OSCAR WILDE
LIBERTY CLASSICS
Chapter 1
1 possibili soluzioni: portrait - he has put too much of himself in
it - beautiful young - inspiration for - a party at Lady Brandon’s -
thoughtless - tire of - his Aunt Agatha’s - meet Dorian - to try
to influence him
2 extra theme: the contrast between the city of London and the
countryside
possible extracts:
pp 29-30 The nature of the artist: Harry, said Basil... secret of my
own soul.
p 34-35 The supremacy of Greek art: He is all... always missed
p.36-37 The passing of time which makes beauty fade: Days in
summer … so unromantic.
pp 37-38 Criticism of upper class habits and hypocrisy: Ah, my
dear Basil … I have just remembered.
pp 38-39 How a bad influence can corrupt an innocent soul: Then
he looked … against his will.
3 1. pink, honey-coloured, gilt, blue, brown, green, blue -
2. (summer) wind, (sullen) murmur, dim roar, (bourdon)
note, organ, wind, chirrup, rustle, chirruping - 3. odour, scent,
perfume - 4. tussore-silk, gauze - 5. honey-sweet
4 1b – 2a – 3c
5 1. exhibit - 2. draw - 3. studio - easel - 4. sketch - canvas -
paint - 5. landscapes - portraits - 6. sculpture - 7. oil-painting -
8. full-length - 9. sitter
6 possible aphorisms: “There is only one thing in the world worse
than being talked about and that is not being talked about”;
Chapter 2-3
1 1d - 2i - 3e - 4c - 5f - 6h - 7b - 8k - 9j - 10a – 11g
2 young and beautiful: finely-curled lips - crisp gold hair -
candour - handsome - charming - unspotted;
old and ugly: wrinkled - sallow - hollow-cheeked - dull-eyed -
wizen – hideous
3 personal
4 a 1-3-4-7; b 8-9; c 1-6; d 5-10; e 9-11; f 2-9
5 personal
6 Speeches: pp. 47-48 There is no such thing... and yet - pp.
48-49 And yet... with shame - p.51 Lord Henry went... you
want to know – pp. 52-53 Let us go... nothing in the world but
youth! - p.54 Always! ... a little longer - p.60 What a fuss...
all one can say - p.71 How dreadful... below the intellect - pp.
Chapters 4-5-6
1 1. month - 2. wife - cheap, second-rate - classic tragedies and
comedies - 3. the theatre with Basil - 4. mother - 5. James -
Australia - 6. watch over - 7. disagrees with - 8. the night
before – 9. in two separate carriages
2 left, from top to bottom: curtain – scenery – comedian; right,
from top to bottom: stage-box – stage.
possible definitions: stage-box = a closed area to watch a
play at the theatre where you sit with other people you know;
curtain = the movable drapery separating the stage from the
audience; gallery = the highest floors in the theatre;
pit and stalls = the seats at the same level of the stage; dress-
THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY
“The one charm of marriage is that it makes a life of deception
absolutely necessary for both parties”; “Being natural is simply
a pose and the most irritating pose I know”; “I can believe
anything, provided that it is quite incredible”; “Conscience and
cowardice are really the same things. Conscience is the trade-
name of the firm. That is all.”; “Laughter is not at all a bad
beginning for a friendship, and it is far the best ending for one”;
“I like persons better than principles and I like persons with no
principles better than anything else in the world.”; “It is only
the intellectually lost who ever argue”; “The worst of having
a romance of any kind is that it leaves one so unromantic”;
“Those who are faithful know only the trivial side of love: it is
the faithless who know love’s tragedies”
7 1. distinctions – 2. says his/her name - secrecy - 3. the artist - the
sitter - 4. show themselves in society - 5. independent –
6. a lot of people - 7. medium - personality - 8. soul and body -
9. of their life
8 personal
9 personal
10 possible similarities: Dorian and the mermaid both have blond
hair and coral-red lips, their beauty is emphasized and Basil /
the fisherman are amazed by it - possible differences: Dorian
is human, the mermaid is a supernatural creature with both
animal and human features, the mermaid is sleeping, she is
passive and cannot return the fisherman’s feelings while Dorian
is more active, his friendship with Basil is mutual
72-73 I can sympathize... one’s mistakes - p.75 I am too fond...
beauty of literature. Possible themes: self-development - the
research of pleasure - the link between soul and senses -
importance of youth and beauty - nothing lasts forever -
fidelity as a question of physiology - brutality of pure reason -
morbidity of sympathizing with pain - mistakes as the secret of
youth - lack of beauty in English literature
7 1T - 2F They get bored if the engagement is too long - 3F
American women are anxious to get out of America - 4T - 5T -
6T - 7F He appreciates them because they are very reasonable
8 personal
9 personal
circle = the seats at the first floor; comedian = another name for
actor; scenery = the painted scenes in the background and the
accessories on the stage; stage = the platform where actors play
their roles; company = a group of actors who work together
3 personal
4 subject-matter - vivisect - crucible - sulphurous fumes - poison -
experimental method - analysis – phenomenon
1. analysis - 2. sulphurous fumes - 3. phenomenon - 4. vivisect
5. poison - 6. experimental method - 7. subject-matter -
8. crucible

