...conversations between the characters points to homosexual relations between all of the male characters. Oscar Wilde, himself, was part of the Decadents movement at the end of the Victorian period. Decadents are known for undermining the mainstream Victorian ideals. There has been a significant change in society’s morals since the publication of the novel in 1891. A person reading The Picture of Dorian Gray in today’s culture may see nothing wrong about the context of the novel or the relationships between the characters within it but, at the time of publication, it was seen by society as an immoral book and even used in the trial against Oscar Wilde that resulted in two years imprisonment and hard labor. I will argue that using the characters of Dorian Gray, Lord Henry Wotton, and Basil Hallward, Oscar Wilde supports the common Decadents belief that open sexuality in mainstream Victorian culture would make for a better, happier society. From the very beginning of the novel, homosexual relations are apparent through the conversation about Dorian Gray between Basil Hallward and Lord Henry. As Lord Henry questions Basil about the mysterious person in his painting, Basil’s odd obsession with Dorian becomes evident. He describes their meeting as being destined to happen and when asked how often he sees Dorian, Basil replies, “Every day. I couldn’t be happy if I didn’t see him every day. He is absolutely necessary to me” (Wilde 12). He then becomes protective when Lord Henry asks to meet Dorian...
Words: 1467 - Pages: 6
...Year 12 Henry VIII Revision Guide 1 How to answer questions on the Tudors Section A Essays: How far do the sources agree that? Introduction: Explain what you can learn from each source Briefly cross reference the sources Provide an argument in response to the question Main paragraphs: State a similarity or difference between the sources – make sure you focus on ‘How Far’ Select relevant information from the sources to support this point Place this in context using your brief own knowledge Use provenance to explain this similarity/difference Conclusion: Sum up how far the sources agree based on content and provenance Section B Essays: Do you agree with the view that? Introduction: State your line of argument – how far do you agree with the view? State the main similarities and differences between the sources Main paragraphs: State a reason for yes/no. Make sure you phrase this in a way that links to your line of argument and answers the question. Remember that each source will suggest a different reason for yes/no. Support this reason with evidence from the sources and your own knowledge Cross-reference between the sources Weigh up the evidence of the sources. Consider provenance for primary sources and judge secondary sources based on the evidence included and the weight given to certain evidence Link back to your line of argument Conclusion: Explain how your argument has been proven with reference to the sources and your own knowledge...
Words: 34668 - Pages: 139
...which was not friendly in any aspect. However there are further aspects in the Sources which both agree with one another in the portrayal that they Henry did see the nobility as his friends and supporters. Source 1 portrays that Henry did see the nobility as his friends and supporters rather extensively as in the source they are seen together attending the Queen’s chamber, which suggests that Henry entrusts the nobility with the privilege of entering the Queen’s chamber which would’ve been quite an honourable proposition. The way in which the king and the nobility are seen here working together differs to the suggestions in source 2 which illustrates that their relationship is very unequal. Source 2 says that “the King has commanded all the lords and most of the nobles..” this proclaims that the King was determined to obtain the majority of the control and that Henry saw no significant friendship between the nobility and the King. On the other hand, source 2 signifies that Henry relied on the nobility to provide men and support the monarch in their military role, as partners in government. This evident partnership does suggest Henry saw some sort of support and friendship between the two otherwise Henry wouldn’t put his trust in the nobility to sort important matters. This concept would’ve been fairly reliable as both sources do correspond with this idea that there was a clear partnership, as...
Words: 873 - Pages: 4
...pursuing aestheticism—a philosophy based in the simplistic beauty of things—the pursuer may, in the end and without notice, emerge uglier than ever before. Dorian, the once wide-eyed innocent, buckles and caves in to depravity while practicing an aesthetic lifestyle, despite the beauty that such a life idea claims. I began to wonder what Oscar Wilde intended to convey with his portrayal of the Aesthetic Movement incarnate and its often harsh consequences, especially given the well-documented involvement of Wilde in promoting aestheticism in his contemporary society. The juxtaposition of Wilde’s support for the Aesthetic Movement with Dorian’s corruption at the hands of it provided a great jumping-off point and a lingering question with which to begin an essay. What exactly is Wilde’s view of aestheticism when one bears in mind the story of Dorian Gray? In writing my essay, I realized Wilde’s outlook is not as straightforward as it may first appear. Throughout the writing process, a difficult task I faced was to encapsulate the aesthetic position when the philosophy often meant different things to different people. In researching the movement, I found that the moral philosophies of various proponents of aestheticism often varied and, thus, it became difficult to nail down the aesthetic tenets and apply them to Dorian Gray. In retrospect, some observations about the philosophy may, consequently, appear too generalized. I was also challenged in the initial formulation of my argument....
