The Sardonicism Of Concupiscence Essay

The Sardonicism of Concupiscence

“It was the passions about whose origin we deceived ourselves that tyrannized most strongly over us. Our weakest motives were those of whose nature we were conscious. It often happened that when we thought we were experimenting on others we were really experimenting on ourselves”. This small notion expressed by Lord Henry manages to demonstrate a myriad of poignant nuances shown throughout the entirety of the novel amongst most every character. The undertone of harsh, dramatic irony works to solidify everything that the novel itself is about; hubristic desire, weak willed men, and a consistent causticity that foreshadows the downfall of its participants. This moment, in the grand scheme of the work itself,
Dorian, we are led to believe, thought himself to be heterosexual until the unveiling of his portrait. It was then that he had an awakening of sorts, and found himself attracted to the very painter of the piece; Basil. This artist painted Dorian as he wanted to see him; a face full of desire and boyish charm, all directed towards Basil himself. This sultry depiction of the young man genuinely changes Dorian, and allows him to truly see himself for who he is for the first time. However, this moment of self discovery one might view as enlightening and powerful is also the very moment which adversaries to this novel feel is the point of declination and deterioration of anything virtuous Dorian Gray might have had to offer. The thought here is that the art itself had such an impact on Dorian that it turned him gay, which, by typical modern views, is an impossibility. However, if critics feel that a character in a novel could have their sexual identity and principles swayed so easily by a simple work of art, who is to say that those who read these depictions in a work of art in its own right will not too succumb to these