Biography of Oscar Wilde briefly in Russian. Oscar Wilde - biography and amazing facts

Oscar Wilde - Irish writer and poet, one of the most famous playwrights of the late Victorian period, one of the key figures of aestheticism and European modernism - was born October 16, 1854 in Dublin and was the second child of Sir William Wilde and Jane Francesca Wilde. His brother William, "Willie", was two years older.

Wilde's father was Ireland's leading oto-ophthalmologist (ear and eye surgeon) and was knighted in 1864 for his service as Consultant Physician and Assistant Commissioner for the Irish Census. In addition to his professional activities, William Wilde wrote books on Irish archeology and folklore, was a philanthropist and established a free medical center that served the city's poor. Jane Wilde, under the pseudonym "Speranza" (Italian - "hope") wrote poetry for the revolutionary movement "Young Irish" in 1848 and remained an Irish nationalist all her life. She read the poems of the participants in this movement to Oscar and Willie, instilling in them a love for these poets. Lady Wilde's interest in the neoclassical revival was evident from the abundance of ancient Greek and Roman paintings and busts in the house.

In 1855 the family moved to No. 1 Merrion Square, where they replenished a year later with the birth of their daughter. The new home was more spacious, and thanks to the connections and success of the parents, a “unique medical and cultural environment” reigned here. Their salon guests included Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu, Charles Lever, George Petrie, Isaac Butt, William Rowan Hamilton and Samuel Ferguson.

Oscar's sister Isola died at the age of ten from meningitis. Wilde's poem "Requiescat" (from Latin  -  "may rest (in peace)", 1881 ) was written in memory of her.

Until the age of nine, Oscar Wilde was educated at home, he learned French from a French governess, and German from German. After that, he studied at the Royal School of Portora, in the city of Enniskillen, County Fermanagh. Until the age of twenty, Wilde spent his summers at his father's country villa in Moitura, County Mayo. There, young Wilde and his brother Willie often played with the future writer George Moore.

From 1864 to 1871 Oscar Wilde studied at the Royal School of Portora (Enniskillen, near Dublin). He was not a child prodigy, but his most brilliant talent was speed reading. Oscar was very lively and talkative, and even then he was famous for his ability to humorously twist school events. At school, Wilde even received a special prize for his knowledge of the Greek text of the New Testament. After graduating from the Portor School with a gold medal, Wilde was awarded a Royal School Scholarship to study at Trinity College Dublin (College of the Holy Trinity).

At Trinity College 1871-1874 ) Wilde studied ancient history and culture, where he again showed his abilities with brilliance in ancient languages. Here, for the first time, he attended a course of lectures on aesthetics, and thanks to close communication with the curator, professor of ancient history J.P. Mahaffy, a refined and highly educated person, gradually began to acquire extremely important elements of his future aesthetic behavior (some contempt for generally accepted morality, dandyism in clothes, sympathy for the Pre-Raphaelites, slight self-irony, Hellenistic predilections).

In 1874 Wilde, having received a scholarship to study at the Oxford Magdalen College in the classical department, enters there. At Oxford, Wilde developed a crystal English pronunciation. He also acquired, as he wished, a reputation for effortlessly shining. It was here that his special philosophy of art took shape. His name already then began to be illuminated by various entertaining stories, sometimes caricatured.

At Oxford, Wilde listened to lectures by the art theorist John Ruskin and the latter's student, Walter Pater. They both praised beauty, but Ruskin saw it only in synthesis with goodness, while Peiter admitted some admixture of evil in beauty. Under the spell of Ruskin, Wilde was throughout the period at Oxford.

While still studying at Oxford, Wilde visited Italy and Greece and was captivated by these countries, their cultural heritage and beauty. These journeys have the most inspiring influence on him. At Oxford, he also received the prestigious Newdigate Prize for his poem "Ravenna".

After graduation in 1878 Oscar Wilde moved to London. Thanks to his talent, wit and ability to attract attention, Wilde quickly joined the social life of London. He makes the "most necessary" revolution for English society - a revolution in fashion. From now on, he appeared in society in personally invented mind-blowing outfits. An indispensable accessory was a carnation in a buttonhole, painted green.

