 Hello and welcome to our video summarizing all you need to know about the picture of Doreen Gray by Oscar Wilde. My name is Barbara and in this video, we'll begin by looking at the novel itself. We'll start by examining a little bit about context, especially relating to the author Oscar Wilde himself and also the reviews and the reception of this novel when it was first published in the 1800s. We'll then examine the novel, firstly examining the plot on the whole before examining the summary of each chapter of the novel and we will end by looking at themes that are really important and you need to be aware of if you're studying this novel for your exams or your coursework. So let's get started. Now the picture of Doreen Gray is a philosophical fantasy novel by Oscar Wilde and it was first published in 1890 by Lippincott's monthly magazine. However, the editors feared the story was indecent. So the magazine's editor deleted roughly 500 words before publishing it without Wilde's knowledge and despite this censorship, this book still offended the moral sensibilities of a lot of British book reviewers at the time and some even said that Oscar Wilde merited prosecution for violating laws regarding public morality. Although Wilde did defend his novel as well as his art, he did make some excisions, which means he also censored some parts before revising and lengthening the story for publication in the following year, which is 1891. Now of course to understand this book, you need to understand a little bit about the author himself. So Oscar Wilde was born in Dublin in 1854 and he was very flamboyant and he was seen as very witty. He was of course a playwright, a poet and a critic. He went to Trinity College in Oxford and he then became a famous proponent of asceticism, which is a controversial theory of art which we'll look at in some detail and of course his best known book is the picture of Dorian Gray. He published this Faustian novel in 1890 and this was when he fell in love with a much younger man called Lord Alfred Douglas and of course this really colours our perception of Dorian Gray himself and of course his relationship with Basil Horwood and Lord Henry. Oscar Wilde himself began a double life and he won lots of fame and fortune with his three huge, full successful comedies, Lady Windermere's fan, an ideal husband and an importance of being earnest. However, he led a double life and he secretly spent time in Mel Brothel's. In his famous letter to Lord Alfred Douglas, he said that the danger was half of the excitement of leading the secret life. Now in 1895, Douglas's father, the Marquis of Queensbury, accused Wilde of being a sodomite. Wilde sued him for libel, however he lost and he was subsequently seen as guilty of gross indecency. This led him to spend two years in prison and when he was released he then ended up going to Paris and he spent his final years there and he died in 1900 and he was aged 46 so he had ultimately a tragic ending due to sexuality. Now, broadly speaking, when you think about Dorian Gray, the story begins in the art studio of Basil Horwood who's discussing a current painting with his witty, amoral friend, Lord Henry Watton. Henry thinks that the painting, a portrait of a very extraordinarily beautiful young man, should be displayed. However, Basil disagrees and he fears that his obsession with the portrait subject, Dorian Gray, can be seen in this work so he doesn't want to reveal this because this potentially could reveal his own soul. Dorian then arrives and he's fascinated as Henry explains his belief that one should live life to the fullest by indulging in one's impulses, in other words living a very hedonistic life. Henry also points out that beauty and youth are fleeting and Dorian declares that he would really give his soul if his portrait were to grow old and wrinkled whilst he remained young and handsome. Basil then gives the painting to Dorian as a gift. Henry decides to take on rather the project of moulding Dorian's personality and a few weeks later Dorian tells Henry that he's fallen in love with an actress called Sybil Vane because of her great beauty and acting talent. He invites Henry and Basil to go with him to a very dingy theatre to see Sybil perform, however her performance is terrible. Sybil then explains to Dorian that now she knows what royal love is, she can't pretend to be on love on stage and of course this is what robs her of her acting talent. Dorian is repulsed by this and he wants nothing further to do with her and when he gets home he sees a really cruel expression on the face of his portrait and so he decides to seek Sybil's forgiveness because he feels some remorse. However the next day he finds out that Sybil has committed suicide and Lord Henry convinces Dorian that there's no reason that Dorian should feel badly about this. Dorian then feeling guilty and somehow inculcated in this removes the portrait and places it in his attic which he shuts. Henry then sends Dorian a book that he finds poisonous and fascinating. Under this book's influence Dorian spends the next 18 years of his life in the pursuit of capricious excess and he becomes increasingly drawn to evil and self-indulgence. Dorian does frequently visit this portrait which is hidden away noting the signs of aging and corruption that appear on the portrait however he himself remains unblemished he seems perfect and beautiful. One evening Dorian does run into Basil several years later and Basil tells him that there are rumours that he's destroyed the lives and reputations of very many people. Dorian however refuses to accept any blame and Basil declares that he really doesn't know Dorian who responds by taking him to the attic to see this portrait that Basil had created. The painting has become horrifying and Basil tells Dorian that if this is a reflection of his soul he must repent and pray for forgiveness and a very suddenly enraged Dorian murders Basil. Dorian then blackmails another friend into disposing his body. Later Dorian then goes into an opium den where Sybil's vengeful brother James finds him however the fact that Dorian still appears quite young dissuades him from acting on his anger. However somebody else who works in the den later tells James Dorian's age and James realises that he's been misled. At a subsequent hunting party Dorian's country estate one of the hunters accidentally shoots and kills James who is hiding in a thicket. Some weeks later Dorian tells Henry that he's decided to become virtuous and recently decided against taking advantage of another young girl who is smitten with him. Dorian goes to see if the portrait has been improved because of his honourable act but he sees it's acquired a look of cunning. He ultimately decides to destroy this portrait and he stabs