Preview

Summary: the Picture of Dorian Gray

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
471 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Summary: the Picture of Dorian Gray
Summary: the picture of Dorian Gray

CHARACTERS
Lord Henry (Harry): he had a thin face and clever, dark eyes. His voice was slow and beautiful. People listened to him when he talked.
Dorian Gray: His face was pale and beautiful. His eyes were bright blue. His hair was blond.
Basil Hallward: He had black hair and strong, intelligent face. He was a successful artist. He worked hard and painted many pictures.
Sibyl Vane: She was small and beautiful, with shining brown hair. She worked as an actress.
James Vane: He had large hands and feet. His hair was dull and dark. He became a sailor.

This story is about a beautiful young man. His name was Dorian Gray. He wasn’t an outgoing person .Basil was the only person Dorian looked as a friend.
His friend Basil used to paint pictures. When Basil was painting a picture of Dorian Gray Harry came in and saw the picture .Harry wanted to meet Dorian but Basil didn’t want to introduce to him because Harry would change the young man’s thoughts and feelings. In spite of this fact they met and became close friends.
Harry told Dorian he had to enjoy good things and evil things. When Basil finished the portrait Dorian whished had a wish: “I wish that I could always be young. I wish that the picture could grow old instead of me. I would give my soul for this to happen”.
Harry, a clever man talked and talked to Dorian. Soon the young man came under Harry’s influence and followed his ideas. He went to the theatre and met a beautiful girl. She was an actress. Her name was Sibyl Vane. Both of them felt in love. They were supposed to be married. One evening Harry, Basil and Dorian went to the theatre. Dorian’s friends didn’t like the play because Sibyl acted very badly that night. Because of that Dorian broke with Sibyl. She was sad and decided to drink some poison. Dorian didn’t care about sibyl’s dead. He decided to do all things he wanted.
It was abut fifteen years after Sybil’s dead. Dorian looked youngest as he was

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Basil is greatly influenced by Dorian Gray, who was his inspiration for the painting that causes all the conflicts of the novel. When Basil met Dorian Gray he became so captivated by him that it influenced him to make many paintings of him. Basil does everything in his power to keep Dorian the way he is by telling him to not listen to Lord Henry, to no avail. Furthermore, when Dorian became upset over the fact that the picture would stay forever youthful and he would not, Basil was prepared to destroy the painting just for Dorian. Dorian’s reaction to the painting influenced Basil’s actions. As the years go by, as Dorian’s personality changes for the worse, Basil still believes that there is still good in him. Basil believed that Dorian was the same innocent man he met many years ago up until the moment he was murdered by…

    • 693 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    He uncovers the portrait and shows it to Basil who clearly recognizes it as his own work despite the horrifying and cruel changes. Dorian watches Basil with a slightly triumphant look on his face. Basil asks Dorian how this horrible thing happened and Dorian tells him he pledged his soul to stay young and beautiful forever because of what Lord Henry told him about beauty when they first met. Basil curses the portrait and wants Dorian to kneel down and pray for his forgiveness. Dorian tells him that it is too late to ask for forgiveness and starts feeling hatred towards Basil.…

    • 1835 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Throughout Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray, the sinful actions of Dorian cause Dorian himself as well as the portrait of Dorian to diminish. The portrait Basil paints of Dorian depicts an innocent, beautiful young boy who has yet to be corrupted by the influence of the world. However, as Dorian grows older he becomes debased by the thoughts of others and his own experiences. As the novel progresses, the reader loses sight of the innocent, pure Dorian and sees the cruel, corrupted Dorian. After Sibyl killed herself Dorian illustrates his corruption by claiming, “when she played so badly, and my heart almost broke. She explained it all to me. It was terribly pathetic. But I was not moved a bit. I thought her shallow” (96). Dorian no…

    • 353 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    painted by a friend named Basil, and when Dorian meets his friend Lord Henry Wotton, his life will soon…

    • 1411 Words
    • 11 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Picture of Dorian Gray is a novel written by Oscar Wilde in 1890. The book was written during the Victorian era, a period of time that brought Britain several changes concerning technology, science, culture, religion and others. The Picture of Dorian Gray talks about a character called Dorian Gray, who is a young and handsome man that owned a portrait of himself. An artist and friend called Basil Hallward painted it. The artwork was different from a normal painting. It showed Dorian’s physical changes through years while his physical aspects in real life were always the same without any change. Every time Dorian saw the painting, he saw his true self rather than the one he showed to society. Basil introduced Dorian to Lord Henry Wotton,…

    • 694 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In The Picture of Dorian Gray, Oscar Wilde constructs a tale in which Dorian Gray’s desire to stay young forever becomes a Faustian pact. His journey begins when Basil insists on painting him even though Dorian resists this. It is possible he protests too much, but it is also possible he feels a bit embarrassed as well as flattered with the attention. One might consider this the gate into the garden (of Eden) where Sir Henry plays the part of the devil tempting Dorian to take youth and beauty serious when he says:…

    • 742 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Sibyl falls head over heels in love with Dorian Gray, willing to commit her life to him after only two weeks. Lady Henry hardly knows her husband, to whom she has been married for some time. Because neither woman is in a stable and comfortable situation, both eventually take drastic measures to move on. Therefore, in The Picture of Dorian Gray, both Sibyl Vane and Lady Henry are weak, flighty, and naive.…

    • 1135 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    “Think of Dorian’s birth, and position, and wealth. It would be absurd of him to marry beneath him”…

