The Picture of Dorian Gray

The Picture of Dorian Gray is Oscar Wilde’s only full length novel, a melodramatic tale of love, murder, thwarted revenge, and final justice.

A young man named Dorian Gray is the muse of artist Basil Hallward. Basil is impressed by Dorian’s physical perfection and becomes infatuated with him, believing his beauty is responsible for the new life in his art. One day while posing in Basil’s garden, Dorian meets Lord Henry Wotton, a friend of Basil’s, and becomes enthralled by Lord Henry’s hedonistic views that claim the only things worth pursuing in life are beauty and the fulfilment of the senses. Upon seeing his beautiful portrait and realizing that one day his own beauty will fade, Dorian wishes that the work of art might grow old instead of his own physical body. Dorian’s wish is fulfilled, and he plunges into ever more debauched acts.