In 1881 his first collection of poetry, Poems, was published in the spirit of the Pre-Raphaelite brothers. It went through five reprints of 250 copies during the year. All publishing costs were covered by Wilde himself. His early poems are marked by the influence of impressionism, they express direct individual impressions, they are incredibly picturesque.

Early in 1882 Wilde got off the steamer in the port of New York. The entire press follows the actions of the British esthete in America. He concluded his first lecture, entitled The English Renaissance of Art, with the words: “We all waste our days in search of the meaning of life. Know that this meaning is in Art.”

After spending a year in America, Wilde returned to London in excellent spirits. And immediately went to Paris. There he meets the brightest figures of world literature (Paul Verlaine, Emile Zola, Victor Hugo, Stéphane Mallarmé, Anatole France, etc.) and wins their sympathy without much difficulty. Returns to his homeland. Meets Constance Lloyd, falls in love. At 29, he becomes a family man. They have two sons (Cyril and Vivian), for whom Wilde composes fairy tales. A little later, he wrote them down on paper and published 2 collections of fairy tales - The Happy Prince and Other Tales ”(The Happy Prince and Other Stories; 1888 ) and The House of Pomegranates; 1891 ).

Everyone in London knew Wilde. He was the most desired guest in any salon. They draw cartoons on him and wait for a reaction. And Wilde is immersed in creativity. At that time, he earned a living by journalism. From 1887 to 1889 he worked as the editor of the Women's World magazine. Bernard Shaw spoke highly of Wilde's journalism.

In 1887 he published the stories "The Canterville Ghost", "The Crime of Lord Arthur Savile", "The Sphinx Without a Riddle", "The Millionaire Model", "Portrait of Mr. W. H.", which made up a collection of his stories. However, Wilde did not like to write down everything that came to his mind, many of the stories with which he charmed his listeners remained unwritten.

In 1890 the only novel that finally brings Wilde a stunning success was published - The Picture of Dorian Gray. It was published in Lippincotts Mansley Magazine. But critics accused the novel of immorality. In response to 216 print responses to The Picture of Dorian Gray, Wilde wrote more than 10 open letters to British newspapers and magazines, explaining that art is independent of morality. In 1891 the novel, with significant additions, is published as a separate book, and Wilde accompanies his masterpiece with a special preface, which from now on becomes a manifesto for aestheticism - the direction and the religion that he created.

1891-1895 - Wilde's years of dizzying glory. In 1891 In 1999, a collection of theoretical articles, Intensions, was published, where Wilde expounded to readers his creed - his aesthetic doctrine. . In the same 1891 he wrote a treatise, The Soul of Man under Socialism, which rejected marriage, the family, and private property.

Separately, there is a one-act drama written in French at that time on a biblical story - “Salome” (Salomé; 1891 ). According to Wilde, it was specially written for Sarah Bernhardt, "that snake of the ancient Nile." However, in London, censorship prevented her production: in the UK, theatrical performances on biblical stories were prohibited. The play was printed in 1893, and in 1894 In 1999, a translation into English was also published, with illustrations by Aubrey Beardsley. The play was first staged in Paris in 1896.

In 1892 written and staged the first comedy "brilliant Oscar" - "Lady Windermere's Fan" (Lady Windermere's Fan), the success of which made Wilde the most popular person in London. In 1893 his next comedy, The Woman of No Importance, comes out, in which the title itself is based on a paradox - before that, the “apostle of Beauty” felt this welcome as a native.

Striking in creative terms becomes 1895 . Wilde wrote and staged two plays, An Ideal Husband and The Importance of Being Earnest. In comedies, Wilde's art as a witty interlocutor was manifested in all its splendor: his dialogues are magnificent. Newspapers called him "the best of modern playwrights", noting the mind, originality, perfection of style.

In 1891 Wilde met Lord Alfred Douglas, son of the 9th Marquess of Queensberry. Douglas (his family and friends called him Bosie) was 16 years younger, he was looking for this acquaintance and knew how to win over. Soon Wilde, always living beyond his means, could not refuse anything to Douglas, who constantly needed money for his whims. Douglas was not going to hide his connection with the "brilliant Oscar" and from time to time demanded not only secret meetings, but also in full view. Wilde, like Douglas, becomes a constant target for London blackmailers.

Wilde took his passion from private to public, aestheticizing indecent relationships in poetry, short stories, plays, novels, and court statements. The key moment was that Wilde went to court with an unfounded accusation of libel. As a result, Wilde was convicted, and Douglas was not brought to trial.

