dorian gray essays grade 12

You are using an outdated browser. Please upgrade your browser or activate Google Chrome Frame to improve your experience.

Mind the GAP Study Guide: English HL Literature - The Picture of Dorian Gray

This Mind the Gap study guide helps gr 12 learners to prepare for the end-of-year Grade 12 English Home Language (EHL) Literature exam.

Do you have an educational app, video, ebook, course or eResource?

Contribute to the Western Cape Education Department's ePortal to make a difference.

Home Contact us Terms of Use Privacy Policy Western Cape Government © 2024. All rights reserved.

Home — Essay Samples — Literature — Books — The Picture of Dorian Gray

Essays on The Picture of Dorian Gray

Prompt examples for "the picture of dorian gray" essays, the nature of beauty and corruption.

Discuss the central theme of beauty and corruption in "The Picture of Dorian Gray." How does Dorian Gray's obsession with physical appearance lead to moral decay? Analyze the symbolism of the portrait and its role in the story.

Morality and Consequences

Explore the moral dilemmas faced by the characters in the novel. How do their choices and actions reflect the consequences of their moral beliefs or lack thereof? Analyze the role of Lord Henry's hedonistic philosophy in influencing Dorian's decisions.

The Portrait as a Reflection of the Soul

Analyze the concept of the portrait as a reflection of Dorian's inner self. How does the portrait's transformation mirror Dorian's moral corruption? Discuss the symbolism of the portrait's deteriorating appearance.

The Influence of Society and Peer Pressure

Discuss the influence of society and peer pressure on Dorian Gray's character development. How do societal norms and the expectations of his peers contribute to his descent into decadence? Analyze the role of conformity and rebellion.

Oscar Wilde's Critique of Victorian Society

Examine how Oscar Wilde critiques Victorian society in "The Picture of Dorian Gray." How does the novel challenge conventional moral values, social hypocrisy, and the repression of desires? Discuss Wilde's use of wit and satire.

The Theme of Art and Aestheticism

Analyze the theme of art and aestheticism in the novel. How does Dorian's pursuit of aesthetic experiences and his rejection of morality reflect the aesthetic movement of the late 19th century? Discuss the tension between art and ethics.

Monstrosity in "The Picture of Dorian Gray"

Morality and immorality in a streetcar named desire and the picture of dorian gray, made-to-order essay as fast as you need it.

Each essay is customized to cater to your unique preferences

+ experts online

The Art of Immorality in The Picture of Dorian Gray

A theme of beauty and appearance in the picture of dorian gray, the price of beauty in the picture of dorian gray, the theme of morality and aestheticism in the picture of dorian gray, let us write you an essay from scratch.

• 450+ experts on 30 subjects ready to help
• Custom essay delivered in as few as 3 hours

The Depiction of Double Life in The Picture of Dorian Gray

The symbolic use of art in the picture of dorian gray, analysis of basil and lord henry's influence on dorian gray, understanding the secretive life of characters in the picture of dorian gray, get a personalized essay in under 3 hours.

Expert-written essays crafted with your exact needs in mind

A Look at The Gothic Components in The Picture of Dorian Gray

Depiction of the victorian society in the picture of dorian gray, an unrestrained life of lord henry, personality and mind in the picture of dorian gray, the picture of dorian gray as an immoral book, the significance of locations in the picture of dorian gray, a critical theory in the picture of dorian gray, the representation of london in the picture of dorian gray, the picture of dorian gray as an unconscious image of oscar wilde, the prayer of the scarlet: the allegory genesis and the use of christian symbolism in the picture of dorian gray, the role of names in the picture of dorian gray, connected imagery in the picture of dorian gray and dracula, dorian gray's ending: research of whether wilde ends the book in ambiguity, obsession, destruction and control - a film vs. novel comparison of whiplash and the picture of dorian gray, the image of a sin in literature works as a part of human nature, language liberation in the picture of dorian gray and the strange case of dr. jekyll and mr. hyde, murder and mental breakdown in "the tell-tale heart" and the picture of dorian gray, the idea of imagination in the works of william wordsworth, mary shelley, oscar wilde, and samuel coleridge, an analysis of oscar wilde’s and sarah water’s demonstration of victims and criminals as shown in the picture of dorian and the little stranger, the duality of human nature in dorian gray chapter 11.

1890-1891, Oscar Wilde

Novel; Philosophical fiction

The story begins in the art studio of Basil Hallward, who is discussing a current painting with his witty and amoral friend Lord Henry Wotton. Dorian Gray, the subject of the painting, arrives, and he is fascinated as Henry explains that beauty and youth are fleeting and that he believes one should live life to the fullest by indulging one’s impulses. Dorian declares that he would give his soul if the portrait were to grow old and wrinkled while he remained young and handsome. Basil gives the painting to Dorian, who spends the next 18 years in pursuit of capricious excess and is increasingly drawn to evil.

