BIOGRAPHY:
Childhood And Youth:
The childhood of the future prose writer, playwright and poet of the last period of the Victorian era, Oscar Fingal O’Flaherty Wills Wilde, passed in the capital of Ireland, the city of Dublin. He was born October 16, 1854. His parents were famous in high society circles. Father William Wilde practiced medicine; his professional activities included oto-ophthalmology. In 1864 he was awarded the title of knight. The mother of the future writer Jane Francesca Wilde fought for the rights of the Irish and actively supported the revolutionary movement. Both parents were fond of literature: the father wrote historical and archaeological works, and the mother wrote poetry. Salons were held in the Wilde couple’s house, attended by the top medical and cultural elite of the country.
Years of study:
Oscar was the middle child in the family. His older brother William was born two years earlier than Oscar, and his sister Isola was born two years younger. The girl died at the age of ten due to inflammation of the brain. The children received an excellent education at home. They had German and French governesses. The first educational institution for the brothers was the Royal School of Portora, which was located in a small town near Dublin. Little Oscar was distinguished by his talent for reading and witty statements. Upon graduation at the age of 17, Wilde received a gold medal and was sent to Trinity College.
Oscar’s love for ancient Greek culture, which began during his school years, was further developed in college. He is engaged in a detailed study of ancient history, aesthetics, and ancient languages. Gradually, Wilde begins to put all the knowledge he has gained into practice. His demeanor, clothing, craving for Hellenism, skepticism, self-irony – everything that made up his fame in the future was formed under the influence of the knowledge he acquired.
After three years, the promising student is sent to Oxford, where the style and image of Oscar Wilde as an impeccable dandy finally takes shape. One of the criteria for success for a young man even then is the formation of an aura of legend around his personality. He was never in a hurry to destroy all the incredible gossip and rumors that concerned his name. At Oxford University, the attitude of the future writer to beauty was finally formed. For Oscar, moral values are no longer the only criterion of beauty. The teacher who influenced Wilde’s worldview was John Ruskin, an English writer and theorist. He had a great influence on the development of literary trends at the end of the 19th century.
During his studies, Oscar travels for the first time to his beloved Italy and Greece. Inspired by new impressions, Wilde writes one of his first poems, “Ravenna,” for which he receives a university prize.Creativity
At the age of 24, Wilde moved to live in the capital of Great Britain. He becomes a popular regular at London’s social salons due to his ironic and controversial statements and manner of dressing. Wilde’s tastes and habits dictated fashion for the intelligentsia and aristocracy. Soon many young people began to appear who tried to imitate their idol in everything. The jokes of the young Irishman were analyzed by his fans into quotes.
In the first years of his literary work, Oscar Wilde dealt only with poetry, occasionally creating essays devoted to problems of aesthetics. From 1882 to 1883, the young writer spent abroad, in the USA, where he traveled with his lectures on art. The American public was crazy about the writer’s charm and intelligence; Oscar acquired a large army of fans and followers overseas.
After returning to Europe, Wilde immediately went to France, where he became acquainted with the flower of French literature.
Returning to his homeland and having found a family, Oscar Wilde devotes himself to writing fairy tales, inspired by his own children. These are the collections “The Happy Prince” and “The Pomegranate House”, the most famous works of which are “The Star Boy”, “The Devoted Friend”, “The Nightingale and the Rose”, “The Fisherman and His Soul”. By this time, Wilde’s fame in England was reaching its peak.
His journalistic articles are published in the country’s best publications, Wilde takes on the responsibilities of editor in the magazine “Women’s World”. The legendary playwright Bernard Shaw speaks favorably about him in his interviews. The London dandy and provocateur evokes conflicting feelings among the public: from blind adoration to criticism, which is expressed in attacks and the publication of caricatures of the writer. But barbs directed at Oscar only strengthen his authority and popularity in society.
At the age of 33, Wilde wrote his first serious works. Having started with the creation of the stories “The Crime of Lord Arthur Savile”, “The Canterville Ghost”, “The Sphinx without a Riddle”, Wilde began the main work of his creative biography – the novel “The Picture of Dorian Gray”, which was published in 1890. The book was received ambiguously by contemporaries.
Despite the educational goals pursued by the author, high society perceived the novel as an immoral work. But the simpler audience was delighted. Following the scandal associated with the publication of his only novel, Oscar Wilde published the drama “Salome,” which largely influenced the development of the art of decadence. The play also received a controversial assessment of public opinion and was not staged in the UK for a long time. In the early 90s, Oscar Wilde created a number of comedies for the theater stage, which were embodied on the stage of London. These plays include Lady Windermere’s Fan, A Woman Not Worth Noticing, An Ideal Husband and The Importance of Being Earnest. In them, the playwright reveals himself as a master of witty dialogue. More and more confidently in dramaturgy, he uses the technique of paradox.
Personal life:
Oscar Wilde was amorous from his youth. His first crushes were Florrie Balkum and actress Lilly Langtry. Already at a young age, the writer became a visitor to the capital’s brothels, which at that time were popular among bohemians. But at the age of 27, Wilde meets Constance Lloyd, the daughter of an Irish lawyer, who, after a stormy three-year romance, becomes his wife. Soon, boys of the same age appear in the family of the London dandy – sons Cyril and Vivian. After several years of marriage, alienation began between the spouses. It is quite possible that the cause of this was the writer’s untreated venereal disease. Oscar Wilde begins to live separately from his wife and children, and then changes his orientation. One of his first male partners is Robert Ross, who worked for a long time as the writer’s personal secretary and confidant.