Wilde served his term first in Pentonville and Wandsworth, prisons intended for especially serious crimes and repeat offenders, and then, November 20, 1895 was transferred to the prison in Reading, where he was held for a year and a half. Prison completely broke him. Most of his friends turned their backs on him. Alfred Douglas, to whom Wilde was so strongly attached, never came to see him (he lived abroad, pawning things donated by Wilde). Wilde's wife, Konstanz, despite the demands of her relatives, refuses a divorce and visits her husband twice in prison: the first time to report the death of his beloved mother, and the second to sign papers that he entrusts her with the care of children. Then Konstanz changes the surname for himself and their sons Cyril and Vivian to Holland (this is the surname of Konstanz's brother - Otto). In prison, Wilde writes a confession in the form of a letter to Douglas, which he calls "Epistola: In Carcere et Vinculis" (lat. "Message: in prison and chains"), and later his closest friend Robert Ross renamed it "De Profundis" (lat. “From the depths”; this is how Psalm 129 begins).

After the release, which took place May 19, 1897, Wilde moves to France, where he regularly receives letters and money from his wife, but Konstanz refuses to meet with him. But Douglas is looking for a meeting and achieves his goal. Their breakup was facilitated by the fact that, on the one hand, Constance threatened that if he did not part with Douglas, she would deprive her husband of his maintenance, and on the other hand, the Marquis of Queensberry promised that if relations with Wilde were terminated, he would pay all his son's considerable debts.

In France, Wilde changed his name to Sebastian Melmoth. The surname Melmoth was borrowed from the Gothic novel of the famous English writer of the 18th century Charles Maturin, Wilde's great-uncle, author of the novel Melmoth the Wanderer. Wilde avoided meeting those who might recognize him, but unfortunately it happened, and he moved from place to place, as if justifying his new name. In France, Wilde wrote the famous poem "The Ballad of Reading Gaol" (The Ballad of Reading Gaol; 1898 ), signed by him with the pseudonym C.3.3. - this was Oskar's prison number (cell number 3, 3rd floor, block C). The Ballad was published in an edition of eight hundred copies printed on Japanese vellum paper. In addition, Wilde published several articles with suggestions for improving the living conditions of prisoners. In 1898 The House of Commons passed the Jails Act, which reflected many of Wilde's proposals.

Keywords: Oscar Wilde

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Short biography of Oscar Wilde

Oscar Fingal O'Flaherty Wills Wilde was an English writer and poet of Irish origin, an outstanding late Victorian playwright. The most famous work is The Picture of Dorian Gray. Born October 16, 1854 in Dublin in the family of a doctor and philanthropist. The writer's mother, Jane Wilde, wrote revolutionary poetry. Parents, being themselves highly educated people, from childhood instilled in their children a love of literature and books. As a child, Oscar was educated at home. At the age of nine, he entered the Royal School of Portora. The boy spent most of his time at his father's country estate in County Mayo. Since childhood, he was acquainted with the writer George Moore.

After leaving school, young O. Wilde was sent to Trinity College, and then to Oxford. As a student, Wilde traveled extensively in Europe and was already beginning to write some works. So, for the poem "Ravenna" at Oxford he was awarded the prestigious Newdigate Prize. Upon graduation, Wilde moved to London. His obvious talent and ability to attract attention helped him to join the social life of the capital. The first poetry collection of the writer "Poems" appeared in 1881. A year later, he went to lecture in the United States, where his witty phrases won the attention of the press. Returning to London, he went to Paris, where he met such literary geniuses as Anatole France, Emile Zola, Paul Verlaine.

At 29, he became a family man by marrying Constance Lloyd. The couple had two sons. The writer composed many fairy tales for his children. Among them, "Happy Prince", "Pomegranate House". In 1887, the stories "The Canterville Ghost", "The Millionaire Model" and others appeared. The only published novel of the writer was The Picture of Dorian Gray (1890). This work won him great popularity. Many of Wilde's ideas remained unpublished because he did not write them down. The wit of the writer was perfectly manifested in his comedies, for example, "An Ideal Husband", "The Importance of Being Earnest". In 1895, O. Wilde was convicted of having an affair with Alfred Douglas. The writer died on November 30, 1900 in France as a result of acute meningitis.

