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“Behind every exquisite thing that existed, there was something tragic.”(38: Ch.3) In Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray, the main character, Dorian struggles in trying to live a double life. A painting conceived by a close friend, Basil, enables him to stay young while the painting decays according to Dorian’s lavish and decadent lifestyle. Although Dorian does not look like a bad person, his soul wrenches away due to all of his sins weighing upon him. Dorian’s double lifestyle proves too much for him to handle, drives him insane, and ultimately results in his death.Wilde employs the use of aesthetic principles and the two dimensional life of Dorian Gray to compose a story that outlines the negative connotations of a lavish and decadent …show more content…
Dorian continues to commit horrible, heinous acts against morality and thinks nothing of it until he looks at the painting of himself which reveals Dorian’s true nature. "The quivering, ardent sunlight showed him the lines of cruelty round the mouth as clearly as if he had been looking into a mirror after he had done some dreadful thing." (102: Ch. 7) Decadence can play a sinister role when combined with a lavish and laid back lifestyle. Dorian uses his good looks, wealth, and social status to achieve his desires with no regard for his actions. "You look exactly the same wonderful boy who, day after day, used to come down to my studio to sit for his picture...Now, I don't know what had come over you.”(122: Ch. 9) As soon as Dorian begins to lose control he rids himself of his closest friend who notices Dorian no longer ages, but has turned into someone who, “had no heart, no pity”(122: …show more content…
Wilde portrays how basing attitude on what looks good and how much something may cost and having no concern for others can deteriorate a mind and drive the victim crazy. "There were moments when he looked on evil simply as a mode through which he could realise his conception of the beautiful." (165: Ch.11) Although Dorian sees the paintings gruesome features and results of his deeds, he continues to act monotonously and with no care of the outcome. "It had brought melancholy across his passions. Its mere memory had marred many moments of joy. It had been like conscience to him. Yes, it had been conscience. He would destroy it."(253: Ch.20) Dorians pleasures vested the better of him and caused him to do many awful things including killing the artist behind the painting. Dorian lived in pursuit of unattainable perfection and found himself as far from perfect as a man can achieve. The Picture of Dorian Gray can be disputed in many different ways. It may be up for speculation that Wilde does not show a negative connotation behind his reasoning for Dorian’s death as some may say it was the final act of pursuit of pleasure. "There was purification in punishment.”(250: Ch.20) This may be a valid stance of objection, but it does not draw from the fact that Dorian’s life was affected in a negative way. Dorian began to lose a social status though it might not have been substantial, people
In the beginning of the book, Dorian seems to be an innocent, charming, beautiful young man, and even referred to as “a wonderful creation” (ch 2). Dorian is described as this amazing person, with looks comparable to a God, charm that could swoon any woman, and a mesmerizing persona about him with the ability to draw anyone near, yet he seems to be so imperceptive to himself. His attitude of simplicity causes readers to be fond of him, passing their first judgments that he could not possibly be evil. As the story moves along readers see the first inkling that Dorian may not be so perfect. Dorian comments on “how sad it is…[that he] shall grow old, and horrible, and dreadful. But the picture will remain always young” (ch 2). This statement lets readers inside Dorian’s thoughts, showing how shallow and frivolous Dorian views life to be. He places so much value and esteem on looks alone, forgetting that being painted should be an honor, or at the very least...
“The Picture of Dorian Gray” is a novel written by Oscar Wilde. The story takes place in England, where the artist Basil Hallward paints a portrait of the young and beautiful Dorian Gray. During his stay at the artist’s studio, he gets introduced to Lord Henry who later becomes one of the most influential people in his life. Dorian Gray becomes aware of his amazing beauty and youthfulness due to the portrait and wishes that the portrait ages instead of him. His wish comes true, Dorian remains beautiful and youthful while the portrait changes. Lord Henry becomes his best friend and motivates him to live in abundance, to sin and always strive for beauty. After a while, Dorian discovers that his portrait doesn’t only age, but also changes face expression as a result of all his sins and evil deeds. Dorian gets anxious by the fact that the portrait shows his evil soul and is scared that somebody will see it, therefore he hides it. The portrait haunts Dorian although it’s hidden. As Dorian’s sins gets worse, he feels that he can’t handle the pressure anymore and decides to destroy the portrait that shows his true self.
In society, there has constantly been the question as to whether people can change or not. Author Oscar Wilde proves in his novel The Picture of Dorian Gray, that one can. The question he poses to his readers is “What kind of transformation is shown by the protagonist Dorian Gray: good or bad?” It is possible to think that Dorian Gray has become a better person, not for others, but for himself since he lives in the pursuit of pleasure and always achieves it. However, as it is demonstrated by the portrait, the damnation of the lives of others can provoke damage to one’s conscience and soul. Dorian’s soul is ruined gradually by his hedonistic adventures, eventually failing to redeem his actions, but not before he leaves a devastating path of destruction and experiences self-inflicted destruction.