LIBERTY CLASSICS
5 possible adjectives: 1. young - beautiful - rich - 2. old -
attractive - passionate – 3. good - protective
6 1e – 2a – 3g – 4b – 5d – 6f – 7c
7 personal
8 1 Basil - 2 Victoria - 3 Basil - 4 Victoria - 5 Lord Henry
possible reasons: 1 Basil loves Dorian and is jealous because he is
going to get married to a girl and they will stop seeing each other -
CAP 7-8-9
1 possible solutions: Basil - Lord Henry - boo - poorly - the
second act - leave - the end of the play - she has killed his love
- can’t act anymore - knows what real love is - actress with a
pretty face - his portrait looks cruel - the portrait - changed -
love letter to Sibyl - she committed suicide - go to the opera
together - Basil - his reaction to Sibyl’s death - see the portrait -
exhibit it - why he didn’t want to show anybody the picture - sit
for him
2 personal
3 1f – 2e – 3i – 4c – 5a – 6d – 7h – 8b – 9g
CAP 10-11
1 a3 - b6 - c9 - d7 - e5 - f1 - g8 - h2 – i4
2 objects: huge Italian cassone - bookcase with dog-eared
schoolbooks - Flemish tapestry. Possible analysis: Dorian used
to hide in the huge cassone because it is typical of children to
have secret places of their own and probably because he had a
bad relationship with his grandfather, who didn’t enjoy seeing
the child - the schoolbooks can represent Dorian’s curiosity
about life and his wish to learn new things, which will lead him
to investigate all the pleasures life can offer - the tapestry can
represent his love for art, beauty and storytelling: enjoying art
and using his imagination were probably the only joys he had
in a period when he felt hated
3 personal
4 1f - 2c - 3a, b, d - 4e
5 perfumes: oils, gums, roots, balms, woods;
CAP 12-13-14
1 1. thirty-eighth - 2. pretends he hasn’t seen - 3. leaving
for Paris - 4. all the rumours about him - 5. shocked and
disgusted - 6. too late - stabs - 7. goes out again - 8. forgot his
latch-key - 9. take a letter - 10. reading poems - 11. dissolve
chemically - 12. blackmails - 13. no longer there
2 1e - 2g - 3f - 4c - 5a - 6d – 7b
3 1T- 2F (he committed suicide) - 3T - 4T - 5F (after he signed a
cheque in the name of another person) - 6T - 7F (Before dying
in Mentone)
4 personal
5 possible keywords: Sybil remember – love – words – beauty –
artistic; Basil kills – ruined – unpleasant – violence – hatred –
monstrous
possible solutions: his cruel words - killed the man - Sibyl - forget -
tragic but beautiful and due to love - violence, horror and hatred -
poor performance - masterpiece had been ruined
OSCAR WILDE
THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY
2 Victoria is jealous of Dorian because her husband likes him so
much he keeps a lot of the boy’s pictures - 3 Basil is jealous because
Dorian talks to Harry more than he talks to him - 4 Victoria is jealous
of her husband because he spends more time with his friends than
with her - 5 Lord Henry is jealous becuase Dorian doesn’t spend as
much time with him as he did before meeting Sibyl
9 personal
4 1F - 2T - 3T - 4F - 5F - 6T - 7F - 8F - corrections: 1 She
thought they were godlike - 4 She became conscious that it
was vulgar - 5 She understood they were unreal and not what
she wanted to say - 7 She smiled - 8 She wanted Dorian to
take her away
5 personal
6 1g – 2b – 3f – 4h – 5i – 6c – 7a – 8d – 9e
7 personal
8 personal
musical instruments: lutes, drums, pipes, flutes, bells;
jewels: pearls, stones, opals, gems, rubies;
embroideries: robes, velariums, coats, curtains, hangings
6 possible reasons: Dorian loved refined, elaborate clothes -
He loved ancient art - He was fascinated by mystery and new
sensations - He was interested in and fascinated by sin
7 personal
8 personal
9 possible similarities: art, literature and music have an
important role in education, as sources of pleasure;
imagination should create perfection, in a harmony of matter
and soul; people should live here and now, enjoying the
present as in a sort of new religion;
main difference: perfection includes also a moral aspect
6 personal
7 possible keywords: 1 Basil’s murder - 2 Dorian’s hatred -
3 Knife - 4 He came back at two in the morning - 5 letter to
Alan - 6 Alan
8 personal
9 possible differences: the aim of Holmes’s chemical reaction is
to help solve criminal cases; the aim of Campbell’s reaction is
to prevent the police from solving a criminal case; Holmes is
enthusiastic, Campbell is acting against his will; Holmes is free
to use science and wants to be remembered for it, Campbell
is forced to use science and doesn’t want his name to be
associated with what he has done