it with a knife. His servants hear a scream and when they arrive they see a loathsome old man who's done on the floor with a knife in his chest and now in place the portrait has a beautiful young man who he once was. Now to go into a chapter by chapter summary of this novel because of course it's really important to understand what happens in each chapter. So let's begin with chapter one. So this chapter of course as mentioned before opens in the London studio of Basil Horwood who's an artist. Reclining with him and smoking a cigarette is Lord Henry who he also refers to as Harry. Basil is finishing a portrait of a young man of extraordinary personal beauty and Henry praises this portrait as Basil's best work. To Henry's surprise however Basil states that he won't show it anywhere and the novel says I've put too much of myself into it of course there are hermetic erotic themes and undertones underneath this. Basil tries to keep the painting subject a secret from Lord Henry however he accidentally discloses that the beautiful young man's name is Dorian Gray. Basil admits that he prefers to keep favourite people to himself not even telling others their names because he feels he might lose part of them. Even when Basil takes a trip he keeps the destination private and this is a revelation that becomes important much later in the story. Basil does have some secrecy to him. Lord Basil rather Lord Henry acts as he understands however he seems more interested in Basil's reason for not exhibiting the portrait and Basil responds that any painting done with true feeling for his muse reveals more of the artist than he does the subject and he fears this painting will reveal the secret of his own soul. Basil explains how he met Dorian at Lady Brandon's home. He felt terror upon first seeing Dorian because he sensed that the young man's personality was so powerful and electric that it could absorb Basil himself and of course he was correct. More important Dorian inspires a fresh approach in art in Basil and it allows him to produce the best work of his professional life because Basil worries that the public will detect his personal and artistic idolatry of Gray he refuses to exhibit the portrait and this echoes a basic tenet of aestheticism that an artist should create beautiful work for its own sake and art really shouldn't mean anything. When Lord Henry expresses his desire to meet Gray Basil explains that he wants to keep Dorian and the painting hidden away so that Lord Henry doesn't corrupt them however at that moment a butler enters and announces the arrival of Dorian and Lord Henry laughs that they must meet now. Before entering the studio where Dorian is waiting Basil asks and in some ways pleads for Lord Henry not to influence or take away the person who inspires him as an artist. In chapter two this chapter begins as Basil and Lord Henry enter the studio. When Lord Henry meets Dorian he notices Dorian is so handsome and the novel says all the candor of youth was there as well as youth's passionate purity. Dorian is intrigued by Lord Henry and he's intrigued that he might be a bad influence despite Basil's own wishes that he has nothing to do with him. Lord Henry responds prophetically with one of his aphorisms as the novel says there's no such thing as a good influence Mr Gray all influence is immoral that is to influence someone is to alter their view and indelibly corrupt them with your own view. Dorian senses as the novel says entirely fresh influences which work within him and whilst Basil asks Lord Henry to go Dorian himself begs him to stay. Dorian wants to try not to think however but Lord Henry influences him. He then manages to convince Lord Henry to stay in spite of Basil's refusal and we find that Lord Henry starts to really heavily influence Dorian through his discussion. He tells the man that the only senses that can cure the soul just as the soul is the only random memory for the senses. Speaking at length from the virtues of youth and beauty Lord Henry claims that beauty is a form of genius and he urges Dorian to be selfish with his youth while he is while he has it and seek what he calls a new hedonism elevating the pursuit of pleasure and dominate to a dominating level. For Lord Henry youth and beauty are the finest of treasures and they should be cherished. Dorian is frightened however he's also stirred by Lord Henry's speech and of course this speech is a turning point which starts to infect Dorian himself and with his mindset it starts taking away his innocence. Basil interrupts and asks the two to rejoin him in the studio so that he can finish the portrait of Dorian and once Dorian looks at this painting he's quite moved as he sees himself for the first time and he recognizes his beauty. He envies the figure in the painting this painting that will forever remain beautiful while he grows old and we find that Dorian becomes quite terrified of aging and he hopes and he repeats his wish that the portrait might age while he remains young so of course this is when a supernatural element is infused. Basil accuses Lord Henry of causing all this turmoil within Dorian however Lord Henry says that he's merely brought forth the true Dorian from within. Basil then decides to destroy the portrait rather than have it upset the lives of the men however Dorian stops him and after a sense of calm is restored Henry invites Dorian to join him at the theater in the evening and of course Basil ends up giving Dorian the portrait as a gift. Now in chapter three it's half pastening the next day Lord Henry calls on his uncle Lord Firmah to learn more a little bit about Dorian's heritage. His uncle is a delightful old curmudgeon he's wealthy cynical and very knowledgeable about everyone else's business especially in high society and he and Lord Henry divulge into Dorian's past. We learn that Dorian is a grandson of Lord Kelso and Kelso's daughter Margaret Devereux and Lady Margaret was an extremely beautiful woman who was displeased who displeased her father rather by marrying beneath her as she married a penniless low-level soldier as Lord Firmah records. Kelso his her father also hired some Belgian brute to insult her husband and lure him into a duel for which he was killed and Lady Margaret however was pregnant with Dorian she died within a year or so of the duel and Kelso also ultimately died and left his fortune to Dorian. The mother also had money of her own so we learned that Dorian is very well off financially. Dorian then attends a luncheon and he meets Lord Henry again and whilst Lord Henry dominates the conversation delighting the audience he says I can sympathize with everything except suffering. We learn of course that Lord Henry is a devout aesthetic he wants people to sympathize with beauty the use of