Oscar WildeOscar Wilde(1856-1900)(1856-1900)

Character sketch Character sketch of Lord Henry of Lord Henry

((The Picture of Dorian GreyThe Picture of Dorian Grey))

AppearanceAppearance ……the tall , graceful young man…(Ch.2)the tall , graceful young man…(Ch.2) ……romantic olive-coloured face and romantic olive-coloured face and

worn expression…(Ch.2)worn expression…(Ch.2) ……low, languid voice…(Ch.2)low, languid voice…(Ch.2) ……cool, white, flower-like hands…(Ch.2)cool, white, flower-like hands…(Ch.2) ……pointed brown beard…(Ch.1)pointed brown beard…(Ch.1) ……dreamy, languorous eyes…(Ch.2)dreamy, languorous eyes…(Ch.2) ……long nervous fingers…(Ch.1)long nervous fingers…(Ch.1)

Typical aristocratic appearanceTypical aristocratic appearance

Marriage and FamilyMarriage and Family ……the one charm of marriage is that it makes a life of the one charm of marriage is that it makes a life of

deception absolutely necessary for both parties.deception absolutely necessary for both parties.(Ch.1)(Ch.1)

The real drawback to marriage is that it makes one The real drawback to marriage is that it makes one unselfish. And unselfish people are colourless.(Ch.5)unselfish. And unselfish people are colourless.(Ch.5)

Of coarse married life is a habit, a bad habit.(Ch.4)Of coarse married life is a habit, a bad habit.(Ch.4) I don’t care for brothers. My elder brother won’t I don’t care for brothers. My elder brother won’t

die, and my younger brothers seem never to do die, and my younger brothers seem never to do anything else.(Ch.1)anything else.(Ch.1)

Cynical attitude to marriage, family and relatives.Cynical attitude to marriage, family and relatives.

Love and FaithfulnessLove and Faithfulness

When one is in love, one always begins When one is in love, one always begins by deceiving one’s self, and one always by deceiving one’s self, and one always ends by deceiving others.(Ch.4)ends by deceiving others.(Ch.4)

Those who are faithful know only the Those who are faithful know only the trivial side of love…(Ch.1)trivial side of love…(Ch.1)

Faithfulness is simply a confession of Faithfulness is simply a confession of failures…(Ch.1)failures…(Ch.1)

Love means deception. Being Love means deception. Being unfaithful himself tries to blacken the unfaithful himself tries to blacken the idea of devoted love.idea of devoted love.

CConscienceonscience and and PrinciplesPrinciples

Conscience and cowardice are really the Conscience and cowardice are really the same things, Basil. Conscience is the same things, Basil. Conscience is the tradename of the firm. That is all.(Ch.1)tradename of the firm. That is all.(Ch.1)

I like persons better than principles and I like persons better than principles and I like persons with no principles better I like persons with no principles better than anything else in the world. (Ch.1)than anything else in the world. (Ch.1)

Perverts the idea of conscience and Perverts the idea of conscience and honour. Praises dark sides of human honour. Praises dark sides of human character.character.

Influence on Dorian GrayInfluence on Dorian Gray There was something terribly enthralling in There was something terribly enthralling in

the exercise of influence. To project one’s the exercise of influence. To project one’s soul into some gracious form, and let it tarry soul into some gracious form, and let it tarry there for a moment; to hear one’s own there for a moment; to hear one’s own intellectual views echoed back to one with intellectual views echoed back to one with the added music of passion and youth; to the added music of passion and youth; to convey one’s temperament into another as convey one’s temperament into another as though it were a subtle fluid or a strange though it were a subtle fluid or a strange perfume; there was real joy in that…(Ch.3)perfume; there was real joy in that…(Ch.3)

He would seek to dominate him – had He would seek to dominate him – had already indeed half done so. He would make already indeed half done so. He would make that wonderful spirit his own.(Ch.3)that wonderful spirit his own.(Ch.3)

To a large extent the lad was his own To a large extent the lad was his own creation. He had made him premature.(Ch.4)creation. He had made him premature.(Ch.4)Realizes his influence on Dorian, wants to Realizes his influence on Dorian, wants to change him, to make him his own creature.change him, to make him his own creature.

HedonismHedonism Pleasure is the only thing worth having theory Pleasure is the only thing worth having theory

about.(Ch.6)about.(Ch.6) The only way to get rid of a temptation is to The only way to get rid of a temptation is to

yield to it.(Ch.2)yield to it.(Ch.2) Let nothing be lost upon you. Be always Let nothing be lost upon you. Be always

searching for new sensations. Be afraid of searching for new sensations. Be afraid of nothing… A new Hedonism – that what our nothing… A new Hedonism – that what our century wants.(Ch.2)century wants.(Ch.2)

Nothing can cure the soul but the senses.(Ch.2)Nothing can cure the soul but the senses.(Ch.2) Sin is the only coloured element left in our life.Sin is the only coloured element left in our life.

(Ch.2)(Ch.2) Moderation is a fatal thing.(Ch.15)Moderation is a fatal thing.(Ch.15)

Sin and pleasure are the only things worth Sin and pleasure are the only things worth living for. If moral prevents us from pleasure, it living for. If moral prevents us from pleasure, it should be rejected.should be rejected.

Man vs. WomanMan vs. Woman Women are a decorative sex. They never have Women are a decorative sex. They never have

anything to say, but say it charmingly. Women anything to say, but say it charmingly. Women represent the triumph of matter over mind, just represent the triumph of matter over mind, just as men represent the triumph of mind over as men represent the triumph of mind over morals.(Ch.4)morals.(Ch.4)

……no woman is a genious.(Ch.1)no woman is a genious.(Ch.1) They [women] worship us, and are always They [women] worship us, and are always

bothering us to do something for them.(Ch.6)bothering us to do something for them.(Ch.6) Women, as some witty Frenchman once put it, Women, as some witty Frenchman once put it,

inspire us with the desire to do masterpieces, inspire us with the desire to do masterpieces, and always prevent us from carrying them out.and always prevent us from carrying them out.(Ch.6)(Ch.6)

I have a theory that it is always the women who I have a theory that it is always the women who propose us, and not we who propose to the propose us, and not we who propose to the women.(Ch.6)women.(Ch.6)Despises women. Treats them like beautiful Despises women. Treats them like beautiful stupid dolls, who only want to marry men.stupid dolls, who only want to marry men.

Attitude to DeathAttitude to Death

You must think of that lonely death in You must think of that lonely death in the tawdry dressing-room simply as a the tawdry dressing-room simply as a strange lurid fragment from some strange lurid fragment from some Jacobean tragedy…(Ch.8)Jacobean tragedy…(Ch.8)

I wish he [Basil] had come to such a I wish he [Basil] had come to such a really romantic end [murder] as you really romantic end [murder] as you suggest.(Ch.19)suggest.(Ch.19)

His His cynicismcynicism is boundless. He treats is boundless. He treats to to deathdeath ( (L) as if it were a romantic thing L) as if it were a romantic thing or a play.or a play.

ConclusionConclusion

Lord Henry is a cynic, perverting all Lord Henry is a cynic, perverting all the morals of the mankind and turning the morals of the mankind and turning them into cowardice or failure.them into cowardice or failure.

He praises sin and pleasure, He praises sin and pleasure, proclaiming them to be the meaning of proclaiming them to be the meaning of human life.human life.

He embodies devil, corrupting Dorian He embodies devil, corrupting Dorian and making him his own “toy”.and making him his own “toy”.

Fedor SidorovFedor Sidorov 404 E 404 E20082008