She, in turn, believes he is a “Prince Charming.” Her brother does not agree and thinks that Dorian is up to no good, and is unfit for her, but she refuses to listen to him or his warnings. Sybil Vane plays in the city’s slums, but Dorian just adores her acting. He soon falls in love with a young actress, Sibyl Vane.

So, Dorian wishes to live a life that centers around achieving pleasures in any form. Lord Henry wants to own the portrait, but Basil wants to give it to Dorian since he is the rightful owner.Īs the weeks pass by, Lord Henry meets Dorian frequently, and the influence of his opinions take over Dorian’s life. With mixed emotions in his heart and mind, he offers his soul if he could only get the gift of staying forever young. Spurred by these thoughts he curses his portrait, thinking that one day when he is old, and his beauty is lost, he will feel only sorrow when looking at it. He talks to him about beauty and youth, and Dorian feels the fear of losing both of these transient characteristics creeping on him. However, Lord Henry makes a lasting impression on him. Soon, Dorian arrives in Basil’s studio and makes the acquaintance of Lord Henry. He is a person who celebrates beauty, youth, and pleasures of any kind. However, Basil is not satisfied with his work, and when he talks to his friend, Lord Henry, we realize that he believes that the painting is a mirror of his feelings for the subject, and he doesn’t want that. The first portrait is nearly finished in the first pages of the novel. While he paints him, he explains his features as a mythological figure or a Greek hero. So, it is not surprising that he would immediately become an object of artistic admiration and attraction.īasil asks Dorian to pose for him, and so he does. Dorian has a godlike appearance, as well as cultured manners and enough wealth. Plotīasil Hallward is an established artist living in London in the house of his aunt.īasil Hallward has been introduced to Dorian Gray when the story opens. Oscar Wilde was an Irish novelist, playwright, and poet, that was one of the most famous and appreciated writers in the 1890s. There are important lessons to be learned, out of which all of us can benefit. “The Picture of Dorian Gray” is a story about a young man who wants to stay eternally young and beautiful, and pledges his soul to the Devil, if he is granted his wish. Would you want to, even if the price you will have to pay is your soul? Who Should Read “The Picture of Dorian Gray”? And Why?

What if you could stay forever young? What would you have to give in return?

Picture of dorian gray pdf