color in the joy of life and nothing else. To an aging duchess at the party Lord Henry suggests to get to back to one's youth one has merely to repeat one's follies and he launches into a triumphant monologue in praise of folly which echoes his speech to Dorian the day before Basil's gout garden and after the luncheon Lord Henry and Dorian leave together. Now in chapter four a month later Dorian waits for Lord Henry in Henry's library at Mayfair. His soul keen annoyed until someone at the door interrupts his mood and it's not Lord Henry but his wife. Lady Henry is familiar with Dorian having seen Lord Henry's photographs of the young men and having noticed Dorian with Lord Henry recently at the opera. In her brief appearance Lady Henry seems as witty as a husband and equally indifferent towards convention. Lord Henry then enters complaining about the hours he spent trying to bargain for a piece of elegant fabric and after Lady Henry leaves he comments lightly on the disappointments of marriage and Dorian volunteers that he doubts he'll ever marry because he's too much in love with an actress named Sybil Vane. He recounts his discovery of Sybil in an absurd little theatre in the east end of London which of course at the time was seen as a very rundown area that gentlemen were not supposed to frequent. Dorian said that he'd gone out one evening to seek adventure recalling Henry's advice in search of beauty and in front of the theatre he recalls that there was as the novel says a hideous Jew named Mr Isaac. Dorian was so amused with this man that he paid an entire guinea which is currency for a private theatre box where he witnessed Sybil Vane replay Romeo and Juliet and he was so entranced by her magnificent performance that he was immediately smitten. Lord Henry then after hearing this offers a few skeptical remarks about Dorian's dramatic description of his newfound love however he doesn't oppose his young friend's choice to love the actress. Dorian is concerned that Lord Henry will assume that all actresses are horrid people and he invites him to go and watch Sybil perform. The love-struck Dorian again continues talking about his meeting with Sybil Vane who's immediately dubbed him Prince Charming because he then goes backstage and we learn that he meets this actress. As Dorian grayed our vultures of his love for Sybil Vane we find that Lord Henry observes this in a very detached way. He seems quite detached about Dorian's romance however he agrees to meet Dorian and Basil for dinner and to go later to see Sybil Vane in a play. Dorian then leaves to the theatre and Lord Henry muses in this situation. We learn as the novel says that he feels not the slightest pang of annoyance or jealousy that Sybil may intervene in their growing friendship but rather these new developments make his protege a more interesting study. In the evening he goes off to find Dorian and we also learn at the end of this chapter that Dorian has announced to him that he is engaged to be married and he announces this through a telegram. Now in chapter five we learn a little bit more about Sybil Vane. We'll find her and her mother discussing the girl's relationship with this Prince Charming and Sybil seems really elated and wants her mother to share her joy as she's in love. However we find that Mrs Vane her mother is far more realistic and cynical and somewhat down to earth. She wants her daughter to think of her career. The situation is complicated by the fact that the veins owe Mr Isaacs the Jewish man 50 pounds which is a great deal of money and Miss Vane wishes for Sybil to pay off this debt. It seems that Sybil has the enthusiasm of an innocent 17 year old and one of Wild's more effective metaphors he says that the joy of a caged bird was within her voice. Sybil doesn't care anymore about Mr Isaacs or money all she cares about is her Prince Charming. We'll also meet Sybil's 16 year old brother James who's set to sell for Australia and he enters a room and he's really angry towards London, towards England's class system and towards the life that they live. Mrs Vane feels ill and to ease around her son fearing that he might suspect some secret that she keeps. However Sybil is more girlish, sweet and innocent and she seems that he's delighted that he's still around and they go off for a walk where she divulges to him about the person who she loves. We find that during the walk in the parkway after they've left the mother James is still very brooding and angry while Sybil tells him about her Prince Charming and she fantasizes out loud somewhat in a childlike manner about the great success that her brother will be after going to Australia. James who cares about this Prince Charming hates him and he hates them the more because he's a gentleman from the upper class. James then warns his sister that the man wants to enslave her and he repeatedly threatens that he will kill him if anything bad comes to Sybil as a result and of course this foreshadows what will eventually happen. We find that James is especially angry that Dorian suddenly passes through the park in an open carriage but only Sybil actually sees him. He's also angered his mother and at the theatre one night months before he'd heard a whispered snare about her. After James and Sybil return from the walk James confronts his mother. He wants to know that if he of she and his father were actually married. There's then a very melodramatic scene and Mrs. Vane essentially tells him that they didn't marry. James accuses their father of being a scoundrel however his mother defends the man. She knew that he wasn't free when she got involved with him. He was a gentleman. James uses this to insist that Sybil should not be with this suitor her gentleman and he continues to repeat that he will track down this gentleman caller and kill him like a dog if he wrongs Sybil. Now in chapter six this is a transitional chapter and it's one of the shortest in the books. The setting for this chapter is a small private dining room at Bristol and Lord Henry Greeks Basil as he enters and then immediately asks as Vane's heard that Dorian is engaged to be married. Basil is really stunned at this information and Lord Henry tells him that he will be marrying an actress. Basil seems genuinely upset at this news. He seems quite incredulous firstly because this woman that he's supposedly marrying is from a different class to him. However of course we find that he's unhappy because Dorian hadn't told him. However Lord Henry seems to be somewhat more passive about it and he explains to Basil that life is not for really making such judgments. Every experience is of some worth he suggests and maybe Dorian might be even more interesting if he marries. For Lord Henry the problem with marriage is more often than not it