Oscar Wilde Research Paper

When the name Oscar Wilde is mentioned, most think of his great novel The Picture of Dorian Gray or his play The Importance of Being Earnest. Not everyone is aware of his scandalous personal life and the influence it had on his works. When he was alive, people were not able to look past his homosexuality to see his talent. Although the last years of his life were spent in shame, he has left a legacy in the literary world. Oscar Fingal O’ Flahertie Wills Wilde was born on the sixteenth of October in 1854 (Biography). He was born in Dublin, Ireland to a respectful family (Magill). The atmosphere of the household was “intelligent, free-spoken, and Bohemian” (Kunitz). His parents were Sir William Wilde and Lady Jane Wilde (Krueger). Mr. Wilde was a distinguished surgeon while also being infamous for being a seducer of women. He wrote several books on the history and topography of Ireland (Stokes). Mrs. Wilde was a well-known writer and literary hostess. She wrote under the pen name “Speranza” (Drabble). Wilde and his mom shared a fascination with languages (Kunitz). He had an older brother named Willie who later became a London

This novel was “a cautionary tale about a beautiful young man, Dorian Gray, who wishes that his portrait ages while he remains youthful and lives a life of sin and pleasure” (Biography). Because of its’ homosexual influence, critics were enraged at the novel’s lack of mortality (Biography). In 1892, Oscar Wilde’s play, Lady Windermere’s fan was produced. This play was the first of Wilde’s comedies (Magill). Wilde’s other play, The Importance of Being Earnest, was produced in 1895. It was about a man who figured out his real name was Earnest, which was good for him because his “crush” could not love anyone who was not named Earnest (Magill). Wilde other works include: Salome (1893), A Woman of No Importance (1893), and An Ideal Husband (1895)