THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY-GUIDELINES

Composed by Fathima Rassack-Drakensberg Secondary 2019

Table of Contents
Preamble ................................................................................................................................................. 2
Pictures in Dorian Gray............................................................................................................................ 3
The Picture of Dorian Gray; A mirror of the Victorian Era, era of hypocrisy .......................................... 5
Oscar Wilde-The author .......................................................................................................................... 8
Key Concepts: .......................................................................................................................................... 9
Analysing the Plot:................................................................................................................................. 10
Flowchart depicting the events of each chapter................................................................................... 12
Characters in Dorian Gray ..................................................................................................................... 15
Themes in Dorian Gray .......................................................................................................................... 18
The Purpose of Art ............................................................................................................................ 18
The Supremacy of Youth and Beauty ................................................................................................ 19
The Superficial Nature of Society ...................................................................................................... 19
The Negative Consequences of Influence ......................................................................................... 19
Notes on Aestheticism .......................................................................................................................... 20
Sample Essay: ........................................................................................................................................ 22
What role does Sibyl Vane play in The Portrait of Dorian Gray? ...................................................... 22
Essay: The Picture of Dorian Gray: Corruption Through Aestheticism ............................................. 23
Symbolism in Dorian Gray ..................................................................................................................... 25
The Yellow Book ................................................................................................................................ 25
The Portrait: ...................................................................................................................................... 25
Sex, Drugs and the Opera .................................................................................................................. 26
Areas to Focus on in each chapter (Suggested) .................................................................................... 27
Points to Note when Teaching the Novel-FF RASSACK-DRAKENSBERG SECONDARY ........................... 32
When teaching the literature essay: ................................................................................................. 32
Mind Maps-FF Rassack .......................................................................................................................... 33
Important Relationships Between Dorian Gray And - ........................................................................... 36
Points to Note........................................................................................................................................ 38
The Theme of Art:.............................................................................................................................. 38
Influence: ........................................................................................................................................... 38

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Preamble
“The Picture of Dorian Gray” is a novel that has been prescribed as a literature set work for the NSC
Grade 12 examination since 2017.Many educators have found that access of the text seems daunting
due to the style, setting, and the complex language of the novel. As compared to previous set works
(like Animal Farm), the novel seems more complicated and learners, especially those who struggle
with the language are perplexed and cannot relate to the themes and era in which the novel is set.
However, upon careful analysis, the novel is a beautiful reflection of humanity in the current century
and the underlying prejudices, hypocrisy and immorality which plague society even decades after it
was published.

The following guide aims to highlight the key issues in the novel and provide an overview of
characters, motifs, and themes of the novel. Further, I have compiled a few points on approaching
the novel differently in terms of teaching, as opposed to a mere verbatim reading of the novel. To
use the notes and worksheets provided, it is important that the concepts are taught and enforced, as
it would be futile as a mere handout without the learner fully comprehending the ideas presented.

An example of this would be establishing the appreciation of artistic value to learners who
thoroughly assert that art is not applicable to their existence. This is vital before the word
AESTHETICISM is even mentioned in a lesson. One would be required to draw on an appreciation of
the arts and the different forms and genres to instil a sense of appreciation of the arts to the learner
who may not, hypothetically speaking, necessarily identify with the notion of why any reasonable
man would attend an opera willingly.

Personally, I always believe that a learner will excel at studying a novel once they FEEL the novel.

Therefore, the strategies and approach employed by the educator is essential .At all times ,we need
the candidate to have an in-depth understanding of the intricacies of the novel, be able to evaluate,
synthesise and demonstrate critical thinking skills .Skim reading in class and a surface knowledge of
the plot is a tragic recipe for disaster ,as this does not cater for the more cognitively challenging
questions. As a result -year in and year out, the NSC diagnostic reports repeat the complaint of
learners lacking a deeper insight of the novel and subsequently performing poorly in the novel
section of the literature paper. Hence ,it is crucial that we employ other methods and approaches to
analysing texts, perhaps eliminating a drone-reading session of the novel .We should rather focus on
creating a love for the issues which constitute the basis of the novel, hone argumentative approaches
to these, and also encourage learners to formulate a sense of critical judgement of characters. This
would eradicate learners merely stating facts that they have recollected from guides and sometimes
not engaging directly with the question.

I trust and hope that this composition is of some form of assistance to guide you and ultimately will
be of benefit to the learner.

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Pictures in Dorian Gray
Understanding a novel means that a learner must visualise the time, era and the setting of the novel.

Below, I have included some pictures which may allow learners to ‘see’ what London society and The
Victorian era were all about.

THE OPIUM DENS

# Chapter 16 of the novel

*Represents the darkness and evil

which Dorian tries to find an
escape from.

*A contrast to the aesthetic beauty

which he is surrounded by in his
aristocratic luxurious home.

**Serves as a reflection of Dorian’s

inner reality

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4
The Picture of Dorian Gray; A mirror of the Victorian Era, era of hypocrisy

Standard
The Victorian Image, to most people, is a gray period, colourless, with strict moral conducts
restraining liberal behaviour. Yet, the Victorian era was also the time when sensationalism
blossomed in cheap newspapers, and when Jack the Ripper was active. These conflicting realities
point to a complex society, a society of hypocrisy.

Caption: A gray period.

One of the best ways to analyze a past society is to examine the literature of the time. Literature
reflects the social situation of the society then. During the Victorian era, Gothic literature became
popular. Gothic literature explores the darkest corners of human nature. Gothic literature explores
the darkest corners of human nature, revealing criminal tendencies, and dark passions of seemingly
normal people. One Gothic novel is ‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’.

The Victorian era was an era of Covers. Your ‘reputation’ became the primary interest of an average
person. As Basil Hallward puts it “every gentleman is interested in his good name.” The Victorian Era
was when the image of the ‘English Gentleman” was formed. As people, most notably, gentlemen,
began to care more about their reputation, hypocrisy was spawned. People, began to hide their dark
desires, and their misdeeds, while presenting a respectable face to the public.

Sexuality was deemed ‘unhealthy’ during the Victorian Era. Many doctors wrote about the ‘health
hazards’ of excessive sexuality. Many different devices were designed in order to impede sexual
impulses. Thus, Prostitutes, Masturbators, and homosexuals emerged as social ‘problems’

Caption: Devices designed to stop masturbation

However, sexuality was prevalent, much more prevalent than one would expect. The Lancet Medical
Journal, published in 1887 estimates that there were about 80,000 prostitutes in London alone,

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which was about 3% of the London population. Dorian Gray is seen coming out of the “foulest den in
London”, and from ‘dirty houses’.

Also, open marriages existed, even during the Victorian Era. Lord Henry plainly displays the openness
of his marriage. He states that “one charm of marriage is that it makes a life of deception absolutely
necessary for both parties. I never know where my wife is, and my wife never knows what I am
doing. When we meet–we do meet occasionally, when we dine out together, or go down to the
Duke’s–we tell each other the most absurd stories with the most serious faces. My wife is very good
at it–much better, in fact, than I am. She never gets confused over her dates, and I always do. But
when she does find me out, she makes no row at all. I sometimes wish she would; but she merely
laughs at me.”

It is possible to infer that Dorian Gray were involved in inappropriate relationships with a few ladies,
including Lady Gwendolen. Lord Stavely states that Dorian is someone “whom no pure-minded girl
should be allowed to know, and whom no chaste woman should sit in the same room with. All of this
point to a promiscuous lifestyle in the so-called Gentlemen class.

Despite homosexuality was condemned as evil, it was still widespread. Oscar Wilde, the author of
‘The picture of Dorian Gray’ himself was a homosexual. Alan Campbell commits suicide after viewing
a letter written by Dorian Gray. Perhaps, his despair was caused because he was involved in a
homosexual relationship with Dorian. Homosexuality was especially rampant in the
intelligentsia. Though male homosexuality was much more prevalent, and well known, female
homosexuality also existed, most famous of which is the case of Anne Lister of Shibden in west
Yorkshire and her partner.

The criminal tendencies of the ‘Gentlemen’ of the Victorian era was not limited to sexuality. The
Victorian era is known to have had problems with rampant drug usage. The most prevalent drug of
the era was opium. In 1839, Opium, was responsible for more deaths than any other drug. Opium
claimed the lives of 186 people, 76 of them children, out of a total of 543 poisoning cases.

Perhaps, when our desires are blocked by society, hypocrisy in inherently spawned. Perhaps, this is
why so many Victorian era Gentlemen turned to drug abuse, and obscene sexual lives, in an era of

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stringent moral codes. Is today’s society free from hypocrisy? Certainly, expression of our desires has
become a lot more liberal. It is an issue to be thought about.

SOURCE:

https://hojunester.wordpress.com/2012/05/28/the-picture-of-dorian-gray-a-mirror-of-the-victorian-
era-era-of-hypocrisy/

READING THIS AND INTRODUCING THE FACTORS OF

SOCIETY WHICH INFLUENCED THE SETTING, ALLOWS
A LEARNER TO PLACE THE NOVEL IN CONTEXT. THIS
IS ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT WHEN A LEARNER IS NOT
AN AVID READER, AND WOULD HAVE VERY LITTLE
INSIGHT ON THE VICTORIAN PERIOD.