makes people unselfish and unselfish people lose their individuality. For Lord Henry the purpose of life is to know oneself in a very selfish way. Dorian then arrives and we find that he's giddy with love. He's looking forward to this performance with Sybil. He talks about the previous night when Sybil played Rosalind in Shakespeare's As You Like It and how mesmerised he was and backstage after the performance he says that the lovers unexpectedly kiss. Sybil trembling and she felt her knees and kissed Dorian's hands. He's delighted that they're engaged. However Dorian ends his recollection by stating almost boasting that he had embraced Rosalind and kissed Juliet on the mouth both characters whom Sybil played and we find that perhaps he's in love with the ideal that Sybil represents rather than Sybil the woman herself. Basil seems overwhelmed at all of this information however Lord Henry behaves like a shrewd lawyer. He asks specific things about marriage however subtly he doesn't seem to be too invested in Dorian's story. Dorian is upset at the insinuation that perhaps Lord Henry doesn't necessarily believe that the marriage will work. Even if there hasn't been a formal proposal he seems to believe that him and Sybil were destined to be together. They then leave for the theatre. Now in chapter seven both or rather all three men arrive in the theatre and the theatre is crowded with Dorian, Basil and Lord Henry as well as other guests. When Sybil appears on stage she's performing as Juliet however her performance is lacklustre. Even if Lord Henry believes her to be a beautiful creature all three men find that her performance is listless and artificial in fact her performance is awful. We also see that Dorian appears really disgusted and somewhat embarrassed by Sybil's acting and Lord Henry and Basil leave as does half of the audience however Dorian sits through the entire play. Once the play is finished Sybil seems overjoyed at her dismal performance and expects Dorian to understand that she can no longer act because she's actually found true love in her real life. She intended to be outstanding but because Dorian has taught her what love really is she can no longer fake love in her stories. However Dorian is quite cold and his response is filled with disgust. The novel says he says you've killed my love. We learn that Dorian loved her because she was a great performer however now he finds her very shallow and stupid and he can barely stand her. Sybil is distraught by his sudden shift even if she apologizes and pleads with Dorian to give her another chance Dorian doesn't listen to her he storms out and leaves her crying hysterically. Dorian is annoyed with Sybil and he wanders the streets till near dawn then returns home. Once he gets in he passes through his library towards his bedroom however he notices and becomes disturbed by the fact that the portrait of that basil painted of him has shifted. It's slightly changed and what we learn is that the portrait has a look of cruelty around the mouth. He suddenly feels some remorse and he recalls the wish he made earlier at Basil Studio that the portrait might change and he might not. He wasn't sure that this wish could ever be fulfilled however we find that he has indeed unwittingly entered into Faustian pact. These cruel lines around the mouth show Dorian that perhaps he might have been cruel to Sybil. However he convinces himself that he's not to blame for the situation. Sybil is to blame because she disappointed him with her terrible performance. Eventually however he convinces himself that Sybil hadn't really loved him and he concludes that he doesn't need to be concerned about her at all and then he goes to sleep. We also learn that Dorian is more concerned about the change portrait than Sybil herself and than Sybil's own feelings. It occurs to Dorian that every sin he commits will be reflected in the face of the canvas. He vows never to sin again so that the painting like himself will never change. Thus he vows not to change not because of the morality of the action but more because he doesn't want to see the shift in the painting. So we find that as the novel progresses of course he becomes increasingly narcissistic. Now in chapter eight that afternoon Dorian wakes up very late and we find that he's received a letter from Lord Henry however he sets it aside without opening it. Later Dorian wonders if his portrait has really changed or if he was seeing things because of how late he was. He fills up the courage and finds his portrait which he had hidden behind his screen and he realises the portrait has changed and he remembers the events of the night before. This altered portrait forces Dorian to acknowledge his cruelty to Sybil Vane and he decides that he is going to beg her for forgiveness. He writes a letter to her and as he finishes writing the letter he feels absorbed of any cruelty to Sybil. Later on Lord Henry knocks at the library door and insists on speaking to Dorian. He seems unusually consoling but advises Dorian not to dwell on the situation concerning Sybil which is dreadful. Dorian hasn't yet read this letter and he's very confused. He then tells Lord Henry of his plans to make amends and marry Sybil. Lord Henry then is quite agitated and asks that Dorian has received his letter. Dorian admits he did but he hasn't read it and Lord Henry breaks the news to him that Sybil Vane is dead. Dorian is in shock and he learns that at about half past midnight the previous night Sybil and her mother were leaving theatre. She excused herself saying she'd left something however she didn't return. People curious went back to find where she was and they find that she was dead from ingesting poison. Lord Henry epists concerned however he's not so much concerned about Sybil Vane's own suicide but with keeping Dorian out of the scandal and he asks Dorian to spend the evening with him at the opera so that the unpleasantness of this suicide doesn't get into Dorian's nerves. Lord Henry need not be concerned about Dorian's nerves as Dorian admits that he murdered Sybil. He appears to say in a very detached manner that the whole affair seems to as the novel says wonderful for tears. It's interesting that instead of feeling remorse over Sybil's death Dorian moves us that his first love letter was written to a dead girl. Within only a few seconds he concludes that Sybil's suicide was very selfish of her. It leaves him without the guidance that marriage to her might have provided. Lord Henry then offers several or several glib comments of marriage specifically on what a disaster marriage would have been. Dorian then wonders why he can't feel a tragedy as much as he thinks he should and wonders if he's heartless. To him the death of Sybil seems like as the novel says a