The Picture of Dorian Gray presents the conflict between good and evil sides of humanity, where individuals are highly influenced and weak against the temptations of youth, love, pleasure and secrecy. This emphasizes the uglier side of a life all about the pursuit of pleasure and beauty.

Dorian Gray, Basil Hallward, Lord Henry "Harry" Wotton, Sibyl Vane, James Vane, Alan Campbell, Lord Fermor, Adrian Singleton, Lord Henry's wife

Wilde's only novel, it was subject to much controversy and criticism in its time. Even bowdlerized, The Picture of Dorian Gray offended the moral sensibilities of British book reviewers, to the extent, in some cases, of saying that Wilde merited prosecution for violating the laws guarding public morality. However, the novel became a classic of English literature and was adapted into a number of films, most notably a 1945 version.

“The books that the world calls immoral are books that show the world its own shame.” “Experience is merely the name men gave to their mistakes.” “Nowadays people know the price of everything and the value of nothing.” “The only way to get rid of temptation is to yield to it.”

1. Baker, H. A. (1969). A tragedy of the artist: the picture of Dorian Gray. Nineteenth-Century Fiction, 24(3), 349-355. (https://www.jstor.org/stable/2932864) 2. Oates, J. C. (1980). " The Picture of Dorian Gray": Wilde's Parable of the Fall. Critical Inquiry, 7(2), 419-428. (https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/abs/10.1086/448106?journalCode=ci) 3. Carroll, J. (2005). Aestheticism, Homoeroticism, and Christian Guilt in The Picture of Dorian Gray. Philosophy and Literature, 29(2), 286-304. (https://muse.jhu.edu/article/189431) 4. Gillespie, M. P. (1995). The Picture of Dorian Gray:" what the world thinks me". (https://philpapers.org/rec/GILTPO-39) 5. Seagroatt, H. (1998). Hard Science, Soft Psychology, and Amorphous Art in The Picture of Dorian Gray. Studies in English Literature, 1500-1900, 38(4), 741-759. (https://www.jstor.org/stable/451096) 6. Davis, M. (2013). Mind and Matter in The Picture of Dorian Gray. Victorian Literature and Culture, 41(3), 547-560. (https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/victorian-literature-and-culture/article/abs/mind-and-matter-in-the-picture-of-dorian-gray/A497BA8F7EFA31781860D48A7E322F36) 7. Rashkin, E. (1997). Art as Symptom: A Portrait of Child Abuse in" The Picture of Dorian Gray". Modern Philology, 95(1), 68-80. (https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/abs/10.1086/392452?journalCode=mp) 8. Paglia, C. (1990). The Beautiful Boy As Destroyer: Wilde's The Picture Of Dorian Gray. In Sexual Personae (pp. 512-530). Yale University Press. (https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.12987/9780300182132-023/html?lang=de) 9. Simion, M. O. (2015). A new hedonism in Oscar Wilde's novel the picture of Dorian Gray. Annals Constantin Brancusi U. Targu Jiu, Letters & Soc. Sci. Series, 55. (https://heinonline.org/HOL/LandingPage?handle=hein.journals/ancnbt2015&div=13&id=&page= ) 10. Keefe, R. (1973). Artist and Model in" The Picture of Dorian Gray". Studies in the Novel, 63-70. (https://www.jstor.org/stable/29531571)

Relevant topics

• Things Fall Apart
• A Rose For Emily
• The Tell Tale Heart
• Of Mice and Men
• Bartleby The Scrivener
• Pride and Prejudice
• Always Running
• Angela's Ashes

By clicking “Check Writers’ Offers”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy . We’ll occasionally send you promo and account related email

No need to pay just yet!

We use cookies to personalyze your web-site experience. By continuing we’ll assume you board with our cookie policy .

• Instructions Followed To The Letter
• Deadlines Met At Every Stage
• Unique And Plagiarism Free

• Ask LitCharts AI
• Discussion Question Generator
• Essay Prompt Generator
• Quiz Question Generator

• Literature Guides
• Poetry Guides
• Shakespeare Translations
• Literary Terms

The Picture of Dorian Gray

Oscar wilde.

Ask LitCharts AI: The answer to your questions

Welcome to the LitCharts study guide on Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray . Created by the original team behind SparkNotes, LitCharts are the world's best literature guides.

The Picture of Dorian Gray: Introduction

The picture of dorian gray: plot summary, the picture of dorian gray: detailed summary & analysis, the picture of dorian gray: themes, the picture of dorian gray: quotes, the picture of dorian gray: characters, the picture of dorian gray: symbols, the picture of dorian gray: literary devices, the picture of dorian gray: quizzes, the picture of dorian gray: theme wheel, brief biography of oscar wilde.