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Oscar Wilde-The author
Born in Dublin on 16 October 1854, Oscar Wilde was a flamboyant and sparklingly witty Anglo-Irish
playwright, poet and critic. ‘I put all my genius into my life, I put only my talent into my books’, he
said to the French writer André Gide.

Wilde shone at both Trinity College, Dublin and Magdalen College, Oxford. In London, he was a
famous proponent of aestheticism, the controversial theory of art. A collection of poems (1881) was
followed by The Happy Prince and Other Tales (1888) as well as lectures and essays promoting his
ideas of art and beauty. In 1884, he married Constance Lloyd, with whom he had two sons.

He published his Faustian novel The Picture of Dorian Gray in 1890, and fell in love with the much
younger Lord Alfred Douglas. He then began a double life: winning fame and fortune with three
hugely successful society comedies, Lady Windermere's Fan (1892), An Ideal Husband(1895) and The
Importance of Being Earnest (1895), but secretly spending time in male brothels. ‘The danger was
half the excitement’, he recalled in his great apologia, a long letter to his lover Lord Alfred Douglas
entitled De Profundis.

In February 1895, Douglas's father, the Marquis of Queensberry, accused Wilde of being a ‘sodomite’
[sic]. Wilde sued him for libel, lost, and was subsequently found guilty of gross indecency. He spent
two years in prison, most of it in Reading Gaol, where he wrote De Profundis; in the month of his
release he composed The Ballad of Reading Gaol. Both were published posthumously. Bankrupt and
shunned by society, his health broken by imprisonment, he spent the rest of his life in Europe. He
died in Paris on 30 November 1900 aged 46.

ALLOW LEARNERS THE OPPURTUNITY TO UNDERSTAND THE

BACKGROUND AND PERSPECTIVE OF WHY THE NOVEL MAY
HAVE BEEN WRITTEN.WILDE’S LIFE STORY IS A REFLECTION OF
THE BASIS OF HIS WRITING IN ‘THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY’

HIS OPEN HOMOSEXUALITY LEADING TO HIS OSTRACISATION

AND CONSEQUENT IMPRISONMENT WILL ASSIST LEARNERS IN
LINKING THE HOMEO-EROTICISM WHICH PREVAILS IN THE
COURSE OF THE NOVEL
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Key Concepts:
AESTHETICISM:
The idea of appreciating the outer appearance of an object. “Art for art’s sake”
Wilde argues that art has no in-depth purpose and ought to be what meets the eye.

HOMEO-EROTICISM:

The sexual attraction of characters which result in the idolatry of an individual of the opposite sex. A
romantic magnetism prevails amongst the main male characters of the novel.

IMMORTALITY:

Simply speaking, to sustain the qualities of an individual ETERNALLY. -

not liable to perish or decay; imperishable; everlasting. perpetual; lasting; constant

Dorian makes a wish to immortalise his beauty.

NARCISSISM:

Excessive interest in or admiration of oneself and one's physical appearance.

ARISTROCRATIC SOCIETY:

The highest class in certain societies, typically comprising people of noble birth holding hereditary
titles and offices.

HEDONISM:

The pursuit of pleasure; sensual self-indulgence.

EPIGRAM:

A witty remark: a pithy saying or remark expressing an idea in a clever and amusing way

OPERA:

A genre of classical music, rather popular in Aristocratic society.

OPIUM DENS:

A public room where opium is sold and smoked

OPIUM:
A reddish-brown heavy-scented addictive drug prepared from the juice of the opium poppy, used
illicitly as a narcotic and occasionally in medicine as an analgesic.

GOTHIC:
Of or relating, to a style of writing that describes strange or frightening events that take place in
mysterious places.

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Analysing the Plot:

I HAVE INCLUDED AN OVERVIEW OF THE PLOT TO FACILITATE AN OVERALL

UNDERSTANDING OF THE TEXT.

In the stately London home of his aunt, Lady Brandon, the well-known artist Basil Hallward meets
Dorian Gary. Dorian is a cultured, wealthy, and impossibly beautiful young man who immediately
captures Basil’s artistic imagination. Dorian sits for several portraits, and Basil often depicts him as an
ancient Greek hero or a mythological figure. When the novel opens, the artist is completing his first
portrait of Dorian as he truly is, but, as he admits to his friend Lord Henry Wotton, the painting
disappoints him because it reveals too much of his feeling for his subject. Lord Henry, a famous wit
who enjoys scandalizing his friends by celebrating youth, beauty, and the selfish pursuit of pleasure,
disagrees, claiming that the portrait is Basil’s masterpiece. Dorian arrives at the studio, and Basil
reluctantly introduces him to Lord Henry, who he fears will have a damaging influence on the
impressionable, young Dorian.
Basil’s fears are well founded; before the end of their first conversation, Lord Henry upsets Dorian
with a speech about the transient nature of beauty and youth. Worried that these, his most
impressive characteristics, are fading day by day, Dorian curses his portrait, which he believes will
one day remind him of the beauty he will have lost. In a fit of distress, he pledges his soul if only the
painting could bear the burden of age and infamy, allowing him to stay forever young. After Dorian’s
outbursts, Lord Henry reaffirms his desire to own the portrait; however, Basil insists the portrait
belongs to Dorian.
Over the next few weeks, Lord Henry’s influence over Dorian grows stronger. The youth becomes a
disciple of the “new Hedonism” and proposes to live a life dedicated to the pursuit of pleasure. He
falls in love with Sibyl Vane, a young actress who performs in a theatre in London’s slums. He adores
her acting; she, in turn, refers to him as “Prince Charming” and refuses to heed the warnings of her
brother, James Vane, that Dorian is no good for her. Overcome by her emotions for Dorian, Sibyl
decides that she can no longer act, wondering how she can pretend to love on the stage now that
she has experienced the real thing. Dorian, who loves Sibyl because of her ability to act, cruelly
breaks his engagement with her. After doing so, he returns home to notice that his face in Basil’s
portrait of him has changed: it now sneers. Frightened that his wish for his likeness in the painting to
bear the ill effects of his behaviour has come true and that his sins will be recorded on the canvas, he
resolves to make amends with Sibyl the next day. The following afternoon, however, Lord Henry
brings news that Sibyl has killed herself. At Lord Henry’s urging, Dorian decides to consider her death
a sort of artistic triumph—she personified tragedy—and to put the matter behind him. Meanwhile,
Dorian hides his portrait in a remote upper room of his house, where no one other than he can
watch its transformation.

10
Lord Henry gives Dorian a book that describes the wicked exploits of a nineteenth-century
Frenchman; it becomes Dorian’s bible as he sinks ever deeper into a life of sin and corruption. He
lives a life devoted to garnering new experiences and sensations with no regard for conventional
standards of morality or the consequences of his actions. Eighteen years pass. Dorian’s reputation
suffers in circles of polite London society, where rumours spread regarding his scandalous exploits.
His peers nevertheless continue to accept him because he remains young and beautiful. The figure in
the painting, however, grows increasingly wizened and hideous. On a dark, foggy night, Basil
Hallward arrives at Dorian’s home to confront him about the rumours that plague his reputation. The
two argue, and Dorian eventually offers Basil a look at his (Dorian’s) soul. He shows Basil the now-
hideous portrait, and Hallward, horrified, begs him to repent. Dorian claims it is too late for penance
and kills Basil in a fit of rage.
In order to dispose of the body, Dorian employs the help of an estranged friend, a doctor, whom he
blackmails. The night after the murder, Dorian makes his way to an opium den, where he encounters
James Vane, who attempts to avenge Sibyl’s death. Dorian escapes to his country estate. While
entertaining guests, he notices James Vane peering in through a window, and he becomes wracked
by fear and guilt. When a hunting party accidentally shoots and kills Vane, Dorian feels safe again. He
resolves to amend his life but cannot muster the courage to confess his crimes, and the painting now
reveals his supposed desire to repent for what it is—hypocrisy. In a fury, Dorian picks up the knife he
used to stab Basil Hallward and attempts to destroy the painting. There is a crash, and his servants
enter to find the portrait, unharmed, showing Dorian Gray as a beautiful young man. On the floor lies
the body of their master—an old man, horribly wrinkled and disfigured, with a knife plunged into his
heart.

