Oscar Wilde Essay, Research Paper
Oscar Wilde
Oscar Wilde (real name Oscar Fingal O’Flahertie Wills Wilde) was born on
October 16th, 1854 in Dublin. His father, William Robert Wilde, was an eminent
eye doctor, with an interest in myths and folklore. He was the founder of the
first eye and ear hospital in Great Britain, as well as the appointed Surgeon
Occultist to the Queen, who knighted him. His mother, Jane Francesca Elgee
Wilde, was a poet who wrote patriotic Irish verse under the pen name Speranza,
and had a considerable following. As a youngster, Wilde was exposed to the
brilliant literary talk of the day at his mother’s Dublin salon.
In 1864 Wilde entered the Portora Royal School at Enniskillen, and in
1871 entered Trinity College in Dublin. In 1874 he left Ireland and went to
England to attend Magdalen College at Oxford. As a student there, he excelled
in classics, wrote poetry, and incorporated the Bohemian life style of his youth
into a unique way of life. He came under the influence of aesthetic innovators
such as English writers Walter Pater and John Ruskin. He found the aesthetic
movement’s notions of “art for art’s sake” and dedicating one’s life to art
suitable to his temperament and talents. As an aesthete, Wilde wore long hair
and velvet knee breeches, and became known for his eccentricity as well as his
academic ability. His rooms were filled with various objets d’art such as
sunflowers, peacock feathers, and blue china. Wilde frequently confided that
his greatest challenge at University was learning to live up to the perfection
of the china. Wilde won numerous academic prizes while studying there,
including the Newdigate Prize, a coveted poetry award, for his poem Ravenna.
In 1879 Wilde moved to London to make himself famous. He set about
establishing himself as the leader and model of the aesthetic movement. Besides
his hair and breeches, he added loose-fitting wide-collared silk shirts with
flowing ties and lavender colored gloves. He frequently carried a jewel-topped
cane and was caricatured in the press flamboyantly attired and holding an over-
sized sunflower, an icon of the movement. Wilde quickly became well known
despite having any substantial achievements to build on. His natural wit and
good humor endeared him to the art and theater world, and through his lover
Frank Miles, he found it easy to become part of the cliques that frequented
London’s theater circuit and drawing rooms. He became a much desired party
guest, and eventually his popularity led to his being chosen as an advance
publicity man for a new Gilbert and Sullivan operetta, Patience, that spoofed
aesthetes like himself.
In 1881, Wilde’s first book of poems, called Poems, was published. In
1882, short of money, he accepted an invitation to embark on a lecture tour of
America. He produced his first play in New York City, called Vera, about
nihilism in Russia. According to some, it was canceled at the last moment,
probably for political reasons; others say he saw it performed there but that
it ran unsuccessfully. Throughout that year he lectured in 70 American cities
as well as Ontario and Quebec in Canada on the arts and literature. The tour was
an unmitigated smash and Wilde returned to London in 1883 in triumph and richer
by several thousand pounds.
By the time he returned from America he had already tired of being the
Great Aesthete and began dressing more conventionally. He did a successful tour
of the U.K. He also wrote his second unsuccessful play, The Duchess Of Padua.
In 1884, he married Constance Lloyd, the daughter of an Irish barrister. They
had two sons, Cyril and Vyvyan. The family moved into a house in Chelsea, an
artist section of London. In 1887, he took a job at Woman’s World, a popular
magazine for which he wrote literary criticism. In 1888 he published The Happy
Prince and Other Tales, a collection of original fairy tales which he wrote for
his sons. Two years later he tired of journalism and journalists. He returned
to partying and spending his time with friends and lovers, often overstepping
the bounds of what was considered morally and socially proper for the time.
In 1890 his novel, The Picture Of Dorian Gray, was published in
Lippincott’s Magazine. It raised a storm of protest to thinly veiled allusions
to the protagonist’s homosexuality. In 1891 he published Intentions, a
collection of dialogues about the aesthetic philosophy; Lord Arthur Savile’s
Crime, a collection of short stories; and A House Of Pomegranates, a collection
of children’s’ stories. He also produced The Duchess Of Padua. In that same
year he met and befriended Lord Alfred Douglas, the son of the Marquess of
Queensberry. In 1892, he produced Lady Windermere’s Fan; in 1893, A Woman of
No Importance; and in 1895, the Importance of Being Earnest, which was hailed
as the first modern comedy in English, as well as An Ideal Husband. All were
very successful, and Wilde became the toast of London. His only setback in
these years was with his play Salome, originally written in French, which was
banned by Lord Chamberlain under an old law forbidding theatrical depiction of
biblical characters. Renowned actress Sarah Bernhardt, who was to appear in the
play, produced it in Paris in 1894. Thirteen years later German composer
Richard Strauss turned it into a successful opera.