Historical Context of The Picture of Dorian Gray

Other books related to the picture of dorian gray.

• Full Title: The Picture of Dorian Gray
• When Written: Some time between 1889, when the story was commissioned, and 1890
• Where Written: London
• When Published: It was initially published in a magazine called Lippincott’s Monthly in July of 1890.
• Literary Period: Aestheticism
• Genre: Aestheticism, Philosophical Fiction, Gothic Fiction
• Setting: London
• Climax: Dorian becomes so tormented by the portrait that he stabs it with a knife, but when the scene is discovered, it is Dorian himself who lies dead on the floor.
• Antagonist: Dorian and the other characters are surrounded by antagonistic influences, which seem to be a part of day to day life in the high society of London. These influences, fashion, classism, obsessions with aesthetics and reputation are embodied by Lord Henry Wotton, making the man and his ideas seem like the main antagonist of the book.
• Point of View: An omniscient narrator; this narrator guides us in the past tense between one place and another, able to show us the interior workings of the main characters

Extra Credit for The Picture of Dorian Gray

Dorian Gray Syndrome. Dorian Gray’s name still haunts popular culture but it also has a more serious legacy. Dorian Gray Syndrome is now a common term to describe a cluster of narcissistic qualities. It often refers to severe mental illness and can be diagnosed from symptoms reminiscent of Dorian’s in the novel.

The real Dorian? It has been suggested that the inspiration for Dorian Gray was a man called John Gray, who, though very handsome and a good poet, was dropped by Wilde in favor of his new love Lord Alfred Douglas. He apparently signed his love letters “Dorian”, after an ancient tribe called “The Dorians”.

• Quizzes, saving guides, requests, plus so much more.

• No category

Grade-12-English-HL-The-Picture-of-Dorian-Gray-Mind-the-Gap-Study-Guide

Related documents.

Add this document to collection(s)

You can add this document to your study collection(s)

Add this document to saved

You can add this document to your saved list

Suggest us how to improve StudyLib

(For complaints, use another form )

Input it if you want to receive answer

The Picture of Dorian Gray Oscar Wilde

The Picture of Dorian Gray essays are academic essays for citation. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde.

The Picture of Dorian Gray Material

• Study Guide
• Lesson Plan

Join Now to View Premium Content

GradeSaver provides access to 2365 study guide PDFs and quizzes, 11012 literature essays, 2781 sample college application essays, 926 lesson plans, and ad-free surfing in this premium content, “Members Only” section of the site! Membership includes a 10% discount on all editing orders.

The Picture of Dorian Gray Essays

Morality and immorality (the picture of dorian gray and a streetcar named desire) nataniel lessnick, the picture of dorian gray.

The measure of a manâs character is what he would do if he knew he never would be found out.

Thomas Babington

Morality is the very foundation of goodness and the pillar of righteousness. Immorality, however, is the threshold towards conspicuous...

The Life of Secrecy Anonymous

In The Picture of Dorian Gray, Oscar Wilde writes of a beautiful young man with an ugly secret. While Dorian Gray will forever retain the innocent looks of his youth, his portrait will degenerate with every wrong he commits. Unburdened and...

Break On Through To the Other Side Anonymous

After ten weeks of intently studying a wide range of some of literature's greatest authors and their representative works, one is hard pressed to single out only four of these transcendiary pieces from such a distinguished list. However, four of...

The Art of Immorality: Character Fate and Morality in Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray Valerie Prevosnak

Murder, sex, scandal, and drug abuse-all of these sins of the main character thread together to shape Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray, a dark tale of a young man who sells his soul for eternal youth while his portrait bears the scars of...

The Unconscious Image of the Conscious Mind Anonymous

The Unconscious Image of the Conscious Mind

“Psychology helps us to talk about what the novelist knows” (Fish and Perkins), as through the meticulous analysis of a literary work, its major themes or symbolism, one can theoretically reach at the...

A Picture’s Worth a Thousand Words: The Role of Art in The Picture of Dorian Gray Justin Caleb Walters College

Throughout history, art has played a major role in portraying the structure of society and the different roles people play in it. In Oscar Wilde’s novel The Picture of Dorian Gray, art seems to dictate the life of young Dorian Gray to the point of...

The Scarlet Prayer: Genesis Allegory and Christian Symbolism in The Picture of Dorian Gray Anthony J. Otten College

The Scarlet Prayer: Genesis Allegory and Christian Symbolism in The Picture of Dorian Gray

Dorian Gray and the Bible (NKJV) seem to agree on at least one semblance of doctrine, if only partially. They both maintain that the body is a temple,...