In 1891, an acquaintance took place that played a fatal role in the life of the writer. The young Marquis Alfred Douglas came to visit him and expressed his admiration for the writer’s just published novel. Soon a strong friendship began between the two aesthetes, which grew into passion.
Court and prison:
The men stopped hiding their relationship; they often appeared at social parties together. Bosie Douglas, as Alfred was called by all his acquaintances, had a narcissistic type of character – he tried to subordinate everyone and everything to his will. Oscar could not resist the young man’s whims and constantly indulged him. His father, the Marquis of Queensberry, soon learned about his son Bosie’s connection. The shocking news prompted him to begin pursuing Wilde. The last straw for the writer’s patience was an open note that was given to him by the Marquis during a meeting of the Albemarle Club. In it, Bosie’s father accused Wilde of sodomy.
Outraged, Oscar sues his opponent for libel, which becomes a mistake for him. The prepared marquis proves the correctness of his accusation. After the trial is completed, a counter-trial begins, the purpose of which is to accuse Wilde of homosexuality. The Marquis won the case, and the writer was sent to prison. Oscar Wilde received the maximum punishment existing in those years: two years of hard labor. Many of his friends, including Bosie, turned their backs on him. The wife and children left the country and changed their last name. A few years later she died in Italy after an unsuccessful operation.
Quotes:
“Positive people get on your nerves, bad people get on your imagination.”
“As one witty Frenchman said, women inspire us to do great things, but always prevent us from doing them.”
“A cynic is a person who knows the price of everything and values nothing.”
“Being in love begins with a person deceiving himself, and ends with him deceiving another.”
“There are only two real tragedies in life: one is when you don’t get what you want, and the second is when you get it.”
Books:
“Ravenna” (1878)
“The Garden of Eros” (1881)
“The Duchess of Padua” (1883)
“The Canterville Ghost” (1887)
“The Crime of Lord Arthur Savile” (1888)
“The Happy Prince and Other Tales” (1888)
“The Picture of Dorian Gray” (1890)
“Salome” (1891)
“The Pomegranate House” (1891)
“Lady Windermere’s Fan” (1892)
“A Woman Not Worth Noticing” (1893)
“The Sphinx” (1894)
“An Ideal Husband” (1895)
“The Ballad of Reading Gaol” (1898)
At the peak of popularity:
At the age of 33, Wilde began working on serious works, including the following:
“The Crime of Lord Arthur Savile”;
“The Canterville Ghost”;
“The Sphinx without a riddle.”
In 1890, he began writing the novel The Picture of Dorian Gray. The book was received ambiguously by readers. Despite the educational goals pursued by the author, high society considered the novel immoral. But the simpler audience was delighted. Wilde later published the drama Salome, which influenced the development of the art of decadence.
In the early 1890s, the writer created a number of comedic plays: “Lady Windermere’s Fan,” “A Woman Not Worth Noticing,” “An Ideal Husband,” and “The Importance of Being Earnest.” In them the author proves himself to be a master of witty dialogue. liters provides the opportunity to read Oscar Wilde’s books online, as well as listen to audio versions of his works.
Beginning of a literary career:
Oscar’s first book was published in 1881, it was a collection of Poems, which was reprinted five times within a year. All publishing costs were borne by the author himself. Over the next year, the aspiring writer traveled around America, giving lectures on art. He then traveled to France, where he met the key figures in French literature of the time.
Returning to his homeland, Oscar got married and had children, who prompted him to write fairy tales:
“Boy Star”;
“Loyal Friend”
“The Nightingale and the Rose”;
“The Fisherman and His Soul.”
By this time, Wilde’s popularity was reaching its peak; his articles were published in the country’s best publications. The legendary playwright Bernard Shaw speaks favorably of him.
Interesting Facts:
According to the results of a survey conducted among BBC viewers, Oscar Wilde was recognized as the wittiest person who ever lived in England.
The novel “The Picture of Dorian Gray” has been translated into cinema more than 25 times.
The Tokyo Disneyland Ghost House features a portrait of a young Dorian Gray, who changes the picture to an image of a scary old man.
While traveling around the United States, Oscar Wilde made a bet with an American on the most implausible phrase. The very first remark of his opponent: “Once upon a time an American gentleman…” brought him victory. Oscar Wilde stopped him and admitted defeat.
The imprisonment of the famous writer influenced the judicial legislation of Great Britain. The Prison Act, written by Wilde and submitted to the House of Commons, was accepted for consideration and influenced the further improvement of conditions for prisoners.
Death:
After returning to freedom in 1897, Oscar immediately hurried to leave his homeland and went to Paris. These years he lives on the allowance that his wife sends him after the sale of all the personal property of the Wilde family. In the French capital, he begins dating Douglas again, but their relationship becomes strained. Taking the pseudonym Sebastian Melmoth, Oscar began literary activity and wrote the famous work of the last years of his life, “The Ballad of Reading Gaol.”
At the beginning of 1900, Oscar fell ill with an ear infection, which, with his body weakened by imprisonment, provoked the development of meningitis. Brain inflammation was the cause of the writer’s death on November 30 of the same year. Wilde was buried in one of the cemeteries in Paris, and one decade later his grave was moved to the Père Lachaise cemetery. At the writer’s burial site, a monument in the form of the head of the Sphinx was erected.