Oscar Wilde is a notable figure known for his brilliant works and controversial life.
This lecture explores his fascinating life and contributions to literature.
Early Life
Birth: October 16, 1854, in Dublin, Ireland.
Family:
Father: William Wilde, an acclaimed doctor and founder of St. Mark's Hospital.
Mother: Jane Francesca Wilde, a revolutionary poet who wrote under the pseudonym Speranza.
Siblings: One brother (William Charles Kingsbury) and a sister (Isola Emily Francesca) who died young from fever.
Education
Attended Trinity College, Dublin, and Magdalene College, Oxford.
Involvement in the athletic movement during studies.
Career Highlights
1882: Embarked on an American lecture tour, meeting notable literary figures like Walt Whitman, Oliver Wendell Holmes, and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.
Marriage: Married Constance Lloyd in May 1884; had two children, Cyril and Lillian.
Publishing Era (1887-1893):
Revitalized Women's World magazine.
Published The Happy Prince and Other Tales (1888) and The House of Pomegranates (1892).
The Picture of Dorian Gray: First and only novel published in 1890.
Theater Works:
First play: Lady Windermere's Fan (1882).
Other notable plays: A Woman of No Importance (1893), An Ideal Husband, The Importance of Being Earnest (both in 1895).
Legal Troubles and Imprisonment
Controversy: Affair with Alfred Douglas, leading to public scandal.
Trial: The Queensbury vs. Wilde trial began when Douglas's father accused Wilde of homosexuality, leading Wilde to sue for defamation.
Conviction: Evidence of Wilde’s homosexuality presented in court, resulting in conviction in 1895 for gross indecency; sentenced to two years in prison.
Death
Oscar Wilde died in 1900 from meningitis shortly after being released from prison.