Basil Hallward
Basil Hallward is one of the three most significant characters of the novel. He is the painter of the Dorian Gray portrait. In the novel Basil is delineate as shy, restrained and benevolent. Basil lives for his art and it seems more real to him then life itself. In an artwork beauty is always positive while in real world it is not. An interpretation is that Basil Hallward is altered as a homosexual. This interpretation is founded on Basil’s strong feeling toward Dorian. Oscar Wild himself was appealed to be homosexual and his ulterior motive with the character of Basil was to commence a discussion about homosexual lovers. Basil Hallward is a good man and optimist, in conclusion very different from another significant character, Lord Henry.
Compering Basil with Lord Henry, the inequality is various. These characters are night and day. Basil always believes in the goodness of mankind, while Lord Henry’s critical eye spots flews in every individual. Lord Henry is very opinionated, and Basil very diplomatic. Dorian, a friend of them both, is during the novel torn between these two characteristic. In the beginning of the novel Dorian Grey is more similar to Basil, shy and innocent. When the book develops, Dorian develops with it, and the similarities between Basil and Henry decreases. Dorian is intensely influenced by Lord Henry, and the similarities between these two characters increase. Both Lord Henry and Dorian becomes father away from Basil, and he grows more sad and tragic. Basil Howard is a character dissimilar from both Dorian Gray and Lord Henry.
Ebba Wadstein
Lord Henry Wotton
Lord Henry Wotton is one of the most colorful characters and gives the reader an impression right from the first sentences he speaks. Lord Henry is confident, charming and very seductive in his way of speaking and being. He hypnotizes his audience with his voice and intellect, and his well- articulated philosophies about life. There is no wonder that many people want to be in his surrounding and that he often gets his way. His philosophies cut through all of societies facades and reveal unexpected and sometimes unpleasant truths. This leads to that he also is very influential, as he often hear his thoughts propounded from other persons, Dorian Gray for example. When Lord Henry meets Dorian Gray for the first time, he immediately got interested and a little fancied by the “lad”. With his youth, good looks and unpretentious mind, Lord Henry begins to see Dorian as his a physiological experiment.
Lord Henry Wotton describes how he chooses his friends, acquaintance and enemies after how they entertain him and not for a deeper relationship. This is also how his view seems to be on the rest of his life and the world, not to serious and most of his actions are in purpose for his entertainment. Lord Henry is quite amoral, not caring about right or wrong or thinking about what consequences his words and actions may have. One example of this is given right in the beginning when the artist Basil Hallward begs him not to influence Dorian. Still, Lord Henry proceeds and as the consequence Basil feels that the boy he knew would be gone forever.
I immediately found Lord Henry, or Harry, as one of the most interesting characters. He truly is entertaining but when looking behind his charm I found him quite egoistic and little of a troublemaker. He has very clear views and most of them sound intelligent and truth, but his words are not always ameliorative for everyone hearing them. Dorian lives according to Lord Henry’s philosophies, which he valued so highly but never dared to completely live after. His influences on Dorian Gray will later consequence in Dorian destroying his life.
Alice Engström
Lord Henry Wotton describes how he chooses his friends, acquaintance and enemies after how they entertain him and not for a deeper relationship. This is also how his view seems to be on the rest of his life and the world, not to serious and most of his actions are in purpose for his entertainment. Lord Henry is quite amoral, not caring about right or wrong or thinking about what consequences his words and actions may have. One example of this is given right in the beginning when the artist Basil Hallward begs him not to influence Dorian. Still, Lord Henry proceeds and as the consequence Basil feels that the boy he knew would be gone forever.
I immediately found Lord Henry, or Harry, as one of the most interesting characters. He truly is entertaining but when looking behind his charm I found him quite egoistic and little of a troublemaker. He has very clear views and most of them sound intelligent and truth, but his words are not always ameliorative for everyone hearing them. Dorian lives according to Lord Henry’s philosophies, which he valued so highly but never dared to completely live after. His influences on Dorian Gray will later consequence in Dorian destroying his life.
Alice Engström
Dorian Gray
Indifference, as well as immense beauty are features the protagonist in The Picture of Dorian Gray intensely radiates. In that way Dorian Gray is full of contradictions; he is beautiful, he is hideous; he is perfect, he is terribly flawed, he is good and he is bad to the bone. Most importantly Dorian Gray is literally two things at once; both a breathing human being, but also a portrait with a visible reflection of the state of his soul. These ambiguities obstruct our ability to label the character of Dorian Gray – is he a tragic hero, an evil villain, or pitiful victim?
When we first came to know Dorian Gray he represented the ideal archetype of male youth and beauty; dominating the imagination of Basil Hallward and at once attracting the attention of Lord Henry. As the story evolves his exquisite lineaments remain unspoiled, and it is this youthful phantom that those he encounter perceive. Through the eyes of those in his surroundings whom behold his desirable beauty, he is consequently portrayed as an idol; as someone who has all the answers. The fact that his inner self is not reflected in his appearance, thus promote the idea of him being a tragic hero. In the eyes of the reader this image is though disturbed by the portrait of Dorian Gray, which clearly depicts proof of his dissipation. Because there, beneath the surface of his innocent golden beauty, a monster unfolds, that reflects all of his crimes and misdemeanors in the aging, malevolent face of his soul.