wonderful ending to a wonderful play. Lord Henry then finds exquisite pleasure in playing on his unconscious egotism and he's pleased to extend a smile. He reassures Dorian that he isn't heartless. The experience has indeed been like a brilliant play and that's how Dorian should regard the matter. Dorian then confesses that he's felt everything that Lord Henry said that he was afraid to admit which is to do with indulging in his own pleasures and indulging in his own hedonistic desires. Assured by his mentor Lord Henry that his extraordinarily good looks will present him with a rich life Dorian thanks him and calls him his best friend. Lord Henry leaves and then Dorian checks the portrait which hasn't changed since early that day. The portrait registers the events that they happen. Dorian wishes he could actually observe it changing and for a moment he feels some remorse towards Sybil but he brushes the feeling away vowing to go on and seek as the novel says eternal youth, infinite passion and pleasures subtle and secret while joys and while descents. Now in chapter nine Basil the next day comes to offer his condolences to Dorian but it seems that Dorian is very callous and he's dismissed the memory of Sybil quite lightly in his remarks. What's done is done what is past is past. Basil is horrified at this change and he blames Lord Henry for Dorian's heartless attitude. Indeed in discussing Sybil's death Dorian uses so many of the same phrases and arguments that Lord Henry offers. When Dorian refuses to acknowledge any kind of remorse or any kind of responsibility Basil asks if he displays with this portrait which Basil wants to share with at an exhibition now. When Basil wishes to see this portrait and he goes on to remove the screen with which Dorian has covered it Dorian's composure cracks. He insists that the work can never appear in public and pledges never to speak to Basil again should he touch the screen. Remembering Basil's original refusing to draw to show the painting Dorian asks why he's changed his mind and Basil confesses that he was worried that the painting would reveal his obsession with Dorian. Now however Basil believes that the painting, like all art, conceals the artist far more completely than it ever reveals him. Basil asks Dorian to sit for him but Dorian again refuses and when Basil relieves Dorian decides to hide his portrait. Now in chapter 10 once Basil is gone Dorian orders his servant Victor to go to a nearby frame maker and bring back two men. He then causes House Keeper Mrs Leaf and asks for a key to an unused school room which is at the top of the house. Dorian covers the portrait with an ornate satin coverlet and when the two frame makers arrive they help him go and put it upstairs which he hides it. Dorian then locks the painting in the room and he returns to the study settles down to read a book that Lord Henry has sent him. This book is described as a yellow book and it's accompanied by a newspaper account of Sybil's death. Horrified by the ugliness of the report Dorian turns to the book which traces the life of a young Parisian who devotes his life to as the novel says, all the passions and modes of thought that belonged to every century except his own. After reading a few pages Dorian is entranced he finds the work to be a poisonous book one that confuses the boundaries between vice and virtue. When Dorian later meets Henry for dinner he pronounces that the work is fascinating. Now in chapter 11 under the influence of this yellow book that Lord Henry has sent him Dorian's character startles starts to begin to change. He orders nearly half a dozen copies of these first edition and has them bound in different colors to suit his shifting mood. Years pass and Dorian remains young and beautiful however he's trailed by rumors that he indulges in dark sordid behavior. Most people however can't help but dismiss these stories since Dorian's face retains an unblemished look of purity and innocence which of course highlights Victorian hypocrisy. Whatever appears to be on the surface is what's accepted. Dorian delights in the ever-widening gulf between the beauty of his body and the corruption of his soul and he reflects that too much human experience has been sacrificed to asceticism and pledges to live a life devoted to discovering the true nature of his senses. Always intellectually curious he keeps up with the theories of the day from mysticism to Darwinianism however he never lets his theories dominate him or interfere with his experiences. Dorian also devotes himself to the study of beautiful things, perfumes and the psychological effects, music, jewelry, embroideries and tapestries. He also continues to watch the painted image of his himself age and deteriorate. Sometimes the sight of the portrait fills him with horror whilst at other times he reflects joyfully on the burdens that his body has been spared. However he increasingly fears that someone will break into his house and steal the painting. He knows many men whisper of a scandal behind his back and they would delight in his downfall. Now in chapter 12 on the evil's 38th birthday Dorian runs into a basil on a fog covered street. Some time has passed and the two men have not seen each other and Dorian tries to pass him unrecognized but Basil recognises him and calls him and accompanies him home. Basil mentions that he's about to leave for a six month stay in Paris but felt it necessary to stop by and warn Dorian that terrible rumors are being spread about his conduct. He reminds Dorian that there's no such thing as secret vices, sin he claims, rats himself across a man's face. Having said these words Basil demands to know why so many of Dorian's friendships have ended so disastrously. Basil then chastisises Dorian for his influence over these unfortunate people that he's been involved with and urges him to use his considerable power and his upper-class status for good rather than evil and he loudly wonders whether he knows Dorian at all and wishes he were able to see the man's soul. Dorian loves bitterly at this and tells the artist he shall have his wish. He invites him to show, he invites Basil rather to show him his life. In chapter 13 Dorian leads Basil to the room where he keeps the painting locked inside. Dorian then lights a candle as he takes him into where he's hidden his art and he tears back the curtain to reveal the portrait which is now hideous. Basil stares at it and he is horrified and Dorian stands back and watches Basil with, as the novel says, a flicker of triumph in his eyes. When Basil asks how such a thing is possible Dorian reminds him of the fateful day that he met Lord Henry whose cautionary words about the ephemeral nature of beauty caused him to pledge his soul for eternal unblemished use. Basil