https://www.sparknotes.com/lit/doriangray/summary/

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Flowchart depicting the events of each chapter
CHAPTER 1
Basil and Henry discuss Dorian
Gray, Basil pleads with Henry not
to spoil Dorian. Basil is painting
Dorian’s portrait, smitten by his
looks.
CHAPTER 4
A MONTH LATER...Dorian meets
Henry’s estranged wife Victoria.
Dorian tells Henry about Sibyl;
Henry is pleased with his influence
over the naive Dorian. Dorian gets
engaged
CHAPTER 5
We meet Sibyl’s family (poor and
live in a dodgy home). Her mother
is a downcast actress and brother,
James, a sailor leaving to Australia.
James vows to kill any man that
harms Sibyl
CHAPTER 8
Next morning-the portrait looks crueller.
Dorian feels remorseful and resolves that
he will make amends and marry Sibyl.
She however commits suicide. Initially
distraught, Harry persuades him to
attend an opera that night and he
agrees. He undergoes a transition and
loses all sense of humanity.
12
CHAPTER 2
Henry meets Dorian and encourages
him to live life seeking pleasure. He
becomes aware of his distinctive
beauty. Dorian is influenced and
makes a wish to change places with
the picture to retain his looks.
CHAPTER 3
Henry visits Lord Fermor to study
Dorian’s past. They dine at the
duchess later. Dorian is mesmerised
by Henry, who views him as a social
experiment. He will idolise him
henceforth.
CHAPTER 6
Dorian, Basil and Henry discuss his
engagement to the talented actress.
They will meet later that evening to
watch Sibyl perform. Basil is jealous of
Dorian’s love affair
CHAPTER 7
Sibyl’s performance is terrible to say
the least, so Dorian rejects her. She
begs him to give her another chance
–but, he is cruel and treats her
abominably. He notices a change in
the portrait for the first time
 CHAPTER 9
Basil visits Dorian, horrified to learn of his
indifference to Sibyl’s death. He asks to
view the portrait, Dorian blatantly refuses.
Basil confesses to Dorian his obsession.
Dorian decides to hide away the portrait
in a lockedCHAPTER 12
room upstairs.
CHAPTER 12
18 YEARS LATER- Basil visits Dorian
and warns him of his deteriorating
reputation. Dorian is defensive as
Basil lists the people and incidents of
corruption he has been associated
with. He wishes to see his soul and
Dorian concedes to reveal the
degenerate version of his soul to
Basil.
CHAPTER 13
Basil sees the portrait in its
grotesque form and he becomes
petrified. He begins to pray for
Dorian. In a sudden rage of fit,
Dorian has an impulsive sensation of
hatred and stabs Basil mercilessly.
He sadistically watches his corpse
and pretends to have only arrived
home later by ringing the doorbell
13
CHAPTER 10
Dorian secretively stores away the
portrait, resolving that it will be
destroyed and rot as he sins and seeks
pleasure. He evades an article on Sibyl’s
death and fixates his attention on a
CHAPTER
poisonous 11 book” gifted by Lord
“Yellow
Henry
CHAPTER 11
Dorian is entranced by the yellow
book. Years pass by .He lives life
engaging in various sensational
pleasures, with no inhibition. He
explores religion, artistic factors like
perfumes, embroideries, poetry,
music, different cultures and crafts.
Rumours surface about his immoral
existence, yet this is ignored and
trivialised by society as he retains his
beauty and the portrait becomes
grotesque. He becomes horrified at
its very sight and lives in paranoia
that someone may discover his dark
CHAPTER 14
Dorian blackmails Alan Campbell
by threatening to reveal a great
secret about him and he agrees to
dispose of Basil’s body. Dorian is
relieved and burns Basil’s
possessions.

CHAPTER 16
He is psychologically haunted and looks
for escapism. He sees a youth he has
corrupted, Adrian Singleton and this
disturbs him further.
CHAPTER 20A courtesan refers
to him as ‘Prince Charming’ which alerts
a young sailor, James Vane. Vane
attacks Dorian but Dorian is saved by
the skin of his teeth when he is able to
manoeuvre the situation by claiming to
be too young. Vane later learns the
truth after Dorian escapes him
CHAPTER 17
Dorian is at his guest house in
Selby entertaining guests, he
excuses himself from the
gathering. Lord Henry is criticised
for his emphasis on beauty. Dorian
faints, remembering that he saw
James’s face in a window.
CHAPTER 20
When Dorian realises that the
picture is unchanged even after
he spares young Hetty, he
becomes distraught. He takes a
knife and stabs the portrait. His
old wrinkled body is later
discovered by servants. The
portrait is returned to its former
glory.
14
CHAPTER 15
Dorian attends a tedious party at Lady
Narboroughs. He seems troubled and
highly disillusioned. He snaps at Lord
Henry about his whereabouts
CHAPTER 19 the
previous night and returns home. He
burns Basil’s possessions and draws a
canister of opium. He leaves at midnight
and visits London’s opium dens.
CHAPTER 18
Dorian is terrified of fearful visuals.
He stays indoors but leaves on the
third day to go hunting. James is
accidentally killed and Dorian feels
triumphant and relieved at his
death
CHAPTER 19
Dorian attempts to reform his life,
he tells Lord Henry that he had
recently spared a young girl by the
name of Hetty. They argue over the
issue of the soul, but Henry insists
that Dorian is beyond redemption.
When asked about whether he
would believe that Dorian could
murder Basil, he says this would not
be possible. He refuses to accept
the influence of art on an individual.
He later invites Dorian over to visit
the next day.
Characters in Dorian Gray
The main characters in the novel constitute the basis of the themes in the novel.
It is important to note the influence of each character on the other.
Further, in order to develop a critical view, learners must master the roles and be able to formulate
logical arguments to defend and support each character. Below are some character sketches of the
prominent characters in the novel

Dorian Gray

At the opening of the novel, Dorian Gray exists as something of an ideal: he is the archetype of male
youth and beauty. As such, he captures the imagination of Basil Hallward, a painter, and Lord Henry
Wotton, a nobleman who imagines fashioning the impressionable Dorian into an unremitting
pleasure-seeker. Dorian is exceptionally vain and becomes convinced, in the course of a brief
conversation with Lord Henry, that his most salient characteristics—his youth and physical
attractiveness—are ever waning. The thought of waking one day without these attributes sends
Dorian into a tailspin: he curses his fate and pledges his soul if only he could live without bearing the
physical burdens of aging and sinning. He longs to be as youthful and lovely as the masterpiece that
Basil has painted of him, and he wishes that the portrait could age in his stead. His vulnerability and
insecurity in these moments make him excellent clay for Lord Henry’s willing hands.
Dorian soon leaves Basil’s studio for Lord Henry’s parlour, where he adopts the tenets of “the new
Hedonism” and resolves to live his life as a pleasure-seeker with no regard for conventional morality.
His relationship with Sibyl Vane tests his commitment to this philosophy: his love of the young
actress nearly leads him to dispense with Lord Henry’s teachings, but his love proves to be as shallow
as he is. When he breaks Sibyl’s heart and drives her to suicide, Dorian notices the first change in his
portrait—evidence that his portrait is showing the effects of age and experience while his body
remains ever youthful. Dorian experiences a moment of crisis, as he weighs his guilt about his
treatment of Sibyl against the freedom from worry that Lord Henry’s philosophy has promised. When
Dorian decides to view Sibyl’s death as the achievement of an artistic ideal rather than a needless
tragedy for which he is responsible, he starts down the steep and slippery slope of his own demise.
As Dorian’s sins grow worse over the years, his likeness in Basil’s portrait grows more hideous. Dorian
seems to lack a conscience, but the desire to repent that he eventually feels illustrates that he is
indeed human. Despite the beautiful things with which he surrounds himself, he is unable to distract
himself from the dissipation of his soul. His murder of Basil marks the beginning of his end: although
in the past he has been able to sweep infamies from his mind, he cannot shake the thought that he
has killed his friend. Dorian’s guilt tortures him relentlessly until he is forced to do away with his
portrait. In the end, Dorian seems punished by his ability to be influenced: if the new social order
celebrates individualism, as Lord Henry claims, Dorian falters because he fails to establish and live by
his own moral code.
Basil Hallward

Basil Hallward is a talented, though somewhat conventionally minded, painter. His love for Dorian
Gray changes the way he sees art; indeed, it defines a new school of expression for him. Basil’s
portrait of Dorian marks a new phase of his career. Before he created this masterwork, he spent his
time painting Dorian in the veils of antiquity—dressed as an ancient soldier or as various romantic
figures from mythology. Once he has painted Dorian as he truly is, however, he fears that he has put
too much of himself into the work. He worries that his love, which he himself describes as “idolatry,”
is too apparent, and that it betrays too much of himself. Though he later changes his mind to believe
that art is always more abstract than one thinks and that the painting thus betrays nothing except

15
form and colour, his emotional investment in Dorian remains constant. He seeks to protect Dorian,
voicing his objection to Lord Henry’s injurious influence over Dorian and defending Dorian even after
their relationship has clearly dissolved. Basil’s commitment to Dorian, which ultimately proves fatal,
reveals the genuineness of his love for his favourite subject and his concern for the safety and
salvation of Dorian’s soul.

Lord Henry Wotton

Lord Henry is a man possessed of “wrong, fascinating, poisonous, delightful theories.” He is a

charming talker, a famous wit, and a brilliant intellect. Given the seductive way in which he leads
conversation, it is little wonder that Dorian falls under his spell so completely. Lord Henry’s theories
are radical; they aim to shock and purposefully attempt to topple established, untested, or
conventional notions of truth. In the end, however, they prove naïve, and Lord Henry himself fails to
realize the implications of most of what he says.
Lord Henry is a relatively static character—he does not undergo a significant change in the course of
the narrative. He is as coolly composed, unshakable, and possessed of the same dry wit in the final
pages of the novel as he is upon his introduction. Because he does not change while Dorian and Basil
clearly do, his philosophy seems amusing and enticing in the first half of the book, but improbable
and shallow in the second. Lord Henry muses in Chapter Nineteen, for instance, that there are no
immoral books; he claims that “[t]he books that the world calls immoral are books that show the
world its own shame.” But since the decadent book that Lord Henry lends Dorian facilitates Dorian’s
downfall, it is difficult to accept what Lord Henry says as true.
Although Lord Henry is a self-proclaimed hedonist who advocates the equal pursuit of both moral
and immoral experience, he lives a rather staid life. He participates in polite London society and
attends parties and the theatre, but he does not indulge in sordid behaviour. Unlike Dorian, he does
not lead innocent youths to suicide or travel incognito to the city’s most despised and desperate
quarters. Lord Henry thus has little notion of the practical effects of his philosophy. His claim that
Dorian could never commit a murder because “[c]rime belongs exclusively to the lower orders”
demonstrates the limitations of his understanding of the human soul. It is not surprising, then, that
he fails to appreciate the profound meaning of Dorian’s downfall.

