An Irish poet, essayist, playwright and novelist, Oscar Wilde was famous for his wit. He is best known for his novel The Picture of Dorian Gray, his fairy tale The Happy Prince and his play The Importance of Being Earnest.
Early Life of Oscar Wilde
Oscar Fingall O'Flahertie Wills Wilde (1854-1900) was born in Dublin, Ireland, on October 16, the second son of a surgeon, Sir William Wilde. His mother was Lady Jane Francesca Wilde, a poet. Oscar Wilde was a natural scholar, and he did well at both university in Dublin and Oxford. With his flamboyant and charming manner and conversation, he was soon well known in London society.
In 1884 Wilde married Constance Lloyd. They had two sons, Cyril and Vyvyan. During this time Wilde worked as a journalist and it was not until he was 34 that he had literary success with The Happy Prince and Other Tales, a book of children's fables.
Wilde the Novelist
Wilde's only novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray, tells a much darker story. The central character is addicted to good living but has a dreadful secret. In the story, he remains young and handsome, but his portrait grows ugly as a result of his moral decline.
Wilde the Playwright
He wrote nine plays between the years 1879 and 1895. His most popular is the comedy of manners The Importance of Being Earnest. It is a hilarious satire that dwells on the double lives of two would-be bridegrooms. His popularity was such that a Wildean hero was created in Gilbert and Sullivan's operetta, Patience.
Wilde and Homosexuality
However, while his professional life was at a peak, Wilde's private life was unhappy. He had been having an affair with Lord Alfred Douglas. At the time homosexuality was illegal in Britain, and Wilde was sent to prison in 1895. The Ballad of Reading Gaol, a narrative poem, records his thoughts about imprisonment.
Wilde's Last Years
After his release in 1897, Oscar Wilde went to live in France under the alias Sebastian Melmoth. However, his reputation and health were ruined. He died three years later in Paris, on November 30, 1900, aged 46.
Works by Oscar Wilde
- The Happy Prince and Other Tales, 1888
- The Picture of Dorian Gray, Novel, 1890
- Lord Arthur Savile's Crime and Other Stories, 1891
- The Duchess of Padua, play, 1891
- Lady Windermere's Fan, 1892
- A Woman of No Importance, 1893
- The Importance of Being Earnest, 1895
- An Ideal Husband, 1895
- Salome, 1896
- The Ballad of Reading Gaol, 1898
Sources:
Biographical Dictionary, edited by Una McGovern, Chambers (2002)
Dictionary of the Arts, Gramercy Books, (1994)
Dictionary of Writers, edited by Rosemary Goring, Larousse (1994)
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