curses the painting as an awful lesson believing he worshipped his youth too much and is now being punished for it. He begs Dorian to kneel and pray for forgiveness but Dorian claims it's too late. Glancing at his picture, Dorian feels hatred welling up within him. He seizes a knife and stabs Basil repeatedly, killing him. He then hides his belongings and body in a secret compartment and then slips out quietly. After a few moments he returns home. He wakes the servant and creates an impression that he's been out all night and the servant reports back to him that Basil has been to visit, however Dorian pretends that he's sorry to have missed him so that he can have an alibi. Now in chapter 14 the next morning Dorian wakes up from a very restful sleep. Once the events of the previous night sink in he feels the return of all of his hatred for Basil. He decides not to brood on the things he, for fear of making himself ill or mad and after breakfast he sends for Alan Campbell who's a young scientist and a former friend from whom he's grown distance. While waiting for Campbell to arrive he passes a time with a book of poems to reflect on his one intimate relationship with a scientist. We learned that he and Alan Campbell were at one point inseparable. He also draws pictures and reflects on his drawing similarity to Basil's likeliness. Dorian then wonders if Campbell will come and is relieved when the servant announces his arrival. Alan Campbell however has come reluctantly having been summoned on a matter of life and death. Dorian confesses to him that there's a dead man locked in the uppermost room of his house. He refrains him discussing the circumstances of the man's death. However he asks Campbell to use his knowledge of chemistry to destroy the body. At first Campbell refuses and he reiterates that he has no interest in being involved. However Dorian blackmails him threatening to reveal a secret that will bring great disgrace on him. With no alternative Campbell agrees to dispose of the body and he sends the servant to his home for the necessary scientific equipment. Dorian goes upstairs to cover the portrait and notices that one of the hands on the painting is dripping with red and the novel says as though the canvas has sweated blood. Campbell then goes upstairs after the painting has been covered and he works until the evening and leaves. When Dorian returns to the room the body is gone and the odor of nitric acid fills the room. Now in chapter 15 that evening Dorian goes to dinner party where he flirts with bored noble women. Reflecting on his calm demeanor he feels keenly the terrible pleasure of the novel says a double life. Lady Nabra the hostess discusses the sad life of her daughter who leaves in the region of the countryside that has not witnessed the scandal since the time of Queen Elizabeth. Dorian finds the party tedious and brightens only when he learns Lord Henry will be in attendance. During dinner after Lord Henry has arrived Dorian finds it a possible to eat. Lord Henry asks him what the matter and Lady Nabra suggests that Dorian perhaps is in love however Dorian assures her that she is wrong. The party goes and talk wittily about marriage and Lord Henry and Dorian discuss a party to be held at Dorian's country estate. Lord Henry then casually asks about Dorian's whereabouts the night before and Dorian's calm facade cracks a little bit and he snaps out a strange defensive response. He then decides to go home early. Once Dorian arrives home he retrieves vassals belongings from the wall compartment and burns them. He goes to an ornate cabinet and opening one of its drawers drills out a canister of opium. At midnight he dresses in common clothes and hires a coach to bring him to a London neighbourhood where the city's opium dens are. Now in chapter 16 as the coach heads out towards the opium den Dorian recites to himself Lord Henry's credo to cure the soul by means of the senses and the senses by the means of the soul. He decides that if he can't be forgiven by sins he can at least forget them and herein lies the pill of the opium dens and the oblivion that they promise. The coach stops and Dorian exits. He enters a squalor den and finds someone called Adrian Singleton whom the rumour says Dorian corrupted. As Dorian prepares to leave a woman addresses him as the devil's bargain and Prince Charming. At these words a sailor leaps to his feet and follows Dorian to the street. As he walks along Dorian wonders whether he should feel the guilty for the impact his had on Adrian Singleton's life yet another person who's he's damaged. His meditation however is cut short when he sees from behind and held at gunpoint. He faces James Vane Sybil's brother who's been tracking him for years in hopes of avenging his sister's death. James doesn't know Dorian's name however the reference to Prince Charming makes him decide that he must be the man who wronged his sister. Dorian points out however that the man James speaks seeks was in love with Sybil 18 years ago. Since he Dorian has a face of a 20 year old man he possibly cannot be the man that wronged Sybil. James Ford releases him and makes his way back to the open den. The old woman when he returns tells James that Dorian had been coming there for 18 years and his face has never aged a day or his life. Furious at letting Dorian escape James resolves to hunt him down. Now going on to chapter 17 and 18. One week has passed and Dorian has retreated to his country estate Selby Royal. His guests include the beautiful Duchess of Monmouth called Gladys, her older boring and somewhat jaded husband Lady Marlborough who's old and flirtatious and Lord Henry. The conversation that takes place in this party is very light and superficial and Lord Henry wants to rechristen and rename some things especially flowers. Beautiful objects should have beautiful names he says. The Duchess asks what new name Lord Henry shall have and Dorian immediately announces appropriately Prince Paradox. The Duchess then tries to flirt with Dorian and he excuses himself to fetch her some of his orchids. Lord Henry lighted heartedly warns the Duchess about loving Dorian. Suddenly the group hears a muted groan and the sound of a heavy fall. Lord Henry rushes to find that Dorian has fainted. When Dorian wakes up he refuses to be alone. Despite his condition he joins the others at dinner and tries to act jolly. However every so every so often terror shoots through him as he recalls why he fainted. He saw James Vane observing him through a window. Dorian spends most of the next day in his room feeling haunted and stalked and sick with fear of death. He alternates between the certainty of punishment and an equal certainty that the weak could receive no such fate in the world. He can lose that the only