Sibyl Vane - A poor, beautiful, and talented actress with whom Dorian falls in love. Sibyl’s love for
Dorian compromises her ability to act, as her experience of true love in life makes her realize the
falseness of affecting emotions onstage.

James Vane - Sibyl’s brother, a sailor bound for Australia. James cares deeply for his sister and
worries about her relationship with Dorian. Distrustful of his mother’s motives, he believes that Mrs.
Vane’s interest in Dorian’s wealth disables her from properly protecting Sibyl. As a result, James is
hesitant to leave his sister.

Mrs. Vane - Sibyl and James’s mother. Mrs. Vane is a faded actress who has consigned herself and
her daughter to a tawdry theatre company, the owner of which has helped her to pay her debts. She
conceives of Dorian Gray as a wonderful alliance for her daughter because of his wealth; this ulterior
motive, however, clouds her judgment and leaves Sibyl vulnerable.

Alan Campbell - Once an intimate friend, Alan Campbell is one of many promising young men who
have severed ties with Dorian because of Dorian’s sullied reputation.

Lady Agatha - Lord Henry’s aunt. Lady Agatha is active in charity work in the London slums.

16
Lord Fermor - Lord Henry’s irascible uncle. Lord Fermor tells Henry the story of Dorian’s parentage.
Duchess of Monmouth - A pretty, bored young noblewoman who flirts with Dorian at his country
estate.
Victoria Wotton - Lord Henry’s wife. Victoria appears only once in the novel, greeting Dorian as he
waits for Lord Henry. She is described as an untidy, foolishly romantic woman with “a perfect mania
for going to church.”
Victor - Dorian’s servant. Although Victor is a trustworthy servant, Dorian becomes suspicious of him
and sends him out on needless errands to ensure that he does not attempt to steal a glance at
Dorian’s portrait.
Mrs. Leaf - Dorian Gray’s housekeeper. Mrs. Leaf is a bustling older woman who takes her work
seriously.

SOURCE:

https://www.sparknotes.com/lit/doriangray/characters/

17
Themes in Dorian Gray

Themes

Themes are the fundamental and often universal ideas explored in a literary work.

The Purpose of Art

When the Picture of Dorian Gray was first published in Lippincott’s Monthly Magazine in 1890, it was
decried as immoral. In revising the text, the following year, Wilde included a preface, which serves as
a useful explanation of his philosophy of art. The purpose of art, according to this series of epigrams,
is to have no purpose. In order to understand this, claim fully, one needs to consider the moral
climate of Wilde’s time and the Victorian sensibility regarding art and morality. The Victorians
believed that art could be used as a tool for social education and moral enlightenment, as illustrated
in works by writers such as Charles Dickens and George Gissing. The aestheticism movement, of
which Wilde was a major proponent, sought to free art from this responsibility. The aestheticists
were motivated as much by a contempt for bourgeois morality—a sensibility embodied in Dorian
Gray by Lord Henry; whose every word seems designed to shock the ethical certainties of the
burgeoning middle class—as they were by the belief that art need not possess any other purpose
than being beautiful.
If this philosophy informed Wilde’s life, we must then consider whether his only novel bears it out.
The two works of art that dominate the novel—Basil’s painting and the mysterious yellow book that
Lord Henry gives Dorian—are presented in the vein more of Victorian sensibilities than of aesthetic
ones. That is, both the portrait and the French novel serve a purpose: the first acts as a type of
mysterious mirror that shows Dorian the physical dissipation his own body has been spared, while
the second acts as something of a road map, leading the young man farther along the path toward
infamy. While we know nothing of the circumstances of the yellow book’s composition, Basil’s state
of mind while painting Dorian’s portrait is clear. Later in the novel, he advocates that all art be
“unconscious, ideal, and remote.” His portrait of Dorian, however, is anything but. Thus, Basil’s initial
refusal to exhibit the work results from his belief that it betrays his idolization of his subject. Of
course, one might consider that these breaches of aesthetic philosophy mould The Picture of Dorian
Gray into something of a cautionary tale: these are the prices that must be paid for insisting that art
reveals the artist or a moral lesson. But this warning is, in itself, a moral lesson, which perhaps
betrays the impossibility of Wilde’s project. If, as Dorian observes late in the novel, the imagination
orders the chaos of life and invests it with meaning, then art, as the fruit of the imagination, cannot
help but mean something. Wilde may have succeeded in freeing his art from the confines of Victorian
morality, but he has replaced it with a doctrine that is, in its own way, just as restrictive.

18
The Supremacy of Youth and Beauty
The first principle of aestheticism, the philosophy of art by which Oscar Wilde lived, is that art serves
no other purpose than to offer beauty. Throughout the Picture of Dorian Gray, beauty reigns. It is a
means to revitalize the wearied senses, as indicated by the effect that Basil’s painting has on the
cynical Lord Henry. It is also a means of escaping the brutalities of the world: Dorian distances
himself, not to mention his consciousness, from the horrors of his actions by devoting himself to the
study of beautiful things—music, jewels, rare tapestries. In a society that prizes beauty so highly,
youth and physical attractiveness become valuable commodities. Lord Henry reminds Dorian of as
much upon their first meeting, when he laments that Dorian will soon enough lose his most precious
attributes. In Chapter Seventeen, the Duchess of Monmouth suggests to Lord Henry that he places
too much value on these things; indeed, Dorian’s eventual demise confirms her suspicions. For
although beauty and youth remain of utmost importance at the end of the novel—the portrait is,
after all, returned to its original form—the novel suggests that the price one must pay for them is
exceedingly high. Indeed, Dorian gives nothing less than his soul.

The Superficial Nature of Society

It is no surprise that a society that prizes beauty above all else is a society founded on a love of
surfaces. What matters most to Dorian, Lord Henry, and the polite company they keep is not
whether a man is good at heart but rather whether he is handsome. As Dorian evolves into the
realization of a type, the perfect blend of scholar and socialite, he experiences the freedom to
abandon his morals without censure. Indeed, even though, as Basil warns, society’s elite question his
name and reputation, Dorian is never ostracized. On the contrary, despite his “mode of life,” he
remains at the heart of the London social scene because of the “innocence” and “purity of his face.”
As Lady Narborough notes to Dorian, there is little (if any) distinction between ethics and
appearance: “you are made to be good—you look so good.”

The Negative Consequences of Influence

The painting and the yellow book have a profound effect on Dorian, influencing him to
predominantly immoral behaviour over the course of nearly two decades. Reflecting on Dorian’s
power over Basil and deciding that he would like to seduce Dorian in much the same way, Lord Henry
points out that there is “something terribly enthralling in the exercise of influence.” Falling under the
sway of such influence is, perhaps, unavoidable, but the novel ultimately censures the sacrifice of
one’s self to another. Basil’s idolatry of Dorian leads to his murder, and Dorian’s devotion to Lord
Henry’s hedonism and the yellow book precipitate his own downfall. It is little wonder, in a novel
that prizes individualism—the uncompromised expression of self—that the sacrifice of one’s self,
whether it be to another person or to a work of art, leads to one’s destruction.

SOURCE:

https://www.sparknotes.com/lit/doriangray/themes/

19
Notes on Aestheticism

SOURCE:

(“O’Brien, Shane, “Aestheticism in Oscar Wilde’s, The Picture of Dorian Gray.” Scribbling Shane. Feb
28, 2011. DATE ACCESSED.). adapted and edited.
Oscar Wilde’s novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray is perhaps the most prominent example of
aestheticism in nineteenth century literature. Wilde’s characters, Dorian Gray and Lord Henry both
live the lives of an aesthete. Wilde himself is anti-Victorian morality, and through this work, rejects
the idea of Art as didactic.

Focusing on the idea of pleasure and beauty, Wilde’s main character, Dorian Gray, lives a life of pure
pleasure, free from moralizing, and becomes interested only in that which is beautiful: “Live! Live the
wonderful life that is in you! Let nothing be lost upon you. Be always searching for new sensations.
Be afraid of nothing…A new Hedonism-that is what our century wants” (63). This is the advice given
to Dorian by Lord Henry, one of Wilde’s characters. He believes that pleasure is the highest aim for
human life. Also, , Lord Henry says,
Beauty if a form of Genius […] People say sometimes that Beauty is only superficial. That may be so.
But at least it is not so superficial as Thought is. To me, Beauty is the wonder of wonders. It is only
shallow people who do not judge by appearances. The true mystery of the world is the visible, not
the invisible… (62)

Wilde is encouraging the idea that beauty is not something which can be experienced logically,
through thought. It must be experienced aesthetically, and to do so one must simply experience
beauty through its pleasures. There is a “mystery” in what is beautiful, because it is just experienced
as something which pleases; It is not something which can be understood through reasoning.
“Beautiful art is art of genius” (186).

