The irony in (and of) Oscar Wilde’s “The Picture of Dorian Gray”

“Even things that are true can be proven.” 1 – the quote from the Preface in “The Picture of
Dorian Gray” often used when addressing Oscar Wilde’s relationship with irony. It showcases
the writer’s smart usage of language, proving that his beloved aestheticism is not only portrayed
in the themes of the story but also in the way Wilde has written them. He claims that justification
does not always indicate an attempt to prove a point. 2 But what if the “already proven things” are
not even justified, as it is in the unravelment of this book when it’s characters, their statements or
even the predominant idea of “The Picture of Dorian Gray” contradict the previously stated,
creating sometimes even absurd examples of the usage of irony in literature.
The “as Harry says” saga of Dorian Gray begins as soon, as the young man gets introduced to the
incredibly inordinate and vulgar fellow. Even at the very first moment, when these two meet,
there is a noticeable spark between them. In the following conversation, Lord Henry Wotton
expresses his firm opinion on the topic of influence, saying: “There is no such thing as a good
influence, Mr. Gray. All influence is immoral—immoral from the scientific point of view.” 3 This
not only showcases a significant characteristic of Harry (his boldness) but also sets the tone to a
consequential example of irony in the book. If the character himself would make a note on his
further actions, it would sound something like: “This said, without a doubt I will continue in
influencing Dorian Gray to an extent where he oversteps boundaries that I could not even
imagine applicable to me.”
And so, the tale goes on. Probably the first turning point in Dorian’s character development is the
night that he decides to introduce his then-fiancé Sibyl Vane to two of his closest friends – Basil
Hallward and the previously mentioned Lord Henry. Before the dramatic juncture, Dorian Gray
cannot tame his enthusiasm about the girl. “I get hungry for her presence; and when I think of the
wonderful soul that is hidden away in that little ivory body, I am filled with awe.” 4
Unfortunately, soon comes Sibyl’s performance as Juliet, which is like no other, by her admirer’s
means – in the worst possible way. As a shock strikes the later on monologue of Dorian Gray,
where he expresses, how now disgusted he has become of the women he once would have been
ready to give his whole world to. “Dorian is showing signs of the kind of shallowness that his
mentor Lord Henry is famous for – though ironically Dorian calls Sibyl shallow.” 5 This is also
the event that facilitates the first change in Basil’s portrait of Dorian. In this case, cruelty can be
read from the chap's lips as a result of an unjust act of irony.6

1
Wilde, O. (1992) The Picture of Dorian Gray. Ware, Hertfordshire: Wordsworth Editions Limited, p. 3.
2
Dorian Gray Irony Quotes. All Great Quotes. Accessed 3 October 2023. Link:
https://www.allgreatquotes.com/authors/the-picture-of-dorian-gray-irony/
3
Wilde, O. (1992) The Picture of Dorian Gray. Ware, Hertfordshire: Wordsworth Editions Limited, p. 17 – 18.
4
Ibid., p. 45.
5
Dorian Gray Irony Quotes. All Great Quotes. Accessed 3 October 2023. Link:
https://www.allgreatquotes.com/authors/the-picture-of-dorian-gray-irony/
6
Wilde, O. (1992) The Picture of Dorian Gray. Ware, Hertfordshire: Wordsworth Editions Limited.
Skipping many troublesome chapters forward, we get to the climax of the book, where Dorian,
having completely lost his touch on reality, murders Basil Hallward. 7 Though some paradoxes
can be found in the act itself, like, for example, the fact that shortly before the deed Dorian
reassures Basil, that he is indeed very dear to him, and still, despite that, ends up extinguishing
his friend that now in his eyes more resembles an enemy. But the focal irony in this case comes
in when the disappearance of the artist is discussed between Dorian Gray and Lord Henry. Arises
the question: “What would you say, Harry, if I told you that I had murdered Basil?” 8 to which is
then replied in a dismissive manner “Crime belongs exclusively to the lower orders”. 9 This is a
change in the usual execution of irony. In all the cases mentioned before only the “hawk-eyed”
readers could spot the voids in the regularities, but here Oscar Wilde invites everyone backstage,
where we all – the author, the protagonist and the reader – are on the same page. We follow along
every well thought out, rhetorical question and each light-hearted, philosophical answer. Where
is the irony? In the way Dorian has taken over full control over a discussion with Harry for the
first time in the whole book and we are amused just by knowing. Now more than ever the
unravelment of the events is less dependant on the content, but more so on the motive.
In the following resolution of the story of “The Picture of Dorian Gray” this theme reoccurs in a
much larger scale. Having read the very last paragraph of the book, one is left with a feeling of
complete astonishment. It is not that the death of Dorian comes fortuitously, it is that it goes by
so rapidly – in the blink of an eye. Now, that is not so unpredictable given the slow current
leading up to this point. What scrambles the mind the most, is the irony-based plot – the absolute
absurdity of the picture of Dorian Gray being the “immortal” gateway to the outright inevitability
of a mortal.10
All things true can be proven11, but it is the unapproving of them that truly tests their legitimacy.
At first glance I thought I had cracked the code, found the fault in the masterpiece, but as it turns
out it is the ironic inconsequences that make “The Picture of Dorian Gray” so unique. If the
unrealistic is unfaulty, it becomes unpleasantly repulsively unimaginable. As I see it, Oscar
Wilde has neatly “outwritten” the fiction in this book by introducing once-in-a-while loopholes
in Dorian Gray’s world, mimicking the proportions of real-life frequencies.

7
The Picture of Dorian Gray: Key Facts. Spark Notes. Accessed 4 October 2023. Available:
https://www.sparknotes.com/lit/doriangray/facts/
8
Wilde, O. (1992) The Picture of Dorian Gray. Ware, Hertfordshire: Wordsworth Editions Limited, p. 168.
9
Ibid.
10
Dorian Gray Irony Quotes. All Great Quotes. Accessed 4 October 2023. Link:
https://www.allgreatquotes.com/authors/the-picture-of-dorian-gray-irony/
11
Wilde, O. (1992) The Picture of Dorian Gray. Ware, Hertfordshire: Wordsworth Editions Limited, p. 3.