil goes to speak to Dorian to tell to him of the rumors they have been spreading. Many people believe him to be immoral and a corrupting influence that must be avoided to keep one’s good name. Hearing such rumors trouble Basil because he worships Dorian so strongly and is so devoted to him. He even refuses to exhibit the portrait of Dorian, the imitation he made, “Because, without intending it, I have put into it some expression of all this curious idolatry.” (13 Wilde) Basil feared that the world would be able to tell how much he adored Dorian. Continuing his conversation, Basil claims “but you, Dorian with your pure, bright, innocent face, and your marvelous untroubled youth—I can’t believe anything against you.” (127 Wilde) Which is to say that Basil believes that when one commits sin it changes the man’s outward appearance, corrupting him and since Dorian is beautiful he is without sin...
The Supremacy of Youth and Beauty - The first principle of aestheticism, the philosophy of art by which Oscar Wilde lived, is that art serves no other purpose than beauty. Throughout The Picture of Dorian Gray, beauty reigns. It is a means to revitalize the wearied senses as indicated by the effect that Hallward's painting has on the cynical Lord Henry. It is also as a means of escaping the brutalities of the world, as Dorian distances himself from the horrors of his actions (not to mention his consciousness) by devoting himself to the study of beautiful things: music, jewels, rare tapestries. In a society that prizes beauty so highly, youth and physical attractiveness become great commodities. Lord Henry reminds Dorian of as much upon their first meeting, when he laments that the young...
In "The Picture of Dorian Gray" by Oscar Wilde, we see a beautiful young man who makes tremendous efforts to transform the actual world into the idealistic world of art, dreams and sensations. Dorian's quest, however, culminates in his ultimate tragic destruction. Given that Dorian lives a corrupt life, one is likely to focus on the negative aspects of his character. In spite of his significant character flaws, Dorian Gray may still be considered a hero. This essay will examine Dorian's degradation from the innocent world to the vicious, sensation-oriented world. The elements contributing to Dorian’s status of tragic hero will then be discussed.
In this essay I will examine the war-of the-sexes taking place in The Eumenides, the final play of The Oresteia. The plot of The Eumenides pits Orestes and Apollo (representing the male gods and, to a certain extent, male values in general) against the ghost of Clytemnestra and the Furies (equally representative of female values.) Of more vital importance, however, is whether Athene sides with the males or females throughout the play.
In the time of Cornus and the Titans, Nereus was the sea god. Before retreating to his own underwater cave, Nereus gave one of his fifty nymph daughters, Amphitrite to Neptune ( Parin D’ Aulaire 114). Just like his brother Zeus, Poseidon was quite the lady’s man. One of his rather scandals acts was his love affair with the gorgon, Medusa. He and Medusa conceived one of the most famous creatures known to mythology, Pegasus, the winged stallion and his brother, Chysaor. A great hero known as Thesus was conceived when Poseidon raped Aethra. Above all, his love affair with his sister, Demeter is one of the most infamous love affairs in mythology. Since he fell in love with his sister, Demeter was doing the right thing and attempted to hide from him as she transformed into a mare. After Poseidon noticed, he decided to shape shift into one his famous symbols, the horse. Eventually, he was able to capture Demeter in his stallion form. Then, Demeter and and Poseidon produced a horse, Arion (Sellers 1). With another sea-nymph, Thoosa, Poseidon fathered possibly one of the most famous monsters, Ployphemus Cyclops, who was a one eyed creature (“Poseidon” Para. 6). For the reason that Poseidon was quite ...
Adonis was portrayed as an icon of male beauty and masculinity; “The body of Adonis presumably represents the ultimate male physique imaginable to the sixteenth-century artist” (Olivardia 6). If we looked at the paintings of Adonis today, there would be a consensus that he looked plump and out of shape compared to today’s body builders.
Littleton, C. Scott. Gods, Goddesses, and Mythology: V.2 (Ares-Celts). Tarrytown, New York: Marshall Cavendish, 2005. Print.