In 1895, Wilde began flaunting his off-and-on relationship with Douglas
in public. Outraged by this, the Marquess of Queensberry left a visiting card at
Wilde’s London club, the Albemarle, upon which he had written, “To Oscar Wilde
posing as a somdomite” (sic). Wilde sued him for libel but lost the case and was
charged with homosexual offenses. The jury failed to reach a decision but at a
second trial he was found guilty and sentenced to two years in Reading Gaol, a
labor prison. There Wilde was declared bankrupt, and his house and possessions
were sold to pay off his debts. An Ideal Husband and The Importance of Being
Earnest, which were both running very successfully, were closed.
In 1897, while in prison, Wilde wrote a 30,000 word letter to Douglas,
published after his death with the title De Profundis, which was a moving
description of his spiritual progress to religious insight. It is regarded as
possibly being his most important and mature statement on life and art in
general, and his own life and art in particular. Wilde left prison on May 19th,
1897 and left For France. He began wandering around Europe using the alias
Sebastian Melmoth (Sebastian was the Christian martyr slain in a hail of arrows).
In 1898 he published his best-known poem, The Ballad of Reading Gaol, a gripping
account of prison brutality based on his own harrowing experiences with a plea
for prison reform. This came that same year with The Prisons Act, which was
partly due to his writing. Also that year came the death of his wife.
During these last years Wilde sank deeper into a despair from which none
of his friends could extricate him. He was in poor health, living on borrowed
money and the kindness of friends and sympathetic hotel managers. In 1899 he
was baptized by the Roman Catholic Church. He died on November 30th, 1900, in
Hotel d’Alsace in Paris, suffering from cerebral meningitis. Among his last
words were, “It’s the wallpaper or me – one of us has to go.” He was buried at
Pere LaChaise cemetery in Bagneaux. Lord Alfred Douglas was one of the attendees
at his funeral. In 1912 a monument to him was erected at the gravesite by an
anonymous woman.
Другие работы по теме:
Creative Writing A Murder On The Eighth
Night Was Caused By An Old Mans “evil” Eye Essay, Research Paper Creative Writing: A Murder on The Eighth Night Was Caused By an Old Mans “evil” By Oscar Villa______
Importance Of Being Ernest Essay Research Paper
Oscar Wilde The world has seen many talented literary writers. One of the more famous appeared in the late 19th century. Oscar Wilde was born in Dublin, Ireland on October 16, 1854. His life produced award-winning poetry and highly acclaimed plays. Although he had a troubled childhood, Wilde gained large popularity for his outlandish wit and compelling personality.
The Odd Couple Summary Essay Research Paper
Zach Melamed English 12/19/00 The Odd Couple Act 1 Five friends, all guys are sitting around playing poker in Oscar’s apartment. The place really messy because Oscar’s wife left him. The men are just hanging out, playing cards and eating food. Murray, a policeman,
Salome A Wilde Perspective Essay Research Paper
Salom?: A Wilde Perspective Oscar Wilde had long been fascinated by the Biblical story of Salom?, princess of Judea, who danced for King Herod and asked for the head of St John the Baptist in return.
IRONY The Challenge Of Acting Oscar
Wilde And George Bernard Shaw Essay, Research Paper IRONY the Challenge of Acting Oscar Wilde And George Bernard Shaw Irony is another staple tool of wit in Style acting, and it often seems to come effortlessly to British actors because the British rarely say what they mean. “The speech we hear is an indication of what we don’t hear… One way of looking at speech is to say it is a constant stratagem to cover nakedness,” says British playwright Harold Pinter.
The Importance Of Being Ernest Essay Research
Paper The play The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde is full of irony. Jack Worthing and Algernon Moncrieff, the protagonists in the play, get themselves into a complicated situation called Bunburyism (as Algernon refers to it). They pretend to be someone that they are not to escape their daily lives.