Wilde Oscar Fingal O'Flaherty Wheels (1854-1900)

English writer and critic. Irish by nationality. Graduated from Oxford University (1879). The collection "Poems", published in 1881, was a success. In 1882 he made a tour of the cities of the United States, lecturing on aesthetics; in the USA he published the revolutionary melodrama Faith, or the Nihilists, which expressed the rebellious moods of the young writer, and the poetic tragedy The Duchess of Padua. Returning to London, he contributed to newspapers and magazines. He was sentenced to two years in prison on charges of immorality (1895-1897), after leaving prison he settled in Paris. the fracture was reflected in the poem "The Ballad of Reading Prison" and in the posthumously published confession "De Profundis" (1905).

Fairy tales "The Happy Prince", "Star Boy" and "Prose Poems" by Wilde are lyrical, sublime in style and content. "The Canterville Ghost", "The Crime of Lord Arthur Seville" - action-packed short stories riddled with irony. An example of an intellectual novel of the late 19th century is The Picture of Dorian Gray. However, the novel was mainly perceived by contemporaries as a sermon of aesthetic immorality.

The tragedies "The Duchess of Padua", "Salome", "The Florentine Tragedy" are attempts to revive the poetic drama of great passions. Secular comedies, full of witty paradoxes and epigrams on the mores of the ruling classes, have a different character: “Lady Windermere's Fan”, “A Woman Not Worth Attention”, “The Importance of Being Earnest”. Socially critical motifs are strong in the comedy An Ideal Husband, where the impure methods of bourgeois careerists are exposed. In the critical articles of the 1980s (the collection Ideas), Wilde highlighted the phenomena of modern English literature that were closest to him.

Oscar Wilde is a great writer who brought to the world one single novel. Wilde is a representative of aestheticism, who clearly introduced this trend to the masses. Oscar is the paradoxical man of Europe, who divided the whole of London into two parts: some hated him, others praised him. So what is so special about this writer? Why do we still, years later, continue to discuss this extravagant young man?

The Cavalier of Aestheticism was born in Dublin. It happened in October 1854. Wilde was the second child in the family.

His father studied folklore and archeology, the poet's mother is an Irish nationalist, she wrote poetry for the Young Irish movement under the pseudonym "Speranza" (translated from Italian - hope).

Youth: education and early career

Initially studying at home, the nine-year-old Oscar learned French and German, and in 1864 he entered the Royal School of Portora. There he studied for seven years. Even then, the young poet discovered his first talent - fast reading. There, Wilde was able to taste the divine taste of fame for his ability to humorously present school incidents. By the end of his studies, Wilde received a Royal Scholarship to study at Trinity College Dublin, where he entered in 1871, graduating with honors.

Where did the writer study in the future? An excellent knowledge of ancient languages ​​helps Wilde in his specialization in the culture and history of antiquity. Here Oscar receives the foundation for the subsequent disclosure of himself as an aesthete writer. He listens to lectures on aesthetics for the first time. And close communication with the professor of ancient history Mahaffy (Wilde's curator) lays in him the main features of his future personality. Having successfully completed his studies, Oscar Wilde is honored to study at Oxford.

Here he first meets the art theorist Ruskin and his student Walter Horace Pater and falls under their influence. Both intellectuals presented beauty as something divine, majestic. But if Ruskin represented it only in partnership with goodness, then Pater denied the moral principle in beauty, presenting it as something independent of this. The views of these people made an indelible impression on the young writer, who would accompany him throughout his life. In the same place, Oscar Wilde changes beyond recognition. He gets rid of the Irish accent and develops his own style of clothing. The character is also changing. Aesthetic statements, a specific manner of speech, self-irony, contempt for generally accepted morality become invariable aspects of his personality. He also forms around himself, as he intended, a reputation as a brilliant, extravagant person. Someone liked it, and many were not averse to spending time in the company of an interesting young man. Others, among whom were especially athletes, had a special dislike for him.

While still at university, Wilde wrote his first published work, the poem Ravenna. The writer was inspired to create this work by his visits to Greece and Italy. Although this act does not yet show the master of aestheticism that he will become in the future, for the poem he receives the highest award - the Newdigate Prize. After completing his studies, Oscar moves to London.