Words: 3238 - Pages: 13
...One of the most famous and most frequently quoted statements about the moral responsibility of artists can be found in Oscar Wilde ’s preface to his novel The Picture of Dorian Gray. “There is no such thing as a moral or an immoral book,” writes Wilde, “Books are well written or badly written. That is all.” His claim is that works of art are legitimate objects of aesthetic judgement, but not of moraljudgement. Wilde added this preface when the novel was reprinted a year after its initial publication in a literary magazine. The preface was Wilde’s considered response to various reviewers who had found his book to be immoral. The extent of this antagonism should not be exaggerated. Only a few reviewers had condemned the novel in these terms, and there was never any serious campaign for it to be banned. Wilde also replied separately, by letter, to each of the magazines and newspapers which had published these condemnatory reviews. These letters were collected together after his death and republished in a little volume entitled Art and Morality. (Today, they can be found more easily in the collected edition of Wilde’s correspondence.) It is worth our while to read and compare the various arguments he puts forward. He makes his first statement of the principle later enunciated in his preface in his letter to The St. James’s Gazette: “The sphere of art and the sphere of ethics are absolutely distinct and separate.” However in a second letter to the same magazine he makes the surprising...
Words: 2938 - Pages: 12
...GREGORY VII (Hildebrand) (Pope, 1073-85). He was born in Tuscany about 1020, perhaps at Soana, a village of the southern border. His family belonged to the plebeian class. Although nothing of his remoter ancestry is known, his family name, Hildebrand, would imply a Teutonic descent; but by birth and education at least he was Italian. His youth was passed in Rome, in the monastery of St. Mary, on the Aventine, of which his uncle was abbot, and he probably took monastic vows. The Emperor Henry III took him to Germany, and he continued his studies in Cologne. Very likely he also visited Aix-la-Chapelle and Cluny. He attended the council at Worms at which Bishop Bruno of Toul was chosen Pope (Leo IX), and the latter took him to Rome (1049) and made him a cardinal subdeacon. He had great influence during the pontificate of Leo. On the latter's death (1054) the Roman people manifested a desire to have Hildebrand as successor; but this honor he declined, preferring to gain more experience. Besides important domestic employments which were assigned to him, he was sent as legate to the Council of Tours (1054), in which the cause of Berengarius was examined. (See BERFEGARIUS of TOURS.) He was likewise one of the three legates dispatched to Germany to consult about a successor to Leo IX. Under the four popes who followed Leo--Victor II, Stephen IX, Benedict X, and Alexander II, known in history as the German popes--Hildebrand continued to be the predominant. Power and inspired into their...
Words: 1652 - Pages: 7
...King Henry VIII King of England and Lord of Ireland "We are, by the sufferance of God, King of England; and the Kings of England in times past never had any superior but God." Quote by King Henry VIII made to Cardinal Wolsey in 1515 Henry tutor, who is named after his father Henry VII the first of the Tudor dynasty, Henry was born on, born the 28th of June 1491. His mother Elizabeth of York and father Henry VII. The tutor dynasty is known as royal house of Welsh origin that ruled the Kingdom of England and its realms; this included the Lordship and Kingdom of Ireland, from 1485 until 1603. Henry’s Tutor character according to historical records handsome 6’2 man, great athlete, hunted and played tennis. He was also a great composer of music, including the “greensleves”. Not only for his great looks, Henry being very smart as well, studied theology before the age of 12, to prepare for the clergy.( Henry VIII: The King and His Court [Paperback]) King Henry VIII is viewed as one of the most controversial rulers in history. His desperation to have his name carried on with a male heir, and his need to have ultimate power led him to do what no other ruler dare to attempt. His desperation to have his name carried on with a male heir, and his need to have ultimate power led him to do what none other before him had dared attempt. To fully understand the reasons behind his actions, one needs consider his personal characteristics, the women in his life, as well as...