In his search for hedonistic pleasure, Dorian Gray ruins many reputations and is the cause of a few deaths. Even Basil points out that Dorian is linked to destroyed lives, realizing that “One has a right to judge of a man by the effect he has over his friends. Yours [Dorian’s] seem to lose all sense of honor, of goodness, of purity. You have filled them with a madness for pleasure. They have gone down into the depths. You led them there” (143). This is why Sibyl kills herself because after being introduced to pleasure, she cannot act anymore and Dorian unreasonably rejects her. Consequently, after hearing of Sibyl’s death, Dorian is grief-stricken, but quickly recovers and becomes an insensitive Lord Henry clone again: “You [Dorian] were the most unspoiled creature in the whole word. Now, I [Basil] don’t know what has come over you. You talk as if you had no heart, no pity in you. It is all Harry’s influence” (104). Instead of truly acce...
The first one is because of Sibyl Vain’s death because instead of being devasted, he found pleasure in her death because about what Lord Henry told him that it is a beautiful work of art. Another one is the anxiety of leaving his portrait alone. He is not really guilty but rather he is scared that people might discover his secret. She also said that the decaying portrait represents a limited life, filled with fear and self-loathing that one would not which upon anyone. Dorian’s thirst for pleasure is therefore blamed upon the immoral guidance from Lord Henry. Because from the beginning he was exceptionally susceptible for Lord Henry’s influence, who fashioned him to believe that his most esteemed attribute was his beauty. This taught Dorian Gray to be vain – all the while not realizing that his true value steamed from his innocence and purity, which lent his physical beauty a magical
The Picture of Dorian Gray is a rich story which can be viewed through many literary and cultural lenses. Oscar Wilde himself purposefully filled his novel with a great many direct and indirect allusions to the literary culture of his times, so it seems appropriate to look back at his story - both the novel and the 1945 film version - in this way.
Morford Mark, Lenardon Robert, and Sham Michael. Classical Mythology, International Edition. New York: Oxford University Press, USA, 2011. Print. 830 pages.
Dorian Gray inflicts his first and most important act of evil upon Sibyl Vane, a third rate actress he falls in love with, when he confronts her about the performance. His reaction towards Sibyl demonstrates his the lack of care towards what women have to say and their opinions. Dorian claims of Sibyl to be shallow and stupid as regards to her feelings towards him and her reason for the careless performance. The realization of Dorian finally recognizing his love for her acting rather than her as a person reveals the frequent ill treatment of women in the Victorian Era. Due to his first real infliction of evil towards another person, his soul alters and reflects in the painting. As Davis recalls, “His rejection of Sibyl is cruel, and it is this cruelty that he first notices on the alerting portrait,” (Davis 214). Because he did not care about how Sibyl felt at the moment, he becomes selfish and would later become evil. The treatment of Sibyl results in her committing suicide but rather than Dorian grieving, Lord Henry teaches him ...
Dorian Gray's life is dictated by his physical appeal. His beauty lies within his youth. Dorian's perception of beauty allows him to love. He is convinced that his beauty allows him to accomplish anything he desires regardless of the consequences and still be loved by his friends. He uses his beauty to mitigate his evil actions. Dorian says, “I don't wish to know anything about them. I love scandals about other people, but scandals about myself don't interest me. They have not got the charm of novelty.” Youth and beauty are the most precious things to Dorian. In his life, beauty is of utmost importance. Then he sees the picture of himself, painted by Basil, absorb his sins and this changed his view. “I hope it is not about myself. I am tired of myself tonight. I should like to be somebody else,” Dorian said. He aspired to have had a good life rather than one filled with artificial meaning and beauty. The moral beauty of Doran lies within the portrait of himself. The portrait imitated his life. He finally realized that beauty cannot help him escape his evil actions. He deeply lamemted his wish that the portrait bore the burden of his age an...
Careful examination of Dorian’s initial susceptibility to influence, willingness to commit sin, and interactions with other characters prove Lord Henry plays the biggest role in transforming Dorian from pure to vicious. With his cunning theories and brainwashing comments, Dorian cannot muster the strength to resist Lord Henry’s dominating nature, showing there are no limitations in relationships when it comes to influence. The topic of which character primarily influences Dorian to turn to a dishonest lifestyle is undeniably significant in understanding the purpose of the characters as well as the deeper meaning of the text.