Creation

At the beginning of his creative career, Wilde realizes himself as an aesthete poet. He publishes the first collection of "Poems", which is permeated from beginning to end with the spirit of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. In his creation, the writer conveys the feelings that gripped him at one time or another. A huge number of topics, from political to spiritual, pass under his pen, through his aesthetic gaze, and appear before readers in all their glory.

Oscar Wilde spends the next year traveling around the United States. He lectures on art, wins over audiences, and returns to London.

But the writer does not stay here for long. Next… Paris, meeting with famous French writers. Again London and complete immersion in creativity. He composes and publishes his most famous stories - "The Canterville Ghost", "Portrait of Mr. W.H.", "The Sphinx Without a Riddle" and others that are still read today. He also publishes collections of children's fairy tales. The creation of famous works from these collections of the writer is inspired by his own children. During this period, Oscar earns a living by journalism. The esthete's articles are published in the best publications, and he himself edits the Women's World publication. Wilde's excellent work as a journalist is emphasized by Bernard Shaw.

The next year is an important point in the biography of the writer. Oscar writes and publishes his most famous masterpiece - The Picture of Dorian Gray (there are interesting ones, read it). The novel brings him a dizzying success and divides readers into two camps. Some reproach the author for immorality, the destruction of moral values, while others, on the contrary, idolize the writer. Oscar then completes his creation with chapters. The main change is the introduction, called the manifesto to aestheticism - it contains the thoughts of the writer, his views on his own philosophy.

After the sensational novel, the collection "Intentions" is published. In it, Oscar sets out his vision of "Art" as something divine, majestic, then - "The Soul of Man under Socialism" and other equally significant works.

Personal life

Oscar Wilde's first recorded relationship began at the age of twenty-nine. At this age, he falls in love and marries twenty-five-year-old Constance Lloyd. A year later, the first-born Cyril appears in the family, and a year later - Vivian. But happiness is short-lived. Soon the young father finds a new object for sighing - Alfred Douglas. Douglas used Wilde in every possible way: he asked for money for some of his needs, he simply bathed in the glory of the famous aesthete writer. The consequences are not long in coming. Oscar stops seeing his family, giving all his time to his young lover. From now on, their marriage to Lady Constance is only official. Wilde's wife is actually raising children alone.

Soon what was to be expected happens. The father of the young lord - John Sholto Douglas - does not want to put up with the fact that his heir is gay. The Marquess of Queensberry threatens Wilde that he will publicize the writer's infatuation. He demands that Oscar break all ties with his son. But the lovers are unwilling to fulfill Father Douglas' demands by continuing their relationship. The situation was resolved in February 1995. The Marquis sends a note addressed to Oscar Wilde, in which John Sholto accuses him of sodomy. The answer is not long in coming. Oscar Wilde, who hears neither the voice of reason nor the voice of friends, sues his lover's father.

1. The writer was convicted for writing his book. He was brought to trial because he violated the norms of morality and morality, and also promoted cynicism. In Puritan England, this was a very weighty charge.
2. Oscar Wilde even helped the development of British prisons, as he wrote several articles on the upkeep of prisoners. His proposals were made during the passing of the "Prisons Act".
3. According to BBC viewers, Wilde is the most sharp-tongued person who has ever lived in England.
4. The author wrote The Picture of Dorian Gray on a bet in just two weeks.
5. Wilde was alien to the desire for profit. Once an American publishing house offered the eminent creator $5,000 for a 100,000-word novel. This is a fabulous sum for those times! But the writer responded to this generous offer with only a casual joke: "I hardly know 100,000 words."
6. The author's mother really wanted a girl and sometimes dressed her son in women's clothes, growing him a long luxurious hair. Because of this shift in gender upbringing, the boy, according to some researchers, became a homosexual.

life philosophy

Our hero is an ambiguous, paradoxical person. Some spoke positively about him, praised and imitated him, copying the style of clothing and behavior, others criticized and criticize the writer then and now, they call him inhuman, and his behavior is selfish.

The main role in the life of the writer was played by the teachers Ruskin and Peter. But the writer did not just copy their vision of life, he created his own philosophy. From the point of view of other people who were not like him, his behavior was beyond the bounds of generally accepted ethics. But he looked at everything with an aesthetic look - the look of a man of art. Therefore, one should not judge the writer for his selfishness. You just need to be able to look at things from a different angle.

