The Importance of Oscar Wilde
Oscar Fingal O’Flahertie Wills Wilde was born on October 16, 1854 in Dublin. Throughout his childhood the Irish and art culture influenced him, especially since his mother was a poet and Irish Nationalist activist. As most Irishmen, he was baptized into the Roman Catholic Church, where he later developed inspiration from for his works. Wilde was educated in the classics, and his growing interest in this subject led him to study at Trinity College and later be awarded a scholarship to study at Oxford (Edwards). At Oxford, Wilde was trying to make his mark as a writer, however he was also making his mark as a fashionista. His extravagant attire made him noticeable (Breward). He mesmerized people and his large involvement with the aesthetics movement at Oxford launched him into the spotlight as an artist (Bredbeck). With his large knowledge of the arts, intellectual background, and his increasingly well-known witty personality, Wilde began writing as a book critic for the Pall Mall Gazette. This was one of many newspapers in which Wilde wrote for in his life (Edwards).
Throughout the following years, he began exploring the ideas of male admiration. Even though still married to a woman (his wife, Constance), Wilde explored male companionship. It is believed that his first homosexual relationship was with a Cambridge undergraduate, Robert Ross, in 1886. From this relationship, he was inspired to study and write about Shakespeare’s sonnets. “The Portrait of Mr. W. H.” is thought to be inspired by Shakespeare’s love for a younger male actor (Breward). This led way to one of Wilde's first memorable stories, The Picture of Dorian Gray, which was about a young man. Wilde was not only expressing his emotions towards males, but wanting to artistically show admiration and love towards another being. He found himself innocent since he considered his acts a form of art, however several critics saw it to be dangerous because of what they perceived as Wilde's inherent homosexual behavior (Hovey). Even though Wilde did not see it as a problem he ultimately did take actions to make his actions more appropriate for Victorian society (Edwards).
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During this time any sexual conduct with another person of the same sex was illegal. However, as stated previously, Wilde did not see this as a sin, but as an exploration and admiration for all. Wilde continued writing. It was at this time that his career culminated in the 1890s with The Importance of Being Earnest and An Ideal Husband by the 1890’s. During his time of writing these, Wilde met Lord Alfred Douglas, a young man still not of age. This meeting was the beginning of Wilde’s downfall. Wilde grew a strong admiration for Douglas, but Douglas’ father, Marquess Queensberry, did not approve. He found the relationship disgusting and was set on destroying Wilde. Queensberry left a card for Wilde one day and instead of Wilde leaving he stayed and attempted to sue Queensberry. Wilde and Douglas believed that there was no hard evidence against them; therefore Wilde would have no problem suing Queensberry. Little did he know that Queensberry’s lawyer was ruthless and said that he had a witeness to Wilde’s “gross indecency”. Wilde’s lawyer practically gave up at this point and Queensberry was acquitted (Fisher).
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Wilde was now being prosecuted with conducting gross indecency, which he had no way of escaping. Three men came forward stating that they were in inappropriate relationships with Wilde and two hotel workers came and said that they saw him in bed with another man (Fisher). Prosecutor also used Wilde’s writings as evidence against him, but Wilde did his best to explain that it was art and has nothing to do with right or wrong (Hovey). On March 25, 1895, Wilde was convicted and sentenced to two years of hard labor. Not only was his life taken from him, his writings had all been stripped from theatres and bookstores (Fisher).
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Oscar Wilde was a strong art activist and talented writer who believed in the act of art for art’s sake. He wrote very witty and intellectual stories that had been inspired by his family background and his own curiosities. His downfall was his admiration of men, specifically for Lord Alfred Douglas, which raped him of his life and reputation. Oscar Wilde never saw the harm in loving another man because he did not see it that way; he saw it as an admiration of beauty through his artistic eyes (Fisher). During his time in prison, Wilde wrote "The Reading of Gaol," a famous poem where he talks about the themes of a confined man. Society was not as open as he was and sentenced him to prison, where after three years of him being released, he died of cerebral meningitis on November 30, 1900 (Bredbeck).
Combined Works Cited and Further Reading
"The Mysteries of Oscar Wilde" by Trevor Fisher
This reference goes through the trials of Oscar Wilde from beginning to end. Various details of how Oscar Wilde ended up being tried for gross indecency are explained. Three trials resulted in Oscar Wilde being sentenced for two years.
Fisher, Trevor. "THE MYSTERIES OF OSCAR WILDE." History Today 50.12 (2000): 18. Biography In Context. Web. 22 Apr. 2013.
Fisher, Trevor. "THE MYSTERIES OF OSCAR WILDE." History Today 50.12 (2000): 18. Biography In Context. Web. 22 Apr. 2013.
"Wilde, Oscar" by Gregory Bredbeck
This reference discusses Oscar Wilde's childhood and education, which led him to him writing. It also goes into a lot of detail to his trials and death.
Bredbeck, Gregory. "Wilde, Oscar." Europe 1789-1914: Encyclopedia of the Age of Industry and Empire. Ed. John Merriman and Jay Winter. Vol. 5. Detroit: Charles Scribner's Sons, 2006. 2464-2466. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 22 Apr. 2013.
Bredbeck, Gregory. "Wilde, Oscar." Europe 1789-1914: Encyclopedia of the Age of Industry and Empire. Ed. John Merriman and Jay Winter. Vol. 5. Detroit: Charles Scribner's Sons, 2006. 2464-2466. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 22 Apr. 2013.
"Wilde, Oscar" by Christopher Breward
Oscar Wilde was a known artist, but he was also known for his fashion. He wore more extravagant clothing, in which people began idolizing him more.
Breward, Christopher. "Wilde, Oscar." Encyclopedia of Clothing and Fashion. Ed. Valerie Steele. Vol. 3. Detroit: Charles Scribner's Sons, 2005. 431-433. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 22 Apr. 2013.
Breward, Christopher. "Wilde, Oscar." Encyclopedia of Clothing and Fashion. Ed. Valerie Steele. Vol. 3. Detroit: Charles Scribner's Sons, 2005. 431-433. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 22 Apr. 2013.
"Wilde, Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Willis (1854-1900)" by Owen Dudley Edwards
This is a detailed reference going through Oscar Wilde's life from birth to death. It focuses on his specific pieces of art and his belief of art for art's sake.
Dudley Edwards, Owen. "Wilde, Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills (1854–1900)." Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004. Sept. 2012. Web. 23 Apr. 2013.
Dudley Edwards, Owen. "Wilde, Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills (1854–1900)." Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004. Sept. 2012. Web. 23 Apr. 2013.
Information Collected and Organized By:
Ashley Flowers
Ashley Flowers