Social Commentary In Oscar Wilde
’s Work Essay, Research Paper One of the most difficult obstacles a playwright has to overcome is finding a way to engage and interest their audience to their piece. Often having to deal with such problems such as boredom, inattentiveness, or just a general lack of interest, playwrights often invent dramatic devices that entice and entertain their audiences.
Education In The Classroom Essay Research Paper
Education in the Classroom, or in the Real World Oscar Wilde and Lord Brougham have different ideas about the education system. Wilde states Education is an admirable thing, but it is well to remember from time to time that nothing that is worth knowing can be taught. This means that education does not teach a person every thing they need to know, a person learns from doing things outside of school.
A Long Lasting Comedy Essay Research Paper
A Long Lasting Comedy In today?s world we are all exposed to comedy. We see comedy in a variety of ways. These ways include: movies, plays, situational comedies on television, and stand up comedians. However, there is something very different about the typical comedy today compared to the play ?The Importance of Being Earnest? written by Oscar Wilde.
Oscar Claude Monet Essay Research Paper Oscar
Oscar Claude Monet Essay, Research Paper Oscar Claude Monet was born on November 14, 1840 in Paris, France. Monet spent most of his childhood in Le Havre, France. In Le Havre, Monet studied drawings and painted seascapes with a French painter Eugene Louis Boudin in his teens. By 1859 Monet committed himself a career to be an artist.
Claude Monet Essay Research Paper Claude Oscar
Claude Monet Essay, Research Paper Claude Oscar Monet was born on November 14, 1840, in Paris, France. The artistspent most of his childhood in Le Havre. In Le Havre, when he was a teen, he studieddrawing; he also painted seascapes outside with the French painter Eugene Louis Boudin. By the 1859, Monet had committed himself to being an artist, and in doing so he tried tospend as much time in Paris as he could possibly get.
Oscar Romero Essay Research Paper Individuals often
Oscar Romero Essay, Research Paper Individuals often become heroes because of the extraordinary courage they demonstrate. An unyielding determination to do what is right, true, and just became a guiding principle for Archbishop Oscar Arnulfo Romero. He informed the world about all the people who had been tortured, slaughtered, and of those who had “disappeared” in his country, El Salvador.
The Importance Of Being Earnest By Oscar 2
The Importance Of Being Earnest By Oscar Wilde (1854 – 1900) Essay, Research Paper Oscar Wilde, the witty Edwardian poet, playright, and author, was noted for his refined demeanor. The same mannerisms
Importance Of Being Earnest Analysis Essay Research
Paper Literary Analysis of The Importance of Being Earnest “No man is an island.” This means that no man is alone. Of all of the men on the planet, they all have somebody. It may not be obvious to them, but they are not alone. This relates to “The Importance of Being Earnest” by Oscar Wilde in a light tone. Jack has no idea who either of his parents are.
Comdey Essay Research Paper Ryan Zimmerman21600Some may
Comdey Essay, Research Paper Ryan Zimmerman 2/16/00 Some may say that comedy is a philosophy of life, and that it is an always changing art form. People also say comedy can sometimes even be considered to be a personal expression of a person?s world around them, a way to communicate thoughts and feelings in a very non-serious way.
Aspects Of Society Portrayed In Oscar Wildes
Play. Essay, Research Paper ASPECTS OF SOCIETY PORTRAYED IN OSCAR WILDE S PLAY In the late 1890 s, the upper class English society talked in a dignified, proper manner. Everything they said had either a positive or negative effect on their family members, associates, even themselves. Basically it was all a show people put on to remain in the non-scandalous side of society.
Oscar De La Hoya Essay Research Paper
Oscar De La Hoya is a famous professional boxer. He is known all over the world for his looks, talent in the ring and his great sportsmanship. He is one of the best fighters in the
Importance Of Being Earnest An Essay Research
Paper Literary Analysis of The Importance of Being Earnest No man is an island. This means that no man is alone. Of all of the men on the planet, they all have somebody. It may not be obvious to them, but they are not alone. This relates to The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde in a light tone. Jack has no idea who either of his parents are.
A Picture Of Dorian Gray By Oscar
Wilde Essay, Research Paper Oscar Wilde, author of The Picture of Dorian Gray, makes Basil’s life change drastically by having him paint a portrait of Dorian Gray and express too much of himself in it, which, in Wilde’s mind, is a troublesome obstacle to circumvent. Wilde believes that the artist should not portray any of himself in his work, so when Basil does this, it is he who creates his own downfall, not Dorian.