The language of certain characters, particularly the paradoxical and whimsical language of Lord
Henry, is the ‘form’ of Wilde’s art, and this form does not serve a purpose of an ends. It does not
educate, but rather seems to just exist to please its reader. Lord Henry does not say things with a
point or reason, he just communicates whatever he feels like saying on any given subject. The man
even aestheticizes a woman’s suicide: “Someone has killed herself for love of you. I wish that I had
ever had such an experience. It would make me in love with love for the rest of my life. The people
who have adored me […] have always insisted on living on, long after I had ceased to care for them…”
(136). It is important to note that Lord Henry wishes to be in love with love itself, not a person, and
looks at the suicide with an emotional detachment, totally disinterested in outcome or reason. Even
the sexuality of Lord Henry and Dorian Gray is aesthetic. This novel is riddled with coded
homosexuality. Because homosexuality was criminalized at the time Wilde wrote the novel, it is
never directly addressed, but is frequently alluded to. Homosexuality itself is very aesthetic. It is very
much pleasure for pleasures sake. There is only a purpose in the form, there is no real concept
because there is no reason for two men to have sex other than for pleasure; procreation is
impossible. Therefore, homosexuality is non utilitarian pleasure for pleasures sake.
Sibyl Vane, the woman who eventually kills herself when her love goes unrequited, first catches the
attention of Dorian Gray when he sees her perform at the theatre. Dorian immediately falls in love
with her, when he sees her as Art:

“To-night she is Imogen […] and tomorrow night she will be Juliet”
“When is she Sibyl Vane?” Lord Henry asks.
“Never” (93).

20
To Dorian, Sibyl is her performance. She is the Art, not a person. Once he realizes that she is simply
Art imitating life (a performer acting out a role), Dorian rejects her. In doing so he rejects the realistic
art form in favour of aesthetic art. The rejection of ‘art imitating life’ is an underlying theme
throughout-the-entire novel. After realizing his own beauty, Dorian wishes that the beautiful portrait
of himself would age, while he remains beautiful forever. From that point forward, the portrait
becomes the one to age and show physical manifestations of Dorian’s sins. Dorian, meanwhile,
maintains his youth and good looks. However, the portrait restores the aesthetic ideal by ceasing to
reflect Life: Dorian is killed when he stabs the painting, and the portrait is restored to its original
beauty.

Looking at Oscar Wilde’s, The Picture of Dorian Gray, it is obvious that he studied aesthetic theory.
Wilde creates his main characters as aesthetes, and he himself puts a strong emphasis on pure-
sensory response to his work, rejecting the idea of a “moral” filter. A moral filter would make his
novel a didactic text, and if his novel was intended to teach, it would be purposive. Wilde even kills
two of his characters as a means of restoring an aesthetic ideal, and destroys any art which mimics
life.

21
Sample Essay:

What role does Sibyl Vane play in The Portrait of Dorian Gray?
Wilde takes pains to establish Sibyl Vane as a multidimensional character with ambitions, allegiances,
and a past. Yet to Dorian, she is merely a source of entertainment, an ornament that quickly loses its
shine. Like Sibyl, several other characters serve only to amuse Dorian, suffering tragic fates when
their moments of usefulness have passed. Sibyl is the ultimate example of what Wilde sees as a
widespread human flaw: the habit of conflating people and art, the error of thinking that our friends
and neighbours are merely colourful backdrops in the spectacle of our own lives.
Despite her brief appearance in Dorian Gray, Sibyl is among the most fully realized of Wilde’s
characters. Wilde takes a rare detour from his long descriptions of Dorian’s thoughts and Henry’s
inexhaustible witticisms to relate the story of young Sibyl and place her in the context of a troubled,
noisy family. Sibyl’s mother reveals that Sibyl is illegitimate—a fact, she worries, that will turn Dorian
away. Sibyl’s brother also frets about her future and reminds her of her family’s shaky finances.
Wilde endows Sibyl with great theatrical talent and a heartbreaking passion in her earnest love for
Dorian, her “Prince Charming.” By the end of Sibyl’s chapter, we have a fuller understanding of and
deeper sympathy for Sibyl than we can claim for many of the more prominent characters in the
novel.
The subtlety of Wilde’s portrait makes Dorian’s relations with Sibyl all the more disturbing. Dorian
rejects Sibyl as soon as her theatrical talents falter. Sitting alongside Henry and Basil at one of Sibyl’s
performances, Dorian observes with horror that Sibyl is merely a mediocre actress. He rejects Basil’s
claim that he should continue to support Sibyl simply because of his love for her. He tacitly agrees
with Henry that love, like art, is merely a form of imitation. (Wilde makes the implicit point that, by
imitating her shallow beloved, Sibyl has become sloppy and cynical in her art.) Sibyl unintentionally
exposes the depths of Dorian’s self-absorption. Indeed, her very name alludes to the ancient
prophetesses, the Sibyls, suggesting that she foreshadows Dorian’s all-encompassing vanity. Dorian
overlooks Sibyl’s tenderness, hopes, and personal history—all of the qualities that make her
human—and discards her simply because she has ceased to amuse him.
After Sibyl, several other secondary characters fall prey to Dorian’s careless vanity. Alan Campbell
has intellectual promise and a romantic connection with Dorian, yet in Dorian’s eyes, he is merely a
means by which Basil’s corpse can be eliminated. Like Sibyl, Alan commits suicide after his
entanglement with Dorian. Even Basil, whose love for Dorian inspired great works of art, ceases to
have worth for Dorian when he becomes uninteresting. Dorian does not hesitate to kill him. Hetty
Merton is a grotesque feather in Dorian’s cap. Dorian thinks he has acted nobly by severing relations
before he can corrupt her, but he fails to admit that he lacks an interest in her inner life. Again, and
again, human beings become trophies for Dorian, sparkling statuettes that he can cast aside when his
mind wanders.
By adding Sibyl to this array of tragic characters, Wilde emphasizes the human potential to treat
friends as experiments or sources of momentary interest. He shows us Sibyl’s hopes and fears and
turns her into a compelling human being. He then flattens her under the weight of Dorian’s insecurity
and narcissism. After Sibyl, Wilde presents Alan, Basil, and Hetty, all victims of the same limitless
callousness. With his series of brief, unforgettable tragedies, Wilde urges us to think more carefully
about the emotional and spiritual lives of our friends.

SOURCE:

https://www.sparknotes.com/lit/doriangray/a-plus-essay/

22
NB: The following would serve as a great read for the educator, but not perhaps for the learner

Essay: The Picture of Dorian Gray: Corruption Through Aestheticism

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde is the story of moral corruption by the means of
aestheticism. In the novel, the well-meaning artist Basil Hallward presents young Dorian Gray with a
portrait of himself. After conversing with cynical Lord Henry Wotton, Dorian makes a wish which
dreadfully affects his life forever. “If it were I who was to be always young, and the picture that was
to grow old! For that I would give everything! Yes, there is nothing in the whole world I would not
give! I would give my soul for that” (Wilde 109). As it turns out, the devil that Dorian sells his soul to
is Lord Henry Wotton, who exists not only as something external to Dorian, but also as a voice within
him (Bloom 107). Dorian continues to lead a life of sensuality which he learns about in a book given
to him by Lord Henry. Dorian’s unethical devotion to pleasure becomes his way of life.
The novel underscores its disapproval of aestheticism which negatively impacts the main characters.
Each of the three primary characters is an aesthete and meets some form of terrible personal doom.
Basil Hallward’s aestheticism is manifested in his dedication to his artistic creations. He searches in
the outside world for the perfect manifestation of his own soul, when he finds this object, he can
create masterpieces by painting it (Bloom 109).
He refuses to display the portrait of Dorian Gray with the explanation that, “I have put too much of
myself into it” (Wilde 106). He further demonstrates the extent to which he holds this philosophy by
later stating that, “only the artist is truly revealed” (109).
Lord Henry Wotton criticizes Basil Hallward that, “An artist should create beautiful things but should
put nothing of his own life into them” (Wilde 25). Ironically, the purpose of Basil Hallward’s existence
is that he is an aesthete striving to become one with his art (Eriksen 105). It is this very work of art
which Basil refuses to display that provides Dorian Gray with the idea that there are no
consequences to his actions. Dorian has this belief in mind when he murders Basil. Here we see that
the artist is killed for his excessive love of physical beauty; the same art that he wished to merge with
is the cause of his mortal downfall (Juan 64).
Lord Henry Wotton, the most influential man in Dorian’s life, is an aesthete of the mind. Basil is an
artist who uses a brush while Wotton is an artist who uses words:
There is no good, no evil, no morality and immorality; there are modes of being. To live is to
experiment aesthetically in living to experiment all sensations, to know all emotions, and to think all
thoughts, in order that the self’s every capacity may be imaginatively realized (West 5811).
Lord Henry believes that, “it is better to be beautiful than to be good” (Wilde 215). Although he
attests that aestheticism is a mode of thought, he does not act on his beliefs. Basil Hallward accuses
him saying, “You never say a moral thing and you never do a wrong thing” (5). However, Lord Henry
does take the immoral action of influencing Dorian.
Although Lord Henry states that, “all influence is immoral” (Wilde 18), he nonetheless drastically
changes Dorian Gray. As Dorian acts on the beliefs of Lord Henry, the portrait’s beauty becomes
corrupted. “Lord Henry presents Dorian with the tenants of his New Hedonism; whose basis is self-
development leading to the perfect realization of one’s nature” (Eriksen 97). If Lord Henry’s aesthetic
ideas have validity, Dorian Gray’s portrait should not become ugly, but rather more beautiful. Since
the picture becomes loathsome, it is evident that Lord Henry’s beliefs are untrue (West 5811). Dorian
becomes so disgusted with the horrible portrait that he slashes the canvas, and the knife pierces his
own heart. Because Lord Henry is responsible for influencing Dorian Gray, he is partly the cause of
the death of Dorian (5810).
While Lord Henry is indirectly the cause of Dorian’s death, he too causes his own downfall. Lord
Henry changes Dorian with the belief that morals have no legitimate place in life. He gives Dorian a
book about a man who seeks beauty in evil sensations. Both Lord Henry’s actions and thoughts prove