morality is the success of the strong and the failure of the weak. On the third day Dorian finally goes out. He decided that he imagined James's face at the window. After breakfast he strolls in the garden with the Duchess for an hour. Then he joins her brother Sir Jeffrey Colston and others who are shooting birds. A hare bursts forth and Sir Jeffrey aims. But Dorian so admires the beauty and grace of the animal that he cries, let it live. Lord Jeffrey finds Dorian's police silly and fires at the hare as it jumps into a thicket. Two sounds come from the bush, the cry of a hare and the cry of a man. We then learn that a dead body is pulled from the brush. Lord Henry recommends hauling off the hunt for the day. Dorian wants to cancel this hideous and cruel hunt for good. He fares that this death is a bad omen. Lord Henry however laughs at his concern saying that anything horrible in life is boredom. There are no omens. In his room Dorian lies in terror at the sofa. Later he calls a servant and tells him to pack. He will leave 8.30 to catch his night expressed to London. Thornton, Dorian's chief gamekeeper however, enters with startling news. The dead man can't be identified. He wasn't one of the beaters at all, the people who are supposed to be working there. In fact he seems to be a sailor who was armed with a gun. Dorian then rushes to where the body is and he identifies it as James Veins and he feels safe at last. Now in Chapter 19 several weeks have passed and Dorian visits Lord Henry. He claims he wants to reform himself and become virtuous. As evidence for his newfound resolve, he describes a recent trip he went to the country during which he passed up an opportunity to seduce and defile an innkeeper's innocent daughter. Lord Henry dismisses Dorian's intentions to reform and he turns the conversation to other subjects. For instance Alan Campbell's recent suicide, the man that had helped Dorian great dispose of Basil's body and also he discusses the continued mystery of Basil's hard words disappearance. Dorian asks if Lord Henry has ever considered that Basil might have been murdered. Lord Henry dismisses this idea noting that Basil lacked any enemies. The conversation then drifts away from Basil. Lord Henry asks Dorian, what is the Prophet a man if he gained the whole world and lose? How does the quotation run? His own soul? Dorian starts nervously however Lord Henry explains that he heard a street preacher posing this question to a crowd. He mocked this preacher in typical fashion and Dorian cuts him short insisting that the soul is very real. Lord Henry loves this suggestion wondering aloud how Dorian has managed to remain so young after all this years. He wishes a new Dorian's secret and praises Dorian's life as being exquisite. He commends Dorian's mode of living and begs him not to spoil it by trying to be virtuous. However Dorian is sober and his somberly asks his friend not to loan anyone else this yellow book which had a corrupting effect on his own character. Before leaving Lord Henry invites Dorian to visit him the next day. Now in chapter 20 that night Dorian goes to his locked room to look at his portrait. He hopes his decision to amend his life will have changed the painting and he considers that perhaps his decision not to ruin the innkeeper's daughter's reputation will be reflected in the painting in face. However when he looks at his portrait he sees as no change except as the novel states in the eyes there was a look of cunning and in the mouth the curved wrinkle of a hypocrite. Dorian realizes his pitiful attempt to be good was no more than hypocrisy an attempt to minimize the seriousness of his crimes which falls far short of atonement. He's furious so he seizes a knife the same weapon that he used to kill Basil and drives it into the portrait in an attempt to destroy it. From below Dorian hears Dorian's servants hear a cry and a clatter. The servants break into the room only to see a portrait unharmed showing Dorian Gray as a beautiful young man. On the floor however is the body of an old man horribly wrinkled and disfigured with a knife plunged into his heart. It's not until the servants examine the rings under old man's hands that they identify him as Dorian Gray. Now when it comes to the characters themselves of course the first is Dorian Gray. So at the opening he appears as something of an ideal he's the archetype of male youth and beauty and as such he captures the imagination of Basil Horwood who's a painter and Lord Henry Watten a noble man who imagines fashioning the impressionable young Dorian into an unremitting pleasure seeker in other words a hedonist. We learn that Dorian is exceptionally vain and he's convinced in the course of a brief conversation with Lord Henry in his most salient characteristics his youth and physical attractiveness and he's worried that they're waning. The thought of waking up one day without these attributes sends him into a panic he curses his fate and thus makes this fast young pact that in exchange his portrait should age and not he. Dorian leaves Basil's studio for Lord Henry's paler where he adopts the tenets of a new hedonism and resolves to live life as a pleasure seeker with no regard for conventional morality. His relationship with Sybil Vane tests his commitment to his philosophy. His love of the young actress nearly leads him to dispense with Lord Henry's teaching but his love proves to be as shallow as he is. When he breaks Sybil's heart and drives her to suicide Dorian notices the first change in his portrait evidence that his portrait is showing the effects of Asian experience while his body remains ever youthful. He experiences a moment of crisis as he weighs his guilt about his treatment of Sybil against the freedom from worry that Lord Henry's philosophy has espoused. When Dorian decides to view Sybil's death as an achievement of an artistic ideal rather than a needless tragedy for which he's responsible he starts down the sleep and slippery slope of his own demise. As his sins grow worse over the years his likeness to Basil's portrait grows more hideous. Despite the few beautiful things he surrounds himself he's unable to distract himself from the dispassion of his soul. His murder of Basil marks the beginning of his end although in the past he's been able to keep infamous from his mind he can't shake the thought that he's killed his friend. His guilt tortures him relentlessly until he's forced to deal with his portrait. In the end Dorian is punished for his ability to be influenced. If the new social order celebrates individualism as Lord Henry claims Dorian falters because he fails to establish and live by his own moral code. The next significant character is Lord Henry Watten. So Lord Henry is a man possessed of as a novel states