Oscar Wilde’s novel, Picture of Dorian Gray, portrays the dichotomy of the double life led by Dorian Gray.1 The contrast between the portrait and Dorian personifies the universal battle of sin versus morale and ultimately serves as a moral compass for society.2 Dorian’s development of a double life identifies with the results of sociological oppression leading to confinement.3 The development of this contrasting lifestyle inevitably influences a fatal deterioration of his soul and heart.4 Oscar Wilde’s exaggeration of the effects of the double life of Dorian Gray within his novel Picture of Dorian Gray ultimately conveys the degradation due to a confinement of the soul, and personifies the dualism between private and public lives.5
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 novel, we see the corruption of Dorian’s unscathed innocence and his beauty by various outside sources. Dorian first meets Basil, who values Dorian’s beauty so much that he is Basil’s muse for art, his way of living. Basil wants to cherish Dorian forever, and wants to keep him for himself. Additionally, at first, he cherishes Dorian’s beauty more than he does his personality. As an artist, Basil is completely enamored by Dorian’s beauty, and he says, “what the invention of oil-painting was to the Venetians, the face of Antinous was to late Greek sculpture, and the face of Dorian Gray will some day be to me” (Wilde 12).
Oscar Wilde`s novel The Picture of Dorian Gray is written primarily out of the aesthetic movement of the Nineteenth Century. Therefore, the text contains a profuse amount of imagery which reflects the concepts of beauty and sensory experiences. By taking the aesthetic approach, Wilde was able to revive the gothic style through grotesque imagery of the portrait and the character whose soul it represents. Wilde is not using gothic elements to shock his audiences; rather he uses the gothic to capture the hideousness of Gray`s corruptness which leaks out of the painting and into the tone of the entire text.
In Photo Production Ltd v Securicor Transport (1980) the Privy council determined that one should only liable for damages when he is careless, even if the damages are reasonable. The intention is to not punish the party, so the amount of damages awarded is always lesser than the actual loss suffered. In addition, oridinary compensatory awards can be claim in relation to the injured party's dignity and pride. It happened when a party fails to keep his promises, that is where a breach of contract occurred. Therefore this able to helps the innocent party to claim his remedies and maintain his right of action.
As Dorian descends deeper into the depths of his depravity, the audience loses faith in him. His innocent, childlike and charitable qualities, seen in his philanthropy and petulance when he is first introduced, are lost, and he acts cruelly and selfishly. For example, when his lover, Sibyl Vane, performs on stage and fails to meet Dorian’s expectations, Wilde fashions Dorian’s reaction to be callous and bitter to her so that the reader sympathizes with Sibyl. The juxtaposition of Dorian’s incredible devotion and his sudden hatred of Sibyl Vane creates shock and makes the reader realize Dorian’s injustice to his lover. When he first meets Sibyl, Dorian is enamored by her beauty and talent.
In the novel The Picture of Dorian Gray written by Oscar Wilde readers are presented with a vast depiction of the art of immorality in the face of ignorant innocence portrayed by the character Dorian Gray. In the beginning it seems to be a quaint novel on artistry and the paradoxical relationship between two lifelong friends by the name of Basil Hallward and Lord Henry. The plot takes a surprising twist when introduced to the real center of attention, the character of the seemingly innocent Dorian Gray. Upon this introduction Wilde then begins to tell the tale of what a life of secrecy and deception will lead to without the consciousness of a moral threshold and the inescapable burden of Dorians horrid accumulation of sins. The deception begins with a simple shout out to the heavens for the impossible to be granted. This then flourishes into unspeakable acts caused by an Egyptian statue, bringing misfortune to Dorian Gray by giving him exactly what he so desperately desires, thus teaching the world a lesson. Not everything we so strongly desire the world to provide is good for the soul.
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...
Before finally stabbing his portrait and ending his life, Dorian realizes the rotten creature he has become: “He had been an evil influence to others, and had experienced a terrible joy in being so; and that of the lives that had crossed his own, it had been the fairest and the most full of promise that he had brought to shame.” (153) Even in his final days, the remnants of Dorian’s unstained purity and innocence are causing him to hate anyone that reminds Dorian of
He attempts to leave his life of selfish pleasures behind but he is unsuccessful. He does not know how to truly change his pleasure seeking ways without the presence of his superego. In his last attempt to “be good”, Dorian kills himself along with his id. These events reveal how Dorian’s devotion to the pleasure principle causes harm to others and turns Dorian into a murderer. Dorian’s loyalty to this lifestyle is what ruins his the life of himself and many others around
The reason behind the Dorian 's degradation is never explicitly mentioned in Wilde 's novel, which begs the question of whether literature has the ability to degrade a person. The influence of literature has the potential to corrupt one 's mind, but whether it does is dependant on the state of the reader. Wilde demonstrates this point to counter claims that art, including, literature can be regarded as corruptive.
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.