23
ruinous, as his wife leaves him and the remaining focus of his life, youthful Dorian Gray, kills himself
in an attempt to further the lifestyle suggested to him by Lord Henry. Eventually, he is left destitute,
without Dorian, the art he so cherishes, because he tried to mould it, as dictated by aestheticism.
Of all the protagonists, Dorian’s downfall is the most clearly recognized. A young man who was pure
at the beginning of the novel becomes depraved by the influence of Lord Henry. “He grew more and
more enamoured of his own beauty, more and more interested in the corruption of his own soul”
(Bloom 121). He begins to lead a life of immorality, including the murder of his dear friend Basil
Hallward. “There were moments when he looked on evil simply as a mode through which he could
realize his conception of beautiful” (Wilde 196). However, there is still a spark of good left in Dorian.
He lashes out at his twisted mentor, Lord Henry, declaring, “I can’t bear this Henry! You mock at
everything, and then suggest the most serious tragedies” (173). This trace of goodness is not enough
to save Dorian, for he has crossed too far towards the perverted side of aestheticism and cannot
escape it. “Dorian experiments with himself and with men and women, and watches the experiment
recorded year by year in the fouling and aging corruption of his portrait’s beauty” (West 5811).
Dorian becomes so disgusted with this portrait of his soul and his conscience, that he slashes the
canvas, killing himself. For Dorian, this is the ultimate evil act, the desire to rid himself of all moral
sense. Having failed the attempt to escape through good actions, he decides to escape by
committing the most terrible of crimes. Aestheticism has claimed its final victim.
“Basil Hallward is what I think I am: Lord Henry what the world thinks of me: Dorian Gray what I
would like to be – in other ages, perhaps” (Hart-Davis 352). Because of the endings he creates for
these characters, Oscar Wilde proves that he does not envision himself in the immoral characters of
this story nor is he attempting to promote their lifestyles. Of all the characters whom he creates, he
sees himself as Basil, the good artist who sacrifices himself to fight immorality.
“It was his beauty that had ruined him, his beauty and the youth that he had prayed for” (Wilde 242).
Contrary to Wilde’s claim in the preface that, “there is no such thing as a moral or immoral book”
(vii), this novel has a deep and meaningful purpose. “The moral is that an absence of spirituality, of
faith, of regard for human life, separates individuals like Wilde’s Dorian Gray from humanity and
makes monsters of them” (West 5831).

The Picture of Dorian Gray is a novel including a moral dialogue between conscience and temptation
that is powerfully conveyed. Though it is made to seem an advocate for aestheticism on the surface,
the story ultimately undermines that entire philosophy. Wilde brings the question of “to what extent
are we shaped by our actions” (26). He also demonstrates that “art cannot be a substitute for life”
(Eriksen 104). It is a fantastic tale of hedonism with a moral to be learned and remembered

SOURCE:

https://onlineessays.com/essays/literature/lit175.php

24
Symbolism in Dorian Gray

SOURCE:

(ADAPTED ): https://www.shmoop.com/picture-dorian-gray/symbolism-imagery.html

The Yellow Book

This is a thinly veiled reference to J.K. Huysmans' À Rebours ("Against Nature"), an incredibly
important novel of the Decadent period. In both the original text and Wilde's summary of it, its
incredibly wealthy protagonist devotes his life to seeking as many aesthetic sensations as he can,
regardless of what society says.
This protagonist is a representation of what Dorian could become—a robotic being with no true
emotions and no true relationships—looking for only the next new sensation:
One hardly knew at times whether one was reading the spiritual ecstasies of some mediaeval saint or
the morbid confessions of a modern sinner. It was a poisonous book. The heavy odour of incense
seemed to cling about its pages and to trouble the brain. The mere cadence of the sentences, the
subtle monotony of their music, so full as it was of complex refrains and movements elaborately
repeated, produced in the mind of the lad, as he passed from chapter to chapter, a form of reverie, a
malady of dreaming, that made him unconscious of the falling day and creeping shadows. (10.21)
Upon reading it, Dorian sees aspects of his own life reflected back at him in this character's life.
However, Wilde made some notable changes (like the explicit mention of the protagonist's lost
beauty, which just makes Dorian even more scared that he'll lose his looks) to make it more fitting to
his novel.

Most importantly, the yellow book represents the "poisonous" influence Lord Henry has on Dorian;
Henry gives the book to Dorian as a kind of experiment, and it works horrifyingly well:
There was a horrible fascination in them all. He saw them at night, and they troubled his imagination
in the day. The Renaissance knew of strange manners of poisoning -- poisoning by a helmet and a
lighted torch, by an embroidered glove and a jewelled fan, by a gilded pomander and by an amber
chain. Dorian Gray had been poisoned by a book. There were moments when he looked on evil simply
as a mode through which he could realize his conception of the beautiful. (11.37)
Its hedonistic, decadent message makes it a kind of guide book for Dorian, who lives his whole life in
pursuit of its ideals.
Ultimately, as we're reminded, it's Lord Henry's fault for poisoning Dorian with the book, which
comes to stand in for all of Henry's extravagant, selfish, dangerously seductive philosophical ideas.

The Portrait:

The portrait is a kind of living allegory, a visible interpretation of Dorian's soul. Early in the novel this
painting seems to be infused with nostalgia for lost youth, and the scary frailty of human life:
For there would be a real pleasure in watching it. He would be able to follow his mind into its secret
places. This portrait would be to him the most magical of mirrors. As it had revealed to him his own
body, so it would reveal to him his own soul. And when winter came upon it, he would still be

25
standing where spring trembles on the verge of summer. When the blood crept from its face, and left
behind a pallid mask of chalk with leaden eyes, he would keep the glamour of boyhood. Not one
blossom of his loveliness would ever fade. Not one pulse of his life would ever weaken. Like the gods
of the Greeks, he would be strong, and fleet, and joyous. What did it matter what happened to the
coloured image on the canvas? He would be safe. That was everything. (8.25)
But we can read this symbol, ultimately, as a commentary on the ways in which evil can often be
hidden away from sight. Basically, the picture represents Dorian's inner self, which becomes uglier
with each passing hour and with every crime he commits:
Hour by hour, and week by week, the thing upon the canvas was growing old. It might escape the
hideousness of sin, but the hideousness of age was in store for it. The cheeks would become hollow or
flaccid. Yellow crow's feet would creep round the fading eyes and make them horrible. The hair would
lose its brightness, the mouth would gape or droop, would be foolish or gross, as the mouths of old
men are. There would be the wrinkled throat, the cold, blue-veined hands, the twisted body, that he
remembered in the grandfather who had been so stern to him in his boyhood. The picture had to be
concealed. There was no help for it. (10.14)
This picture is the image of Dorian's true nature and, as his soul becomes increasingly corrupt, its evil
shows up on the surface of the canvas. It seems that Dorian himself isn't completely free of the
picture's influence: as it becomes uglier and uglier, Dorian pretty much loses it. It becomes a kind of
conscience, and it reminds Dorian constantly of the evil at the heart of his nature.

Sex, Drugs and the Opera

These pastimes are symbols of the decadent, hedonistic lifestyle Lord Henry lures Dorian into; they're
all different ways of living through (gasp!) sensory exploration. Opium, scandalous love affairs, and
theatrical spectacle are Dorian's distractions from his conscience, and he indulges in all of them as a
kind of escape.
Lord Henry's philosophy, that we should all give in to what tempts us, is played out in Dorian's
indulgence in all of these luxuriant, sensual pleasures.

