The Picture of Dorian Gray

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The Picture of Dorian Gray Merlin Vettik 11B
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The Picture of Dorian Gray

• England in 1890, Estonia in 1929
• The only published novel by Oscar Wilde
• First appeared in a magazine
• Added seven chapters
• Alternations
• Homoerotic overtones
• Belief in hedonism

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Plot description

• The story tells of a man called Dorian Gray
• Young nobleman, rich, but pure-hearted
• New way of thinking - the only things worth
  pursuing in life are beauty and fulfilment of the
  senses
• Wishes the portrait grew old, instead of him
• Drawn into a new lifestyle
• Actions and aging are displayed in his portrait

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The Main Characters

• Dorian Gray a young gentleman who begins to
  indulge himself every kind of pleasure
• Basil Hallward - an artist who paints the
  portrait of Dorian and becomes infatuated with
  his beauty.
• Lord Henry Wotton or Harry - is an extremely
  witty and sharp-tongued nobleman, who conveys his
  views to Dorian

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Other Characters

• Sibyl Vane Dorians lover
• James Vane Sibyls brother
• Alan Campbell Dorians friend
• Victoria, Lady Henry Wotton Lord Henrys wife
• Victor Dorians servant

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Key Facts

• Protagonist Dorian Gray
• Major conflict Dorian secretly promises his soul
  to maintain his youth forever
• Rising action Dorian remarks changes in his
  portrait after committing his first sin
• Dorian is doubt-troubled and paranoid. He kills
  Basil
• He regrets many things he has done. By stabbing
  his wretched portrait, kills himself
• www.youtube.com/watch?vU-zjVKLxhk4

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Aestheticism and double life

• Classic example of aestheticism and double life
• Wilde emphasises his pleasure of living double
  life
• Constantly worried about his image within
  Victorian society
• Enjoys his hedonistic side when being alone
• Dorian is both the aesthete and the criminal
  combined in one man

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Quotations

• "The only excuse for making a useless thing is
  that one admires it intensely. All art is quite
  useless."
• "There is only one thing in the world worse than
  being talked about, and that is not being talked
  about."
• "The only way to get rid of a temptation is to
  yield to it."
• "Men marry because they are tired women, because
  they are curious both are disappointed."
• "Laughter is not at all a bad beginning for a
  friendship, and it is far the best ending for
  one."
• "To be in love is to surpass one's self."
• "The real drawback to marriage is that it makes
  one unselfish. And unselfish people are
  colourless. They lack individuality."
• "To get back my youth I would do anything in the
  world, except take exercise, get up early, or be
  respectable."
• "One should never do anything that one cannot
  talk about after dinner."

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Dorian Gray Syndrome

• DGS - excessive preoccupation with the persons
  own appearance accompanied by difficulties coping
  with the aging process and with the requirements
  of maturation
• Using cosmetic products or proce-
• dures
• Dysmorphophobics

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Adaptions

• Contemporary dance adaptation of Dorian Gray, by
  Matthew Bourne
• Film "The Picture of Dorian Gray", released in
  1945
• Film "Dorian Gray", released in 2009
• "Dorian, an Imitation", a novel by Will Self
• http//www.youtube.com/watch?v-VjY725fRjkfeature
  related

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