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Oscar Wilde's Birth👶
Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde was born in Dublin, Ireland (Great Britain at that time). His parents were William Wilde and Jane Elgee, Lady Wilde. -
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Portora Royal School
Since he was a child, he excelled for his intelligence, being capable of speaking fluent French and German. At nine years old started his studies in Portora Royal School, Enniskillen -
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Trinity College of Dublin🎓
He was one of only three students at Portora to win a Royal School scholarship to Trinity College of Dublin in 1871. At sixteen, he entered Trinity, to master in classics (Ancient Greek and Roman studies) -
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Magdalen College, Oxford
At the prestigious Magdalen, he read Greats from 1874 to 1878. Wilde became very popular for his role in the Aestheticism (appareance of art over functions) and Decadent (excess and artificiality) movements. -
Wilde meets his future wife
In London, he met Constance Lloyd,the daughter of Horace Lloyid (a Queen’s Counsel). -
Paris🥖🥐🟦⬜🟥
Wilde moved to Paris, France, in the year 1883, where he would go to cafés and socialize with other famous writers. Here he met the crème de la crème of French literature, including Stéphane Mallarmé, André Gide, Verlaine, Victor Hugo and Robert Sherard, his first biographer. -
Theatrical Career🎭
Oscar wrote various theather plays, but in the year 1884 he wrote two of his most famous: Salomé (in Paris, french language) and The Importance of Being Earnest. -
Wedding💕
Oscar and Constance married on 29 May at the Anglican St James's Church, Paddington, in London. They had two children (Cyril and Vyvyan Holland). -
Robert Ross
In 1886, he met Robert Ross, a young man who read Wilde’s poems before they met. He is considered his first male lover. -
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Woman's World
In mid 1887, he became the editor of The Lady’s World magazine, renaming it to “The Woman’s World” and raising its tone. Wilde’s work in journalism was one of the factors that made him ascend easily to fame. -
Lord Alfred Douglas
During 1891, Oscar had an affair with Lord Alfred Douglas, a British poet. They met through Lionel Johnson, a mutual friend. Wilde gave everything he wanted, materially and sexually. -
The Picture of Dorian Gray
This book was his most popular.
In summary Dorian Gray is a young man who is obsessed with his own beauty. Basil Hallward paints a portrait of Dorian that captures his beauty. Dorian wishes that the portrait would age instead of him. his wish comes true, and he becomes involved in a life of vice and pleasure. The portrait ages and becomes hideous to reflect his sins, while Dorian remains unchanged in appearance. He eventually destroys the portrait. -
Public Acussation
On 18 February 1895, the Marquess of Queensberry, father of Douglas, left his calling card at Wilde's club, the Albemarle, accusating Wilde for the crime of sodomy (homosexuality) and public indecency.
Wilde counter sued for defamation, but he lost the case when the evidence supported the marquis's observations. -
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Imprisonement
Wilde first entered Newgate Prison in London for processing, then was moved to Pentonville Prison, where the "hard labour" to which he had been sentenced consisted of many hours of walking a treadmill and picking oakum- -
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Lasts years in exile
After leaving prison, he spent his last years exiled, under the name Sebastian Melmoth. The prison weakened his health, and Oscar was living depressed and in poverty, but with the support and loyalty from Robbie Ross. He wrote The Ballad of Reading Gaol, narrating the execution of Charles Thomas Wooldridge, who murdered his wife in a rage at her infidelity. -
Death⚰
Oscar Wilde died in Paris, France from meningitis on November 30, 1900 at the age of 46. The infection spread to his mastoid bone, which is near his ear and under his brain.