26
Areas to Focus on in each chapter (Suggested)

(COMPILED BY: FATHIMA RASSACK- DRAKENSBERG SECONDARY,2019)

Chapter 1

• Note how the introduction focuses on the reader’s sense of vision,smell and feeling.
• Establish the character traits of Basil and Henry.
• Basil reveals his homeo - erotic attraction towards Basil.Concentrate on his descriptions of
Dorian,his idolatry and the influence of Dorian on his art.
• Lord Henry – his witty remarks,cynicism, outlook on life(consider his approach to his
marriage,youth and his view of Basil)
• Basil’s fears of the impact that Lord Henry may have on Dorian

Chapter 2

• Consider Dorian’s first impression of Henry – especially how mesmerised he is by his charm
and philosophies
• Basil’s painting and insistence that Henry initially leaves-WHY
• Discuss how the idea of a hedonistic approach to life entices Dorian
• Lord Henry’s revelation to Dorian about the inevitability of his fading youth and how this
impacts Dorian
• Focus on Dorian’s wish to retain his youth and place an eternal curse upon to the portrait ‘ to
bear the burden of his sins ’
• Learners must be made aware of how Dorian CHOOSES to dine with Henry instead of Basil
and what this signals

Chapter 3

• Account for Lord Henry’s visit and his intense interest in Dorian
• Dorain’s history, his cruel grandfather ,and his parent’s tragic death- Divide of social classes-
Dorian’s father was murdered as he didn’t fit the profile of aristrocratic society.
• Analyse how Lord Henry has considered Dorian as a ‘ social experiment’
• Victorian society- their prejudiced views about American people and how this asserts a
sense of hypocrisy about them.
• Examine Dorian’s fascination of Henry
• Focus on Dorian’s drifting away from Basil and his yearning to be with Henry instead.(ch 9)

Chapter 4

• Discuss Victoria’s character- her poor dress sense ,and more especially focus on the marriage
she has with Henry, their lack of closeness and her indifference to their carefree
flambouyant lifestyles
• Based on Dorain’d descriptions of Sibyl, ascertain how he is more likely obsessed with her
artistic value ,rather than her individuality as a lover( aesthetic appreciation, thereby
rejecting his claims of being in love)
• Note how Dorian ventures into the downtrodden parts of London city to explore and
discover-feel new sensations- as prompted by Lord Henry.
• Dorian steers further away from Basil and yet, Lord Henry is impressed that his intended
influence is working as he notices the transition of the young lad.

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Chapter 5

• Study the society- poorer classes of London as revealed to the reader through Sibyl’s
home,neighbourhood
• Build a character sketch of Sibyl Vane, her mother and brother
• Focus on the bond between the siblings and how this later catalyses events in the novel
• The insinuation of their estranged father being ‘highly connected’ further emphasises the
divide between social classes and its repercussions

Chapter 6

• Analyse Henry and Basil’s reaction to Dorian’s engagement

• Comment on Lord Henry’s remarks on women
• Study Basil’s statement that all he desires is for Dorian to always be happy - Discuss the
extent of truth in the statement.He realises that Dorian has drifted away and there is no
chance of him ever returning.

Chapter 7

• Examine and evaluate the differing reactions of both Basil and Henry to Sibyl’s disappointing
acting.
• Discuss the reasons for Sibyl’s poor performance and her reasoning behind the idea of art
and reality
• Critically analyse Dorian’s treatment of Sibyl-his cruelty, establish her meekness,point out
her flaws.
• Introduce the change in the portrait and the effect it has on him

Chapter 8

• Discuss Dorian’s initial grief and sudden,erratic indifference to Sibyls death

• Consider Lord Henry’s take on Sibyl’s death as a tragic end to a dramatic play, and how he
manages Dorian to so easily convince Dorian to trivialise the issue( Aesthetic value of life)
• Focus on the evolvement of Dorian’s character (his lack of remorse-he decides to attend an
opera)and how this is an indication of his metamorphosis towards his eventual degradation.

Chapter 9

• Basil’s horrified reaction to Dorian’s nonchalance to Sibyl’s death.

• Analyse why Basil manages to excuse Dorian’s inhumane response to Sibyl’s death-
• Construct a character development of Basil ,his gullible attitudeand how he orchestrates his
own downfall by being so naive towards his assessment of Dorian’s character.
• Examine Basil’s confession to Dorian

Chapter 10

• Comment critically on Dorian’s paranoia with regards to the portrait

• Discuss the significance of the changing portrait and the impact it has on Dorian’s life.
• Make note of how Dorian evades the notion of his part in Sibyl’s death-an indication of self
denial and a vile ruthlessness
• Establish the significance of the Yellow Book given to Dorian

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Chapter 11

• Note the passing of time for learners to place events in context

• Summarise the experiences Dorian ventures through and associate them with his aesthetic
beliefs and hedonistic exploits
• Discuss the impact of the YELLOW BOOK and how this alters his life completely
• Carefully examine the Gothic culture prevalent in the chapter and its impact.

Chapter 12

• Note the passing of the 18 YEARS.

• Consider why Dorian attempts to evade Basil
• Analyse Basil’s references to Dorian’s dreadful reputation( these are the only examples of
his sinful, debauched lifestyle)
• Note the characters he ruins, the rumours associated with his name and how they
contribute to his dissipating soul as reflected in the picture
• Focus on how Basil still associates his beauty with him retaining the ‘ white purity of his
boyhood’and dismisses him from the accusations .
• Also analyse the impact of Dorian’s influence on others’ lives
• Discuss the significance of Dorian’s decision to reveal his ‘soul’ to Basil
• Evaluate whether Dorian’s suggestion that Basil is the root of his problems ,is valid.

Chapter 13

• Focus on Basil’s inability to see through Dorian (even though the painting is on the wall-
literally)
• Examine his prayer- his attempt to redeem Dorian to his former self and innocence
• Assess the actions of Dorian mercilessly stabbing Dorian and his lack of remorse
• Note how Dorian diabolically and so calmly rings the doorbell to eradicate his involvement

Chapter 14

• Analyse the indifference of Dorian towards Basil’s death

• Compare his current persona to the young Dorian we meet in chapters 1 and 2.
• Discuss the role of Alan Campbell, exploring the possibilities which may have given Dorian
the fuel to blackmail him
• Focus on Dorians relationship with him and why he could have possibly detested him at that
point.
• Examine Dorian’s sarcasm and attitude towards Alan.

Chapter 15

• Discuss the callousness of Dorian –he attends a party the very next day.
• Concentrate on how the picture and its constant degradation and ugliness tends to reflect
back on Dorian’s conscience.
• Analyse the scene of Dorian burning Basil’ belongings.
• Highlight his desolation and him subsequent ly resorting to opium.

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Chapter 16

• Discuss the significance of Dorian’s trip to the opium dens. – how they represent the ugliness
of his soul and serve as a stark reminder of his reality.
• Mark his inability to ESCAPE his past sins.
• Examine the descriptions of the dodgy area Dorian goes to and relate this to his attempt to
‘cure the soul’
• Critically comment on his mental,emotional, and psychological decline as depicted by his
haunted mind and inner depravity
• Analyse the role of Adrian Singleton and how his corruption is a reminder to Dorian of his
vile, hollow reality.
• Place the scene of Jame’s attack in context tracking back to the earlier chapters in the novel.
• Focus on Dorian’s luck – his narrow escape due to his youthful appearance.

Chapter 17

• Comment on the theme of aestheticism as highlighted by the duchess’ criticism of Lord

Henry’s views on beauty
• Illustrate to learners the idea of social elitism and its effect on the characters.
• Note Dorian’s distracted presence and account for his fainting later on.
• Analyse Dorian’s paranoid behaviour stemming from his encounter with James.

Chapter 18

• Show how Dorian’s life opposes the belief of aestheticists that art serves no deeper purpose.
• Examine the relationship between art and reality by focusing on Lord Henry and Dorian’s
conversation
• Highlight James’ accidental death and discuss the role of destiny as implied by this event.
• Account for Dorian’s relief at James’ death.

Chapter 19

• Focus on Dorian’s attempt to redeem his soul, assess the sensibility of this.
• Comment on Henry’s statement that Dorian is not capable of murdering a man, and his plea
for him to remain as he is.
• Analyse Dorian’s relation about Hetty to Henry- discuss why he possibly and desperately
seeks an escape from his sordid life.
• Draw a similarity between Hetty and Sibyl ,how does she make him crave the innocence he
once had.
• Allow learners the chance to formulate ideas as to why his actions are irrevocable and why
his attempts to reform are in vain.

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Chapter 20

• Analyse the death of Dorian

• Comment oh how it serves as a punishment for his life of hedonism
• Refer to the sneer of the gentlemen when they realise that they heard an outburst outside
Dorian Gray’s house.
• Show how,by killing the portrait, Dorian ends up killing the essence of what he hates-
ie.DORIAN GRAY HIMSELF!!!!

The points above may serve as a guide to develop outcomes

of each lesson as well as to streamline objectives of each
chapter as well.

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Points to Note when Teaching the Novel-FF RASSACK-DRAKENSBERG
SECONDARY
**DO NOT RELY ON THE MOVIE, RESULTS IN TEXTUAL INACCURACY AND WILL CONFUSE
LEARNERS.
• It is important to analyse the plot, themes,symbols,characters and categorise information.
• Class discussions must be geared towards prompting critical analysis instead of mere recall of
information-
This may be achieved by hosting class debates to hone the skill of argumentative writing.
• Learners must practice a variety of questions before the exam, the activities must be
reviewed.
For contextuals:
Learners must be encouraged to disect and sythesise questions,focus on the action words of
the question:
Eg.
Compare and contrast
Discuss
Account for
Substantiate
Place the extract in context
Critically comment
Explain

When teaching the literature essay:

• Ensure that the learner establishes a link and asserts a stance at the outset-a thesis
statement- one which will give the essay structure and direction.
• Teach learners how to quote relevantly for the essay and how to use a scaffolding process.
• Engagement with the topic is almost non -existent as learners merely narrate or
alternatively scatter points around the essay.
• Teach learners to ensure that each point or issue discussed is validated by reference to the
text,not necessarily a quote, but that they may refer to relevant issues or events in the novel.
• Coherence in an essay affects the overall mark, therefore ensure that issues are discussed in
a logical sequence and linking /introductory conjunctions are taught -to be used when
proceeding to the next point/argument/issue.Proper planning eliminates the possibility of a
learner struggling to substantiate a point,therefore, the learner will require the necessary
KNOWLEDGE OF THE TEXT.
• The conclusion must summate the arguments and succinctly leave the writer with a critical
view as presented in the course of the essay.