Maturity: persecution and prison

On April 3, 1895, Wilde's trial begins. During the meeting, the marquis reciprocally accuses Oscar of homosexuality. The writer doesn't even try to defend himself. As a result, Wilde withdraws his lawsuit when evidence of his homosexuality begins to be brought against him. After the process, the Marquess of Queensbury retaliates by suing the aesthete. The writer is arrested, and on April 26 the trial took place. Wilde is judged by his and Douglas' works. In the end, the writer loses the case.

On November 20, 1895, Oscar is imprisoned in Reading Gaol. Here Wilde changes a lot. Most of his friends leave him and cut all ties with him. No one visits the writer, except for his wife. But she comes twice: to report the death of his mother and to sign papers entrusting the care of the children to her. His lover occasionally wrote letters to him and did not keep in touch. Oscar Wilde is released on May 19, 1897.

Death

After prison, Oscar goes into "exile" in France. There he lives in poverty. The only one who helps him is his wife, who does not want to leave him after everything. He lives mainly on her alms. Oscar changes his name to Sebastian Melmothe and avoids meeting anyone who might recognize him. If, nevertheless, this happens, and he moves from place to place, hoping to live in peace. The only person Wilde seeks to meet is Douglas. But he leaves him when Oscar can no longer bring money into his pocket.
The great writer died on November 30, 1900. The cause of death is meningitis.

Wilde found his last resting place in the Pere Lachaise cemetery. On the grave of the world-famous and scandalous aesthete, a sphinx is installed in honor of his work of the same name.

Interesting? Save it on your wall!

The famous Irish writer was born on October 16, 1854 in Dublin. Oscar (full name Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde) was the second child in the family. The future writer had an older brother, Ulyam. In 1855, the Wildes had another child. The girl was named Isola.

Oscar inherited his passion for writing from his mother. Jane Wilde wrote poetry for the Young Irishmen (revolutionary movement), signing herself with the pseudonym Speranza (translated from Italian as "Hope"). Oscar's mother remained a staunch Irish nationalist all her life.

Until the age of nine, Wilde was educated at home. The boy had a good command of two foreign languages ​​- German and French. He received his first literary knowledge from his mother. At the age of 10, Oscar was sent to the Royal School of Portora. One of Wilde's first poems was written in memory of his sister Isola, who died of meningitis at the age of eight.

In the years of youth

The royal school in Portora was graduated by Wilde with a gold medal. The future writer managed to distinguish himself. He was not considered a genius, but he could read very quickly and learned new information well. At the Royal School, Oscar received an award for excellent knowledge of the New Testament in Greek.

In 1871, Wilde entered Trinity College, where he again managed to show his best side. In college, the young man studied ancient culture and history. Lectures on aesthetics and close communication with the teacher of ancient history, Professor J.P. Mahaffy, had a strong influence on the future writer. Even then, some features of aesthetic behavior could be observed in a young man. Oscar was distinguished by self-irony, dandyism in clothes and contempt for public morality.

In 1874, Oscar Wilde continued his education at Oxford in the classical department at Magdalen College. While studying at Oxford, Wilde visited Greece and Italy, whose cultural heritage had long attracted his attention. The trip did not disappoint the young man, but made him fall in love with these countries even more. At Oxford, a gifted young man received one of the most prestigious monetary awards of those years - the Newdigate Prize, which he was awarded for writing the poem "Ravenna".

After graduating from Magdalen College, Wilde moved to live in London, where he quickly gained popularity in many influential houses. Glory came quickly. In 1881, the first collection of poetry, called "Poems", was published. Within one year only, the collection withstood 5 reprints. All expenses were paid by the author himself.

In 1882 Wilde traveled to the United States of America. Here he was to give lectures at several well-known American universities. The young Irishman immediately attracted the attention of the local press, which followed his every move. Returning home, the aspiring writer published several works, most of which are popular among readers today: The Canterville Ghost, The Millionaire Model, The Sphinx Without a Riddle, and others. In addition to writing, Oscar made a living from journalism.

The real success came to Wilde after writing the novel The Picture of Dorian Gray. Despite the fact that thanks to this novel, the writer had new fans, critics accused Wilde of immorality. However, the writer himself argued that those who could not see morality in the novel are hypocrites, and that art does not depend on the moral norms of a single society. In addition, Wilde began to write plays for the theater, the most famous of which were "An Ideal Husband", "A Woman of No Interest" and "Lady Windermere's Fan".