Linked Imagery in 'Dracula' and 'The Picture of Dorian Gray' Daniel A. Speight 12th Grade

Throughout the Gothic novel Dracula , Stoker uses symbology and imagery to reveal social anxieties and fears of the late Victorian era, for example the use of animalistic description and blood. Wilde, in his own Gothic novel The Picture of Dorian...

Representations of the Double Life in The Picture of Dorian Grey. Anonymous College

‘Those who go below the surface do so at their own peril’. If the aesthetic exterior of a person is the ‘surface’, it is assumed that below this surface is sensibility and emotion. Wilde warns against probing too deeply, or at all, the conscience;...

Liberation of Language in The Picture of Dorian Gray and The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Victoria Joss College

All language exists with two definitions. The primary, literal meaning is defined as what the object physically is, and the secondary, symbolic meaning is what the object represents. An object’s literal meaning remains a stationary constant, as it...

Significant Locations In ‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’ Jess Mockford 11th Grade

In his novel of 1891, ‘ The Picture of Dorian Gray ’, Wilde uses setting and location to explore not only the character and moral conscience of his protagonist but also the divides inherent within Victorian society as he contrasts the wealthy homes...

Dorian Gray and Critical Theory Anonymous 12th Grade

Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray is without a doubt a reflection of its author and its time. As an academic, social, and political figurehead of late 19th century London, Wilde was highly engaged in the ongoing public dialogue surrounding the...

The Picture of Dorian Gray: aestheticism and morality Chris Kostantewicz College

The Picture of Dorian Gray demonstrates a divide between aestheticism and morality that Oscars Wilde depicts by giving each character a very specific persona that either challenges or indulges in the immoral vices of life. This is all while Dorian...

Basel and Lord Henry's Influence on Dorian Anonymous 11th Grade

In Oscar Wilde's novel The Picture of Dorian Gray, the concept of influence is clearly reflected in two different characters and in two different forms, and juxtaposes them though the main character and his reaction to the two clashing ideologies...

Murder and Mental Breakdown in "The Tell-Tale Heart" and The Picture of Dorian Gray Madisen Marie Johnson 12th Grade

Dr. James Knoll, a forensic psychiatrist, says, “The paranoia exists on a spectrum of severity. ... Many perpetrators are in the middle, gray zone where psychiatrists will disagree about the relative contributions of moral failure versus mental...

Lord Henry’s Experiment: A Life without Restraint Riley Steppe College

In the novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde, an experienced and insightful man shares a compelling life philosophy with a younger, less refined man. This transmission of ideas opens the interpretation of how art and society influence...

Dorian Gray: Wilde's Ending and Its Moments of Ambiguity Anonymous College

In Chapter 20 of The Picture of Dorian Gray, Dorian is presented to us as a figure torn between reforming and alleviating himself from the sin and corruption he has perpetuated on others, and pursuing his exclamatory yearning for his “unsullied...

Obsession, Destruction and Control - A Film vs. Novel Comparison of Whiplash and The Picture of Dorian Gray Anonymous College

Although created in different eras, Oscar Wilde’s 1980 gothic novel The Picture of Dorian Gray and Damien Chazelle’s 2014 drama film Whiplash are comparable in the exploration of obsession, destruction and control by the text’s creators. Chazelle...

Elements of a Traditional Gothic Novel in The Picture of Dorian Gray Zaneb Mansha 11th Grade

The Picture of Dorian Gray, by Oscar Wilde, is a classic example of a traditional Gothic novel, despite the fact that it isn’t scary. Gothic literature received its name because many examples of the genre were set during the late-medieval, or...

What Is In a Name?: Close Reading of Dorian Gray and His Fellow Characters Brittany Schenk 12th Grade

French author Marcel Proust once stated “Words do not change their meanings so drastically in the course of centuries as, in our minds, names do in the course of a year or two.” What this quote means is that while names merely are words, they hold...

The Body as a Site of Horror Anonymous College

Horror can be defined as the feeling excited by something shocking or fear-inducing[1]. The physical or represented form of the body certainly can induce these feelings given the appropriate circumstances and contexts. The present paper will...

Characteristics of The Antagonist Anonymous 12th Grade

An antagonist is essential to any story. Establishing a clear “bad guy” gives the story more emotion, uniting the reader with the protagonist(s) against a common enemy that is easy to hate. Every story has an antagonist, but only some are evil....

Social and Economic Mobility in The Picture of Dorian Gray Elizabeth Girdharry College

Aristocratic beauty and values comprise culture which is used as a proxy for social and economic and mobility in Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray. To at least appear as having the same intelligentsia as the Victorian upper class is to...