Thus, when judging Dorian Gray against any moral code, the features of a villain might indeed be detected. The first indication is recognized in his reaction to Sibyl Vain’s tragic death. His cold rejection of her love drove her to suicide, and yet, no symptom of remorse can be distinguished. Instead Dorian Gray finds gratifying pleasure in her suicide in accordance with Lord Henry’s amoral ideas of the aesthetic life, which recast the tragedy of her death as a beautiful work of art. Thenceforth Dorian’s course is set, indicated by an unmistakable line of cruelty haunting his portrait forevermore. The realization that his portrait will bear his physical burdens of aging and sinning clears an open path to the life as a pleasure-seeker. Mainly since his previous fear for depravation vanishes, causing him to pursue pleasure dispassionately, meanwhile paying no regard for conventional mortality whatsoever. In addition Dorian Gray holds a morbid fascination with the portrait which grows older and more dreadful as the story evolves. Another aspect that indicates exactly how corrupt his soul is becomes apparent with his increasingly paranoia about leaving the portrait alone. Because this anxiety it is not out of guilt, but rather due to fear that people will discover his secret.
However, although Dorian Gray maintains an inconsiderate and tranquil façade, one can occasionally detect an element of remorse and melancholy feature cumbering his heart – illustrating that he is indeed human. This element is of immense importance since it forms a linkage of sympathy between the reader and Dorian Gray. It let us think of him as an initially good individual, despite his consistently display of bad intentions – a victim instead of a villain. Furthermore, the decaying portrait represents a limited life, filled with fear and self-loathing that one would not which upon anyone. Dorian’s thirst for pleasure is therefore blamed upon the immoral guidance from Lord Henry. Because from the beginning he was exceptionally susceptible for Lord Henry’s influence, who fashioned him to believe that his most esteemed attribute was his beauty. This taught Dorian Gray to be vain – all the while not realizing that his true value steamed from his innocence and purity, which lent his physical beauty a magical appeal.
Whether Dorian Gray is a hero, villain, or victim thus depend upon the reader’s frame of reference. However, irrespective of opinion he becomes the embodiment of Lord Henry’s aesthetic values, representing the idea of art in life, which the author Oscar Wilde strongly believed in!
Cecilia Wickman
When we first came to know Dorian Gray he represented the ideal archetype of male youth and beauty; dominating the imagination of Basil Hallward and at once attracting the attention of Lord Henry. As the story evolves his exquisite lineaments remain unspoiled, and it is this youthful phantom that those he encounter perceive. Through the eyes of those in his surroundings whom behold his desirable beauty, he is consequently portrayed as an idol; as someone who has all the answers. The fact that his inner self is not reflected in his appearance, thus promote the idea of him being a tragic hero. In the eyes of the reader this image is though disturbed by the portrait of Dorian Gray, which clearly depicts proof of his dissipation. Because there, beneath the surface of his innocent golden beauty, a monster unfolds, that reflects all of his crimes and misdemeanors in the aging, malevolent face of his soul.
Thus, when judging Dorian Gray against any moral code, the features of a villain might indeed be detected. The first indication is recognized in his reaction to Sibyl Vain’s tragic death. His cold rejection of her love drove her to suicide, and yet, no symptom of remorse can be distinguished. Instead Dorian Gray finds gratifying pleasure in her suicide in accordance with Lord Henry’s amoral ideas of the aesthetic life, which recast the tragedy of her death as a beautiful work of art. Thenceforth Dorian’s course is set, indicated by an unmistakable line of cruelty haunting his portrait forevermore. The realization that his portrait will bear his physical burdens of aging and sinning clears an open path to the life as a pleasure-seeker. Mainly since his previous fear for depravation vanishes, causing him to pursue pleasure dispassionately, meanwhile paying no regard for conventional mortality whatsoever. In addition Dorian Gray holds a morbid fascination with the portrait which grows older and more dreadful as the story evolves. Another aspect that indicates exactly how corrupt his soul is becomes apparent with his increasingly paranoia about leaving the portrait alone. Because this anxiety it is not out of guilt, but rather due to fear that people will discover his secret.
However, although Dorian Gray maintains an inconsiderate and tranquil façade, one can occasionally detect an element of remorse and melancholy feature cumbering his heart – illustrating that he is indeed human. This element is of immense importance since it forms a linkage of sympathy between the reader and Dorian Gray. It let us think of him as an initially good individual, despite his consistently display of bad intentions – a victim instead of a villain. Furthermore, the decaying portrait represents a limited life, filled with fear and self-loathing that one would not which upon anyone. Dorian’s thirst for pleasure is therefore blamed upon the immoral guidance from Lord Henry. Because from the beginning he was exceptionally susceptible for Lord Henry’s influence, who fashioned him to believe that his most esteemed attribute was his beauty. This taught Dorian Gray to be vain – all the while not realizing that his true value steamed from his innocence and purity, which lent his physical beauty a magical appeal.
Whether Dorian Gray is a hero, villain, or victim thus depend upon the reader’s frame of reference. However, irrespective of opinion he becomes the embodiment of Lord Henry’s aesthetic values, representing the idea of art in life, which the author Oscar Wilde strongly believed in!
Cecilia Wickman