Words: 2354 - Pages: 10
...serious threat to Henry VII’s security throughout his reign? It is probably not accurate to say the Yorkists remained a serious threat throughout Henry's reign. Throughout his reign he had many pretenders trying to make a claim on his crown, for example Perkin Warbeck and Lambert Simnel. Most had weak conspiracies and minimal support; however foreign help was high from England traditional enemies such as Scotland and France. Although betrayal from Stanley was serious for Henry, there were many factors of his reign helping maintain his thrown; which were he married the most prominent Yorkist and he dealt well with the threats through his spy system. Although Henry was considered vulnerable in his reign, and he did face challenges from Yorkist supporters, they were not a constant serious threat to his security. The first signs of Yorkists dissatisfaction with Henry VII were the Lovell Rebellion of 1486. While Henry was on royal progresses in the North the conspirators broke sanctuary; The Stafford brothers travelled to Worchester to start up rebellion and Lovell headed north to ambush the king. However Henry learnt about the uprising and sent an army to stop Lovell, the rebels fled. This rebellion was of little threat to Henry’s security as the army was small as they lacked support from nobles, there was no foreign backing and Henry managed to deal with the Yorkists well. The Stafford’s were arrested and sent to the tower, Humphrey...
Words: 1561 - Pages: 7
...Summary Published in 1891, The Picture of Dorian Gray is Oscar Wilde’s only novel. An immediate and popular success, it has never been out of print. The story is set in London towards the end of the 19th century. Basil Hallward has painted a portrait of a handsome young man, Dorian Gray. Thrilled by the beauty of the painting, Dorian Gray wishes that he could always stay as young as his image in the picture. He gives up his soul to achieve this wish. Dorian sets out on a life of self-indulgence and evil. His behaviour seems to be reflected in the portrait and he realises that his wish has come true – the portrait is beginning to show a corrupted man while he remains unchanged physically. Frightened of what is happening, Dorian hides the picture in a locked room. The years pass and Dorian leads an increasingly depraved life, but the years have no effect on him; he looks as young and beautiful as ever. Then one evening he meets the artist once more and, after he has shown him the evil-looking portrait, Dorian kills him in a fit of hatred. Dorian tries to carry on with his immoral life but he is tormented by feelings of guilt and decides that the only way he can make up for what he has done is to destroy the painting. In the climax of the story Dorian tries to kill the man in the portrait, but kills himself in the process. Aestheticism was inspired by the principle of 'art for art's sake (art for the love for art) ...it had to simply create beauty. The Aesthete believed that...
Words: 1611 - Pages: 7
...artist can express everything." The artist’s instruments are thought and language. Vice and virtue are the materials of art. In terms of form, music is the epitome of all the arts. In terms of feeling, acting is the epitome of the arts. Art is both surface and symbol. People who try to go beneath the surface and those who try to read the symbols "do so at their own peril." Art imitates not life, but the spectator. When there is a diversity of opinion about a work of art, the art is good. "When critics disagree the artist is in accord with him [/her] self." The value of art is not in its usefulness. Art is useless. CHAPTER 1 In a richly decorated studio an artist, Basil Hallward talks with a guest, Lord Henry Wotton about a new portrait he has standing out. Lord Henry exclaims that it is the best of Hallward’s...
Words: 11550 - Pages: 47
...portrayed through appearances and art, however more through physical aesthetics, rather than social appearances. A strong example of this idea is the marriage between Nora and Torvald in “A Doll’s House.” A major theme that runs throughout the play, is the idea of performance in marriage. Both Nora and Torvald put on a facade, to present themselves as an ideal husband/wife. One example is Torvald’s shallow role as a stereotypical male following the revelation of Nora’s secret; that she withdrew a loan from Krogstad in order to pay for a trip to heal Torvald’s illness. At the initial exposé he exclaims “you have ruined all my future,” establishing himself as the dominant man, as this expression is grand and exaggerated, suggesting that from this point onwards, he has no hope for a good career or family; aspects that took priority for a Victorian male. However once he finds out that Krogstad withdraws his threat to reveal Nora’s secret and he can burn the contract, he capriciously reverts to a forgiving husband, as he begs “you must not think any more about the hard things I said.” This...