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 Mind Maps-FF Rassack

Initially young-20 years of

age,profoundly handsome.He is naive
yet noble but soon becomes a
narcissistic,self-obsessed man. Brings
upon a self-inflicted curse,wishing that
Basil's portrait should age and he,retain
his youth.

Strongly infuenced by Lord

Engages in a life of Henry.Belongs to the
debauchery.Later, he aristrocratic society ,he is
regrets his hollow extremely rich. Will eventually
existence:only to realise host elaborate parties for the
through the portrait that he elite and indulges in a
is too immersed in sin.He luxurious life following the
commits suicide
hedonistic culture

DORIAN GRAY
Lives according to the indulgent
principles of aestheticism ,is
extravagant and forsakes his
soul RESULTING IN HIS
DEGENERATION AND ULTIMATE His past reveals a tragic
DOWN FALL story,his parents were
seperated as they were from
different social classes.His
grandfather,Lord Kelso is
portrayed as callous and
inhumane.

Begins to adopt a hedonistic

lifestyle- lives an immoral life
PLAGUED BY SIN..ruins many
others especially
Basil,Sibyl,Adrian Singleton

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 He exerts a strong influence on Dorian,has
little or no regard for moralityl;this
eventually filters into Dorian's nature.Has
little or no respect for women,assumes
that majority are feeble-minded

He is a static character-does not

change in the novel...remains a Has a rich background
thinker and retains his and is well - reputed with
philosophies the elitists in aristrocratic
society

LORD
HENRY
His marriage is a weird one He gives Dorian the Yellow
to Victoria Wotton- They Book:sees him as a social
hardly ever meet.He makes experiment - wants to mould
strange , condescending him into "the lad that was his
remarks about his wife.She own creation"
eventually elopes with a
musician.

A deep philosopher,has a great sense

of humour,extremely witty.He is
charming and poisonous to whoever
he meets, responsible for introducing
Dorian to the hedonistic lifestyle

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A painter- he paints the portrait
of Dorian Gray.Heavily idolises
Dorian, confesses that he has
inspired his art,although he
refuses to exhibit it-as it reaveals
too much of himself
He is the reason Dorian meets Lord
Henry.He warns Henry not to spoil Dorian
but it is to no avail.
He adores Dorian but their relationship
eventually fails and they drift apart

He always seeks to
protect Dorian,voicing
an objection to
BASIL Henry's corruptin of
Dorian
Basil genuinely cares
for Dorian .He can be
HALLWARD
criticised for allowing
him to dominate his
being.He shows a
meekness when he
trusts Dorian blindly.

His naive character orchestrates

his ruthless murder.His
eventual death is a
consequence of his own
foolishness
He attempts to re -instate
Dorian's innocence by
confronting him about his
sins and prays for him to be
redeemed.

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Important Relationships Between Dorian Gray And -

BASIL HALLWARD:

Basil is smitten by Dorian’s handsome face and confesses to being dominated by his existence. His
fatal flaw is that he never allows Dorian to fall in his eyes. He idolises him and paints various pictures
of him. It is obvious that he has a strong romantic inclination towards Dorian Gray. He confesses that
he means everything to him. Dorian inspires him to paint the best artworks he has ever produced. He
is protective of Dorian and tries to protect him from the snares of Henry’s influence. Even when he
finds out about the vices of Dorian’s character, he begs him to deny these. He attempts to redeem
him by praying for him in chapter 13, after warning him about the destructiveness of his decadent
lifestyle. He is the voice used by Wilde to expose the sordid sins that he has engaged in, in Chapter
11. He prays upon seeing the rotting soul of Dorian on the canvas, showing his sincere dedication to
Dorian. He is the ONLY character to see Dorian Gray’s soul-his portrait. Unfortunately, his loyalty and
dedication are never appreciated by Dorian who literally stabs him from the back. Dorian chooses
Lord Henry’s exquisite company over Basil’s mundane lifestyle. He never accedes to his advice and
instead blames him for his downfall. His response to Basil’s death is mortifying, after killing him with
his bare hands, he callously leaves for a party. Basil’s simplicity of nature and his refusal to accept
that Dorian’s good looks cannot mask his degenerate soul, lead him to his eventual destruction.

LORD HENRY:

Lord Henry has an instant magnetic effect on Dorian Gray. He instantly charms him and entices him
to ‘live life to the fullest ‘. He views Dorian as a social experiment, and unlike Basil, he is never
concerned with the transformation from his innocence to a wild and vile, unfeeling character. He
mesmerises Dorian and creates a rift (though unwillingly) between Dorian and Basil. Henry also
displays a sense of romantic attraction towards Dorian. This is evident when his wife, Victoria, claims
that he has seventeen photographs of Dorian. He is indifferent to his influence over Dorian as he
finds him to be an interesting study. He is poisonous to Dorian and introduces him to the philosophy
of Hedonism. He is also responsible for creating a fear of aging in Dorian, by telling him that he will
one day succumb to being old, wrinkled and ugly. He further relishes in the notion of his dominance
over Dorian’s soul. He gifts Dorian the destructive yellow book and sadistically takes pleasure in
analysing his metamorphosis. It must be noted that his actions are never immoral and there is no
evidence of him ever living out his theoretical aspirations. We see this lack of insight in him, when he
asserts that Dorian would never be capable of murdering a man due to his enchanting looks. It is
clear that his perception of life is narrowed by his over-philosophical nature.
Dorian is entirely robotised by his charm and fascinated by his theories. He never realises the
poisonous effects of Henry’s words and when he finally does, it is too late for him to seek
redemption. Towards the latter part of the novel Dorian struggles with his reality, and does not find
it in him to confess his fears to Henry. His gnawing conscience leads him to the Opium Dens alone
and isolated. This affirms that, contrary to Henry’s statements earlier, he will not tell him everything.

SIBYL VANE:

Sibyl belongs to a completely different social class. Her attraction to Dorian may be justifiably seen as
a superficial one –she never knows his real name. She was once talented, which was all that
interested Dorian, he was only attracted to her aesthetic value- her outward appearance and
moreover, her acting ability. The fact that he never bothers to ascertain her past, confirms that he
was merely infatuated by her charisma and beauty. Sibyl’s actions are questionable when it comes to
her relationship with Dorian- she accepted his proposal yet only knew him as ‘Prince charming’. Her

36
frailty is highlighted in her submissive reaction to Dorian’s insults and torments. She may be deemed
as a naive and gullible character, yet we cannot help but empathise with her .Wilde establishes her
sweet, gentle nature by showing her lovingness towards her brother James. Worse than his
treatment of her, is Dorian’s lack of compassion to her death. He is callous and forgets her existence
that very night, this marks the mystical change in his portrait reflecting his cruelty. Even though he
does display a slight sense of remorse the next morning after rejecting the ‘trampled flower’ it is far
too short lived to stand in his defence. He accepts Lord’s Henry’s suggestion to treat her suicide as an
artistic tool of tragedy and moves on immediately. He does however, later on, become haunted by
her memories. We see this in Chapter 19, when he compares the humble and gentle Hetty to Sibyl
Vane. We are also reminded of her link to his past when James Vane returns.

ALAN CAMPBELL:

Alan is a representation of how society and their prejudices dictate the outcomes of one’s life. It is
only logical to conclude that Dorian Gray was able to blackmail him as his sexuality would have
caused him to be ostracised by society at the time. He was an individual confined by the hypocritical
laws enforced on him and was thus led to commit a sin he felt so uncomfortable with, that it
eventually led him to commit suicide. He further serves as a symbol of Dorian’s corruptive influence
as they once were inseparable and he now detests him.

(FF RASSACK-DRAKENSBERG SECONDARY)

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Points to Note
The Theme of Art:
• The portrait
• The yellow book
• Sibyl’s death is viewed as an artistic expression
• Chapter 11- Dorian explores aesthetic and sensual pleasure by exploring
Different facets of art- music, crafts , embroideries, poetry etc.
• Aestheticism and the obsession with art by the aristocrats
• Art is seen as a representation of an individual, defying the aesthetic view that
‘art was for art’s sake’

Influence:
• Dorian’s influence on Basil
• Dorian’s influence on Basil’s art
• Henry’s influence on Dorian
• Dorian’s influence on Henry
• The influence of the portrait on Dorian
• The influence of the yellow book on Dorian
• Dorian’s influence on Sibyl’s artistic abilities
• Dorians influence on Alan Campbell
• Dorian’s influence over Adrian Singleton
• The influence of Dorian over London society
• Dorian’s influence on Hetty
• Dorian’s influence on
- Lady Gwendolen
- The duke’s son
- Sir Henry Ashton
- The boy in the Guards that commits suicide

Acknowledgement
All sources have been cited else it has been originally composed by myself.

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