LIBERTY CLASSICS
CAP 15-16
1 possible solutions: Lady Narborough’s - wildly excited - calm -
de Ferrol - a wife - eat much - is just tired - he went home the
night before - Basil’s clothes and bag - changes clothes - his
sins - opium – Adrian Singleton - drinks some brandy - Prince
Charming - James Vane - killing his sister Sibyl - his young face -
he is too young to have known Sibyl - is older than he looks -
runs after Dorian
2 personal
3 1. Mr Chapman - 2. Alice Chapman - 3. Ernest Harrowden -
4. Lady Ruxton - 5. Mr Monmouth - 6. Mrs Erlynne
4 1. ghastly - gloomy; 2. monstrous, grotesque, twisted;
3. shabby, tattered, third-rate, tawdry, ragged; 4. greasy,
haggard, sodden, sickly; 5. sordid, coarse, loathsome, crude, vile
OSCAR WILDE
THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY
5 possible solutions: 1. midnight, cold and rainy night, mist,
fog; 2. moon as a yellow skull, gas lamps, orange tongues of
fire, lamp-lit blind, lantern, light reflected in the puddles, red
glare, gas-jets, quivering discs of light; 3. narrow streets, lonely
brickfields, clay roads, rough-paven streets, dark lane, ghostly
sails in the yard, huge merchantman, slimy pavement, shabby
house, factories; 4. horse splashing up the puddles, whipped
horse, dog barking, seagull screaming, horse stumbling;
5. driver whipping madly at the horse and at passers-by,
fantastic shadows, monstrous marionettes, squat misshapen
figure, a sailor sprawled over a table
6 personal

7
how dorian ruined him/her his/her attitude to dorian dorian’s attitude towards him/her

Adrian admired Dorian and was He is indifferent to Dorian He feels guilty towards Adrian but also believes
adrian
influenced by him when he broke Adrian is responsible for his choices
singleton
the law, forging a cheque
The woman fell in love with She sneers at Dorian and insults him He despises her and wants her to keep away from
the woman Dorian and lost her respectability but also accepts his money and is him
believing he would marry her afraid of him
Dorian led his sister to commit He wants to kill Dorian He is afraid
suicide when he promised
james vane
he would marry her and then
changed his mind
8 personal
9 possible similarities: Wilde and Dorian both know they are Wilde has been imprisoned and has discovered sufferance,
special (“the gods had given me almost everything”); they both Dorian has escaped prison; Wilde has found something new
enjoy being dandies, men of fashion and also surrounding in his nature after suffering for his sins: humility; Dorian thinks
themselves with squalid people; they are both attracted to sin; repentance is impossible because his sins are too great
they re both dominated by passions - possible differences:
CAP 17-18
1 1k – 2f – 3a – 4g – 5l – 6b – 7d – 8e – 9c – 10h – 11i – 12j 3 extra topics: the weather, Dorian’s parents, ancient plays,
2 1a/b 2a 3b/c religion

4
lord henry
English people are often drunk and they like to appear
as religious and virtuous.
“Beer, the Bible and the seven deadly virtues have
made our England what she is”
English people don’t understand criticisms because
they are not aware of their own vices.
“Our countrymen never recognise a description.”
The successes of England depended on favourable
circumstances rather than the ability of English people.
“Great things have been thrust on us.”
English people are only interested in the financial
profits derived from progress.
“Only as far as the Stock Exchange.”
gladys
The English race is better than the others,
the English Empire dominates the world.
“I believe in the race.”
English people are not interested in criticism because they
focus on actions and reality rather than abstract ideas.
“They are practical.”
English people have conquered many countries and
have become a rich nation thanks to good politics, and
technological and scientific innovations.
“Still, we have done great things.”
English people manage all the consequences
of progress with a sense of responsibility.
“We have carried their burden.”
 OSCAR WILDE
LIBERTY CLASSICS THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY
5 Personal 7 personal
6 1. sport - 2. beater - 3. game - 4. game-keeper/ keeper - 8 personal
5. hare - 6. fire – 7. pheasant 9 personal
1. sport - 2. game - 3. pheasants - 4. keepers - 5. fire -
6. hare - 7. beater
CAP 19-20
1 1. stop corrupting innocent people - 2. will not be happy of her 5 personal
life - 3. was not interesting enough - he killed Basil himself - 6 personal
4. youth and pleasures - 5. less evil - conscience – rings
7 possible similarities: the murder happens inside a locked
2 personal room which must be forced open; a terrible cry is heard when
3 personal the murder occurs; the corpse is not recognisable except for
4 1W (Basil was murdered) - 2W (Dorian killed Basil) - 3R - 4R - something belonging to its “double” (rings for Dorian, clothes
5W (Dorian feels guilty and anxious) – 6R for Jekyll/Hyde); servants find the dead body