Oscar Wilde married at the age of 29 to Constance Lloyd, from whom 2 sons were born. But family happiness was short-lived. In 1891, the writer met the young aristocrat Alfred Douglas. The young man was 16 years younger than Wilde. Oscar became so attached to the young man that he stopped seeing his family. Alfred used the writer's affection for his own purposes. Wilde spent a lot of money on the whims of Douglas.

Soon all of London learned about the strange friendship between the two men. Obscene rumors also reached the father of Douglas, the Marquis of Queensberry, with whom the young man's relationship had deteriorated a long time ago. The father was sure that Wilde was a bad influence on his son. The reputation of the marquis himself was extremely doubtful. Queensberry decided to restore his good name by "exposing" the famous writer.

In 1885, the British Penal Code was amended to prohibit "unnatural" relationships between men. Using this amendment, the Marquis of Queensberry writes a note to Wilde, in which he calls him a sodomite. Wilde was furious. Friends persuaded him to ignore the note, but Douglas hated his father so much that he forced the writer to sue the Marquis. As a result, Wilde ended up in the defendant's chair. At the trial, the writer behaved very dignified, aptly answered the questions of the prosecution and completely denied sexual relations with Alfred, insisting that their relationship was friendly. In May 1895, Wilde was found guilty and sentenced to two years hard labor.

The prison undermined the health of the famous writer. It was not only the difficult living conditions that were to blame. Wilde's suffering was also caused by the fact that many of his friends turned away from him. Alfred Douglas never visited his patron. While in prison, Wilde learned of the death of his beloved mother and that his wife had emigrated. Constance changed her children's surname and herself, not wanting to bear the name of the "criminal".

Freed from prison, Oscar Wilde leaves to live in France. The writer took a new name - Sebastian Melmoth. In Paris, where the writer settled, The Ballad of Reading Prison was written. In addition, Sebastian Melmoth published several articles in which he proposed to improve the living conditions of prisoners. Oscar Wilde lived in France for only 3 years. In 1900, the writer died of acute meningitis. Wilde was buried in Bagno Cemetery. Years later, the grave was moved to the Père Lachaise cemetery.

Of course, not only thanks to the talented works of Oscar Wilde was able to stand out from the crowd of his contemporaries. The image of the writer, his philosophy, manner of speaking and dressing made others pay attention to him.

The talented writer made a kind of revolution not only in literature, but also in fashion. Wilde appeared in society in very defiant outfits. Silk stockings, culottes, lemon-colored gloves, lace jabots and flower-embroidered waistcoats were out of character for the London fashion of the stiff English. Wilde designed all his outfits himself. An indispensable attribute in a dandy costume was a carnation flower, worn in a buttonhole and painted green. Despite the obvious extravagance of such an outfit, those around him noted with surprise that the innovations in Wilde's clothes did not look tasteless. Wilde knew how to combine what seemed completely incompatible.

No less extravagant was the behavior of the writer. Once in even the most unpleasant and delicate situation, Oscar Wilde could adequately get out of it. His jokes and witty phrases instantly became known throughout London, turning into jokes.

Next, you will learn about the fairy tale, which tells about kindness, compassion and self-sacrifice, which are not so common, but are always rewarded very generously.

Our new article is dedicated to Oscar Wilde's play, which revolves around blackmail and political corruption, touching on themes of public and private honesty.

Philosophy of Oscar Wilde

Despite the fact that the writer is considered an adherent of aestheticism, one can safely say that Wilde created his own philosophy. The independence of thought could not allow the writer to remain within the framework of only one philosophical current.

In his treatise The Soul of Man under Socialism, Wilde reflects on the topic of poverty. In his opinion, the blame for everything was private property, which must certainly be abandoned. The family, which restricts his freedom, also becomes destructive for a person. Marriage is not recommended.

Personality Image

In his philosophy, Wilde paid special attention to the personality, its development and place in society. The writer believed that only the legends that surround him are true in a person’s life, and not the things he does.

Legends should not be destroyed, since it is they, and not actions, that create a person. Wilde believed that the legend does not hide the true face. It helps to get to know him much better.