Happy Prince

by Oscar Wilde
Prepared by Mehmet Kürşat Pektaş
CONTENT

• The short biography of the Writer

• The Plot of the Book

• The Main Characters of the Book
• Analysis of the Language

• General Information About the World

and About England at That Time
The short biography of
the Writer

• Born Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie

Wills Wilde on October 16, 1854,
in Dublin, Ireland. An Irish-born
English writer. Wilde was the
leader in the aesthetic movement
that was based on the principle of
art for art's sake
• Educated at the Trinity College in Dublin,  He went on
to study at Oxford. There he excelled in the classics,
wrote poetry and turned the Bohemian lifestyle from
Wilde was a successful playwright and poet. His poetry
was first published in 1881. and led to more successes
and lecture tours. He married 1884 to a wealthy Irish
woman and had two sons. Wilde then devoted himself
to writing exclusively. He wrote some of his most
auspicious works during this time, including The Happy
Prince, The Picture of Dorian Gray, An Ideal Husband,
and The Importance of Being Earnest. A great many of
his plays are being performed on the stage and screen
to this day. his youth into a new wave.
• Wilde died of meningitis on
Nov. 30, 1900.
• A brilliant writer, Oscar Wilde
was before his time. Although
his work was celebrated it lost
its eminence with his
conviction of homosexuality.
 The Plot of the Book

Wilde wrote "The Happy Prince" as a children's story

for his sons. It is an allegory or a literary tool that uses
abstract or fictional characters to represent spiritual or real-
world problems or issues. The story focuses on societal
concerns during the late Victorian era (1820–1914). The
late Victorian era was a time when society was largely
class-based during Queen Victoria's reign in Britain, now
the United Kingdom. "The Happy Prince" shows the upper
class looking down on the lower class.
• Once upon a time there was a statue of a prince in the center of the
country. This statue was the statue of the happy prince. This statue
was loved by everyone. A bird wanted to spend the night with the
Happy Prince while migrating to Egypt. As he curled up next to
him, a few drops fell on him. Then he looked up and saw that the
tears belonged to the happy prince. Then he asked why he was
crying. The statue of the Happy Prince said that he used to not cry
or be sad, so he was nicknamed the Happy Prince. But he said that
he was sad because he saw the misery and ugliness in the country
right now from the top of the country. After that The bird and prince
decidded to help people with statue’s jewels.
The Main Characters
Of The Book

• Happy Prince
• The main character in this story. He
used to live a happy life as a prince
in the royal palace until he dies. A
statue of him is then built and placed
on a tall column high above the city,
where he is able to see all the
ugliness and misery of his city.
• The Swallow
• He is on a journey to Egypt to join his
friends for winter. He fails to go together
with them because he falls in love with
the reed, who then turns out not to be
worth his stay. When he passes by the
statue of the Happy Prince, he decides to
take a break. Seeing the Happy Prince
weep for the poor people, he agrees to be
his messenger and help him give out his
precious ruby, sapphires, and gold leaves
to those in need.
 Analysis of the
Language
• The language of the short story “The Happy Prince” by Oscar Wilde is formal. The style in
the narrative is similar to the style used in the dialogue. Both use no contractions and are
serious and solemn. This shows that the purpose of the story is not to build up characters
with unique voices, but rather to get a message across. The serious tone also denotes that
the author is serious about the topic. The language is also typical of fairy-tales, which
sometimes choose a more solemn style to express their message.
 General Information About the World and About
England at That Time

• Victorian Era:
• The 19th century was one of rapid development and
change, far swifter than in previous centuries. During
this period England changed from a rural, agricultural
country to an urban, industrialised one. This involved
massive dislocation and radically altered the nature of
society. It took many years for both government and
people to adjust to the new conditions.
• Strictly speaking, the Victorian era began in 1837 and
ended with Queen Victoria's death in 1901, but the
period can be stretched to include the years both before
and after these dates, roughly from the Napoleonic
Wars until the outbreak of World War I in 1914.
Thank You