Words: 1623 - Pages: 7
...It is a masterpiece, which not only represents Wilde’s brilliance in his writing, but also displays dark and personal aspects of his life. *****The story display the reflections of the author’s personality in the novel’s three main characters, Dorian Gray, Lord Henry Wotton and Basil Hallward. Each character shows a kind of approach towards life which is similar in its philosophy to Oscar Wilde’s real life approach. **Oscar Wild says: “Basil Hallward is what I think I am: Lord Henry what the world thinks me: Dorian what I would like to be- in other ages, perhaps. Oscar has crafted Dorian Gray as a symbol of art which can truly be appreciated with no regard to morality and ethics.*** He is characterized by pure soul which was polluted by the vices in society and got transformed him into a selfish, who lives to seek pleasure. The author and the character mirror each other because, both had a pleasure seeking nature with no regards to ethics and morals in the society. . According to Oscar Wild Pleasure is the only thing one should live for. As you know Oscar Wild was homosexual and there was a man he loved, Alfred Duglas. I read several letter that were written form Oscar Wild the letter were rather romantic. And his view about pleasure that it only thing to live is is further strengthened by what he wrote in his letter to Alfred,*** “I don't regret for a single moment having lived for pleasure. I did it to the full, as one should do everything that one does. There was no...
Words: 1299 - Pages: 6
...The Tudors: A Very Short Introduction VERY SHORT INTRODUCTIONS are for anyone wanting a stimulating and accessible way in to a new subject. They are written by experts, and have been published in more than 25 languages worldwide. The series began in 1995, and now represents a wide variety of topics in history, philosophy, religion, science, and the humanities. Over the next few years it will grow to a library of around 200 volumes- a Very Short Introduction to everything from ancient Egypt and Indian philosophy to conceptual art and cosmology. Very Short Introductions available now: ANCIENT P H I L O S O P H Y Julia Annas THE ANGLO-SAXON AGE John Blair ANIMAL RIGHTS David DeGrazia ARCHAEOLOGY Paul Bahn ARCHITECTURE Andrew Ballantyne ARISTOTLE Jonathan Barnes ART HISTORY Dana Arnold ARTTHEORY Cynthia Freeland THE HISTORYOF ASTRONOMY Michael Hoskin ATHEISM Julian Baggini AUGUSTINE HenryChadwick BARTHES Jonathan Culler THE B I B L E John Riches BRITISH POLITICS Anthony Wright BUDDHA Michael Carrithers BUDDHISM DamienKeown CAPITALISM James Fulcher THE CELTS Barry Cunliffe CHOICETHEORY Michael Allingham CHRISTIAN ART Beth Williamson CLASSICS Mary Beard and John Henderson CLAUSEWITZ Michael Howard THE COLD WAR Robert McMahon CONTINENTAL PHILOSOPHY Simon Critchley COSMOLOGY Peter Coles CRYPTOGRAPHY Fred Piper and Sean Murphy DADAAND SURREALISM David Hopkins DARWIN Jonathan Howard DEMOCRACY Bernard Crick DESCARTES TomSorell DRUGS Leslie Iversen TH E EARTH Martin Redfern EGYPTIAN...
Words: 34946 - Pages: 140
...Evil is inherited in man, as it is the societal bounds that restrict one’s savage nature from arising. Structure and order are key in the survival of humanity and consequences keep us in check of our morality. In Lord of The Flies, by William Golding an award winning author depicts a group of British boys beached on a deserted island to illustrate the malicious nature in mankind. The novella dealt with the changes the boys underwent as they gradually adapted to freedom from their society. William Golding’s expresses his basic philosophy through character and symbols foretells that man was inherently...
Words: 883 - Pages: 4
...wealthy, and impossibly beautiful young man who immediately captures Basil’s artistic imagination • Although Lord Henry is a self-proclaimed hedonist who advocates the equal pursuit of both moral and immoral experience, he lives a rather staid life. • The Victorians believed that art could be used as a tool for social education and moral enlightenment, as illustrated in works by writers such as Charles Dickens and George Gissing. The aestheticism movement, of which Wilde was a major proponent, sought to free art from this responsibility. • “We are punished for our refusals. Every impulse that we strive to strangle broods in the mind, and poisons us.” • The Picture of Dorian Gray has often been compared to the famous German legend of Faust. The legend tells of a learned doctor who sells his soul to the devil in return for knowledge and magical abilities. Although Dorian Gray never contracts with the devil, his sacrifice is similar: he trades his soul for the luxury of eternal youth. • He is the last Lord Kelso's grandson. His mother was a Devereux, Lady Margaret Devereaux. Poor chap was killed in a duel at Spa a few months after the marriage. They said Kelso got some rascally adventurer, some Belgian brute, to insult his son-in-law in public. He brought his daughter back with him, I was told, and she never spoke to him again. The girl died, too, died within a year. • Lord Henry insists that “no life is spoiled but one whose growth is arrested.” • Dorian enters, and he relates...
Words: 3258 - Pages: 14