wrong fascinating poisonous delightful theories. He's a charming talker and he has brilliant wit and intellect. Giving the alluring way in which he leads conversation it's unsurprising that Dorian falls under his spell completely. His theories are radical they aim to shock and purposefully attempt to topple the established conventional notions of truth however in the end they do prove naive. It's interesting that he's a relatively static character he doesn't undergo a significant change in the course of the narrative. He's cruelly composed, unshakable and possessed of the same dry wit and the final pages of the novel as he is upon the introduction. Because he doesn't change what Dorian and Basil do his philosophy seems amusing and enticing the first half of the book and then improbable and shallow in the second half. Although Lord Henry is a self-proclaimed hedonist who advocates equal pursuit of moral and immoral experiences it's interesting to note that he participates in polite London society, attends parties and theatre and dodson himself indulge in sordid behaviour unlike Dorian who he corrupts. The next character of course is Basil Horwood so he's a very talented painter and his love for Dorian Grey changes the way he sees art indeed it defines a new school for expression for him. Basil's portrait of Dorian marks a new phase in his career before he created this masterwork. He spent his time painting Dorian in the veils of antiquity dressed as an ancient soldier or as various romantic figures from mythology. Once he's painted Dorian as he truly is however he fears he's put too much of himself in his work and he worries that his love which he himself describes as idolatry is too apparent. Though he later turns his mind not to exhibit his portrait he still maintains a belief that art is always more abstract than one thing's and it's interesting that his belief changes from paintings revealing his soul to paintings betray nothing than the form and colour. However throughout the novel Basil Horwood's emotional investment in Dorian remains constant and he seeks to protect Dorian voicing his objection from Lord Henry's endurance over him. Now when it comes to important themes the first of course is youth and beauty. So youth and beauty are the first principle of asceticism and this is the philosophy of art by which Oscar Wilde himself lived and this is that art serves no other purpose than to offer beauty. Throughout this novel beauty reigns. It's a means to revitalize the weary senses as indicated by the effect that Basil's painting has on the cynical Lord Henry. Art is also a means of escaping the brutalities of the world. Dorian distances himself not to mention his consciousness from the horrors of his actions by devoting himself to the study of beautiful things including music, jewels and rare tapestries. In a society that prizes beauty so highly youth and physical attractiveness becomes valuable commodities. Lord Henry describes Dorian of as much upon the meeting as when he laments that Dorian will soon enough lose these precious attributes. In chapter 17 the Duchess of Monmouth suggests to Lord Henry that he places too much value on these things. Indeed Dorian's eventual demise confirms his suspicions. Although beauty and youth remain of utmost importance in the end of the novel the portrait is returned to its original form and the novel appears to suggest that the price one must pay for beauty and youth is exceedingly high. Indeed Dorian gives nothing less in his soul. The next theme of course is superficiality so it's no surprise that a society which prizes beauty above all else is a society founded on a love of surfaces. What matters most to Dorian Lord Henry and the polite company that they keep is not whether a man is good at heart but rather if he's handsome. As Dorian evolves into the realization of a type the perfect blend of scholar and socialite he experiences the freedom to abandon his morals without censure. Indeed even though his vassal worn society's elite question his name and reputation he's actually never ostracized. On the contrary despite his mode of life he remains at the heart of London's social scenes because of the innocence and purity of his beauty and face. Of course another important theme is the purpose of art. So when this book was first published it was decried as immoral. In a revising text the following year Wilde included a preface which serves as a useful explanation for his philosophy of art. The purpose of art according to a series of epigrams is to have no purpose. In order to understand this claim fully one needs to consider the moral climate of Wilde's time and the Victorian sensibility regarding art and morality. Victorians believe that art could be used as a tool for social education and moral enlightenment as illustrated in the works of writers such as Charles Dickens and George Gissin. The aestheticism movement of which Wilde was a major proponent sought to free art from his responsibility. If this philosophy informed Wilde's life however we must then consider whether this is this novel only bears it out. The two works of art that dominate this novel, Basil's painting and the mysterious yellow book that Lord Henry gives Dorian but we never quite know who it's by are presented in the vein of more Victorian sensibilities than of aesthetics ones. That is to say both the portrait and the French novel serve a purpose. The first acts as a type of mysterious mirror that shows Dorian the physical dissipation of his own body has been spared. While the second acts are something of a roadmap leading the young man further along the path toward infamy. While we know nothing of the circumstances of the yellow book's composition Basil's state of mind or painting Dorian's portrait is clear. Later in the novel he advocates that all art be as the novel states unconscious, ideal and remote. His portrait of Dorian however is anything but. Thus Basil's initial refusal to exhibit the work results from his belief that it betrays his idolatry of his subject. Of course one might consider that these breaches of aesthetic philosophy mould the picture of Dorian Gray in his something that's of cautionary tale. These are the prices that must be paid for instilling art which reveals the artist's or a moral lesson. But this warning is in itself a moral lesson which betrays the impossibility of Wilde's project. If as Dorian observes later in the novel the imagination orders the chaos of life and invests it with meaning then art as a fruit of imagination can't help but mean something. Wilde may have succeeded in freeing his art from the confines of Victorian morality but as he has replaced it with a doctrine that is in his own way restrictive. 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