Crime And Punishment Essay Research Paper In
Crime And Punishment Essay, Research Paper In the novel Crime and Punishment, by Fyodor Dostoevsky, suffering is an important part of every character’s role. However, the message that Dostoevsky wants to present with the main character, Raskolnikov, is not one of the Christian ideas of deliverance through suffering.
Oscar Romero Essay Research Paper OSCAR ROMERO
Oscar Romero Essay, Research Paper OSCAR ROMERO was born on August 15, 1917 in Ciudad Barrios, a town east of El Salvador. He was the second of seven children. When he was thirteen he declared a vocation to the priesthood. He went to a seminary in San Miguel and from there Rome. He was ordained in 1942. In January 1944 he was recalled to San Miguel by his bishop and was soon secretary of the diocese.
Oscar Wilde Essay Research Paper Oscar Fingal
Oscar Wilde Essay, Research Paper Oscar Fingal O?Flahertie Wills Wilde was born in Dublin Ireland on October 16, 1854. He is one of the most talented and most controversial writers of his time. He was well known for his wit, flamboyance, and creative genius and with his little dramatic training showing his natural talent for stage and theatre.
Biography Of Oscar Wilde Essay Research Paper
Oscar Wilde was born in 1854 and grew up in an intellectually influenced Irish home. His mother was a poet who wrote under the pen name Speranza and his father was a well-known physician with an interest in myths and folk tale. This was a very literature oriented family.
Oscar Wilde Essay Research Paper Marsha LienMiss
Oscar Wilde Essay, Research Paper Marsha Lien Miss Lynch 11 English H June 7, 1999 Oscar Wilde and the World Around Him Oscar Fingal O’Flahertie Wills Wilde (1854-1900) was an Anglo-Irish dramatist, novelist, essayist, short-story writer, critic, and poet. He was part of the Decadence, a loosely affiliated coterie of writers and artists of the 1890s whose lives and works manifested a highly stylized, decorative manner, a fascination with morbidity and perversity, and an adherence to the doctrine “art for art’s sake.” After having a hard childhood, where he was dressed as a girl until the age of nine, he viewed life more critically than others.
The Three Faces Of Oscar Wilde Essay
, Research Paper In the book, The Picture Of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde, there is a character named Lord Henry Wotton. He is the story s antagonist and whom critics often think most resembles Oscar Wilde. Wilde remarks Basil Hallward is what I think I am: Lord Henry what the world thinks of me: Dorian what I would like to be-in other ages perhaps.
Oscar Schindler Essay Research Paper Oscar Schindler
Oscar Schindler Essay, Research Paper Oscar Schindler: People die, it’s a fact of life. He wants to kill everybody? Great, what am I supposed to do about it? Bring everybody over? Is that what you think? Send them over to Schindler, send them all. His place is a ‘haven,’ didn’t you know? It’s not a factory, it’s not an enterprise of any kind, it’s a haven for rabbis and orphans and people with no skills whatsoever.
Music 2
Music & Movies Essay, Research Paper Music & Movies This paper is based on what I know about music. Music is a way of life, and life would be a mistake without music. Music can encourage ones emotions, thoughts, and feelings.
The Picture Of Dorian Essay Research Paper
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde is the story of moral corruption by the means of aestheticism. In the novel, the well meaning artist Basil Hallward presets young Dorian
A Picture Of Dorian Gray Essay Research
Paper Oscar Wilde, author of The Picture of Dorian Gray, makes Basil’s lifechangedrastically by having him paint a portrait of Dorian Gray and expresstoo much of himselfin it, which, in Wilde’s mind, is a troublesome obstacle to circumvent. Wilde believesthat the artist should not portray any of himself in his work, so whenBasil does this, it ishe who creates his own downfall, not Dorian.
Oscar Wilde Essay Research Paper This statement
Oscar Wilde Essay, Research Paper This statement is pronounced by Gwendolen Fairfax, when Jack Worthing proposes to her by standing on his knee. Oscar Wilde tries to demonstrate in this phrase the young woman?s obsession with social acceptance. The mere fact that she is getting a marriage proposal from a good man that adores her is not satisfying enough.