    • 540 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Throughout the novel, the characters, specifically, Basil, utilize moral ambiguity in order to deceive themselves and others. By doing so, the characters allow themselves to live guilt-free and unaware of their actions, and subsequently, the consequences. Throughout the novel, Basil repeatedly claims that he cares deeply for Dorian, and that Dorian is the best friend that he has ever had; therefore, his actions are well-intentioned. While it is true that Basil cares deeply for Dorian, he does not care for him in the way that he claims; thus, his motives are selfish. However, Basil disguises his selfishness in the flourishes of artistic brilliance, true friendship, and the love of Dorian’s ‘personality’.…

    • 1463 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Artist Basil Hallward sees Dorian and decides he wants to paint a portrait of this stunning example of a man, and Dorian consents. While sitting for the portrait at Basil’s studio, Dorian meets Basil’s dear friend, the socialite/philosopher Lord Henry Wotton. Lord Henry is an aesthete who whiles away his time by attending parties, going to the Club, supping and other such frivolities. He is a man of charisma, intelligence, sharp wit and “wrong, fascinating, poisonous, delightful theories” (Wilde 56). Lord Henry is immediately taken with Dorian and quickly becomes infatuated. Over the course of time, Lord Henry begins to play a very sinister game with Dorian’s life—he seduces Dorian into leading the life of an aesthete, like himself. A life of debauchery and evil where the pursuit of happiness is paramount and comes at the expense of everything and everyone else—morality be damned. Lord Henry has no particular motive for doing this except to amuse himself and to play the game of creation. Dorian slowly begins to change; Dorian, the beauty on the outside becomes Dorian, the monster on the inside. He transforms into a selfish, hedonist. His disregard for others directly causes the suicide of his fiancée. He participates in immoral acts. He seeks personal gratification with abandon. His creator, Lord Henry, does nothing to intervene and stop Dorian’s progression from young, naïve man to loathsome monster. In…

    • 1591 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Better Essays

    Sibyl Vane is a character of great importance in The Picture Of Dorian Gray. However, she is also a symbol. A symbol of the Dorian Gray of old, the way he was before succumbing to a mind numbing world of guilty pleasures and debauchery. Sibyl also represents the beginning of Dorian Grays’ descent into this dark world. A “love” interest of the young Dorian Gray, Sibyl represents what Dorian wished to be; young, pure, and innocent, and perhaps naïve of the world around her. Dorian first lays his eyes on Sibyl Vane when he enters an old, decrepit theatre and witnesses her prowess in the arts, especially in the art of acting. While Dorian claims to be in love with Sibyl, what he has truly fallen for is her acting prowess. (Wilde p. 55) Dorian soon meets the young Sibyl face to face and begins wooing her. (Wilde p. 57) Sibyl, being young and impressionable, falls for the charming young man and truly believes he loves her (Wilde p. 65) Dorian is so enthralled with the acting prowess of the young woman that he invites his companions to bear witness for themselves. Unfortunately, her performance is lacking tremendously. The acting talent Dorian had fallen in love with seemed to have disappeared entirely and without explanation. This coupled with the fact that his friends also bore witness to the “talents” of young Sibyl Vane, sends Dorian into a fit of rage. Without hesitation he storms into Sibyls dressing room and proceeds to end their relationship, showing no mercy. This crushes poor Sibyls heart. She tries to explain that she is now unable to feign love on the stage, now that she has truly fallen in love in reality, but to no avail, for as previously stated, Dorian had far more interest in the acting talents of Sibyl Vane than anything else. This heart wrenching chain of events will lead to the tragic suicide of this poor girl, overcome with loss. After learning of Sibyls suicide Dorian is initially wracked with guilt. However,…

    • 1011 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Dorian Gray Ignorance

    • 2180 Words
    • 9 Pages

    A renowned painter named Basil Hallward meets this young, handsome man named Dorian Gray. Basil is set in a trance with Dorian's beauty from the very start. He asks to paint Dorian to capture and preserve his youth. He has painted him many times, but this final time he paints him how he appears. During the time Basil and Dorian are together Basil cherishes every moment. He notices how innocent the young lad is and, can capture it in his paintings. On a day he is going to start on his painting of Dorian his friend Henry Wotton pays him a visit. Henry is a witty man that manipulates people using his charisma and his lifestyle . Basil who is a polar opposite knows that Henry is bad news and doesn't want Dorian to even meet the guy. The meeting between Dorian and Henry was inevitable by this point. Once they met the bond between them was formed. Basil was filled with fear that…

    • 2180 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Dorian’s change in personality reinforces Oscar Wilde’s idea. This is because Dorian is living a double life, and in regards to the novel elements of his good and bad side is shown. This is shown with hints in the novel and shows the cautionary tale of the novel. As his friends, such as Lord Henry attempted to “spoil” his “beautiful nature” one of his closest friend Basil was cautious this was going to turn young Dorian from good to evil. Wilde does this to show how Dorian’s lifestyle can be corrupted morally and immorally, as things such as the painting make him accomplish the things he always wanted accepting pleasures moral or immorally. In spite of this, Lord Henry threatens Dorian’s fear of the…

    • 779 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    “ah that is one of Harry’s views, isn’t it, Mr Gray” showing how Dorian is now using Lord Henry’s beliefs in every day conversation, showing the effect and dominance that Henry and his beliefs have had on the once innocent and shy Dorian Gray. Dorian says quite early on in his conversation with Lord Wotton “if I ever did a crime, I would come and confess it to you. You would understand me”, showing the reader just how much Dorian has developed, giving an indication of the exact moment Dorian’s degradation begins, and also gives a sense of foreshadowing of later events. It also shows us how he is considering illegal acts…

    • 848 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays