The Christian Scripture In The Picture Of Dorian Gray By Oscar Wilde

962 Words4 Pages
Despite leading a lifestyle that in his day was considered deviant at best, Oscar Wilde showed a strong interest in the Christian Scripture from early on in his literary career. Working as an editor for Pall Mall magazine let him read many pieces of traditional poetry and prose inspired by the Bible, while trips to Paris exposed him to authors like Gustave Flaubert, Catulle Mendès, and Anatole France and their experiments with secularized Biblical tales. Wilde’s goal was loftier, though; he wanted to write a Fifth Gospel, a demystified follow-up to Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John’s classical tellings of Christ’s life. He wrote or shared with friends several smaller works retelling typical evangels in a more secular, accessible light, but passed away before he got a chance to publish and market a Fifth Gospel - the full story of Christ’s birth, life, death, and resurrection - as such. However, he did successfully write and release it to the public in another form, The Picture of Dorian Gray. The book is full of moral suggestions that are the exact reverse of those shown in the Bible, espousing pleasure-seeking and living only for oneself instead of righteousness and ethical behavior. Additionally, the novel features a trifecta of main characters closely resembling Jesus, Satan, and Judas Iscar’i-ot.