Message about Oscar Wilde. Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde

In the second half of the nineteenth century, this name was synonymous with the word "paradox". This man was a model of elegance and grace, and his name was Oscar Wilde. Books, treatises, plays, fairy tales and everything that came out of his pen instantly became popular. However, like many bright personalities, he was not destined for a long life.

Oscar Wilde's family

Oscar's father, William Wilde, was the most famous otolaryngologist and ophthalmologist in Ireland. For his excellent long-term work, he was awarded a knighthood. Over the years, Mr. Wilde was able to open a free medical center for the poor in Dublin with his own money. In his spare time, he wrote books about Irish culture.

Dearly beloved mother of the future writer - Jane Wilde, was also not alien to literature. During her turbulent youth, this heroic woman was a member of the Young Irish revolutionary movement and at one time wrote patriotic poetry for them.

In her sons William and Oscar, Jane devoted all her time to their upbringing. She tried to instill in the boys a love of Irish literature. Mrs. Wilde also introduced her children to the literature and culture of Ancient Greece and Rome.

In addition to his older brother, Oscar also had a younger sister, Isola. However, this baby had a very short biography. Oscar Wilde later dedicated one of his poems, Requiescat, to her memory, as she died at the age of ten.

Childhood and youth of the writer

Oscar's early childhood was spent in Dublin in a luxurious house decorated with busts of Greek and Roman philosophers, as well as numerous paintings. Perhaps it was the atmosphere of the father's house that engendered in the heart of an impressionable young man a love of beauty.

Oscar's parents spared no expense in their children's education. Since childhood, he had a French and German governess. So, going at the age of nine to study at the Royal School of Portora, near Dublin, the boy spoke excellent French and German.

Away from his parental home in a new environment, the young Oscar Wilde soon created an excellent reputation for himself. The witty quotations of this disciple passed from mouth to mouth among his comrades. In addition, he managed to study well. So, the guy managed to finish school with a gold medal and earn a scholarship to continue his studies at Holy Trinity College Dublin.

Three years of college greatly influenced Wilde's worldview. Here he became interested in antiquity and aestheticism, over time creating his own style of behavior and manner of communication, which subsequently delighted his fans so much.

Having performed admirably in college, Oscar Wilde earned a scholarship to study at Oxford, where he spent the next four years. During this time, he became even more an admirer of antiquity, and was also fascinated by the ideas of John Ruskin. A trip to Greece and Italy helped shape the outlook of the young Wilde.

Short biography: Oscar Wilde in London and the USA

After completing his studies, the young esthete decided to stay in the capital of the kingdom. By that time he had lost his Irish accent and had learned to speak an excellent literary language. A charming young gentleman with an elegant style and excellent humor quickly found a place in the highest circles of the cultural elite of London. Pretty soon he became "the same Wilde." He was listened to, quoted and admired.

In 1881, Oscar Wilde published his first book, Poems Poems. It instantly became popular and was reprinted five times.

The following year, the recognized esthete traveled to the United States. Here he lectured on art and aesthetics. For a year of life in America, Oscar Wilde has become almost a living legend. Quotes of this wit and stories about his adventures practically did not leave the newspaper pages. Reporters followed him everywhere, watching how brilliantly he extricated himself from various situations without losing his dignity. Returning from a trip, Wilde said his famous phrase: "I have already civilized America - only heaven remains."

Personal life of Oscar Wilde

After returning home, Wilde unexpectedly married. His chosen one was Constance Lloyd. Soon the Wilde couple had two beautiful boys, Cyril and Vivian.

Fascinated by fatherhood, Oscar Wilde composes fairy tales for his sons. These works turned out to be so beautiful that they were soon published in the form of two collections. Despite the tragedy, they are full of true beauty and are among the most popular and read works of the writer.

Unfortunately, the happy family life of the writer had a rather short biography. Oscar Wilde from 1891 begins to communicate with a young nobleman named Alfred Douglas. Since that time, his relationship with his wife has become only a formality.

The peak of the writer's popularity

Oscar Wilde's close friendship with Douglas lasted from 1981 to 1895. It is interesting that this period turned out to be the most fruitful in the writer's work. And although many of the popular works of this author were written earlier (the novel The Picture of Dorian Gray, the story The Canterville Ghost), it was his witty plays that brought fame to Wilde at that time.

Stage performances of the comedy plays Lady Windermere's Fan, An Ideal Husband, The Importance of Being Earnest, written by Oscar Wilde, made this gentleman the most famous person in London.

In the same years, Oscar Wilde wrote not only plays. Books with the writer's articles on aestheticism and his views on society and its morality also saw the light of that period. These were the famous "Intentions" and "The Soul of Man under Socialism."

Trial, imprisonment and final years

Because of Oscar's "unhealthy" relationship with young Alfred, the guy's father provoked a scandal. As a result of a series of manipulations, the writer ended up in the dock on charges of indecent relationships with other men.

Oscar Wilde used all his eloquence in defense of himself. More than once the hall applauded him and glorified him as a hero. However, the writer was still sentenced to 2 years in prison. And he served his entire term.

While Oscar was behind bars, his mother died, and his wife left for another country, taking a different surname for her sons and herself.

After his release, our hero saw that many of his former comrades, as well as Alfred Douglas, turned their backs on him.

With the support of his true friends, Oscar Wilde moved to live in France and changed his name to the pseudonym Sebastian Melmoth. In the new country, he published his last work - "The Ballad of Reading Prison", which was signed with the name C.3.3.

Also during this period, he writes a couple of notes in which he expresses his opinion about the life of prisoners. It is noteworthy that his thoughts soon became part of a bill passed in 1989.

Never returning to his homeland, Oscar Wilde died in November 1900 and was buried in Paris.

Unfortunately, this bright thinker and writer had a short biography. Oscar Wilde died when he was less than fifty. On the other hand, for a personality like Oscar Wilde, this may have been the best option. After all, he left literature and life at its peak, not having time to bore himself or his readers, and for such an esthete it was very important.

The childhood of the future prose writer, playwright and poet of the last period of the Victorian era, Oscar Fingal O'Flaherty Wills Wilde, passed in the capital of Ireland, the city of Dublin. He was born October 16, 1854. His parents were known in high society circles. Father William Wilde was engaged in medicine, his professional activity included oto-ophthalmology.

In 1864 he was awarded the title of knight. The mother of the future writer Jane Francesca Wilde fought for the rights of the Irish and actively supported the revolutionary movement. Both parents were fond of literature: the father wrote historical and archaeological works, and the mother wrote poetry. In the house of the Wildes, salons gathered, which were attended by the color of the medical and cultural elite of the country.

Years of study

Oscar was the middle child in the family. His older brother William was born two years before Oscar, and his sister Isola is two years younger. The girl died at the age of ten due to inflammation of the brain. The children received an excellent home education. They had a German and a French governess. The first educational institution for the brothers was the Royal School of Portora, which was located in a small town, not far from Dublin. Little Oscar had a talent for reading and witty remarks. Upon graduation at the age of 17, Wilde received a gold medal and was sent to Trinity College.

Oscar's love of ancient Greek culture, which began during his school years, developed in college. He is engaged in a detailed study of ancient history, aesthetics, ancient languages. Gradually, Wilde begins to put all the knowledge gained into practice. His demeanor, clothing, craving for Hellenism, skepticism, self-irony - all that made up his fame in the future, were formed under the influence of the acquired knowledge.

Three years later, a promising student is sent to Oxford, where the style and image of Oscar Wilde is finally formed as an impeccable dandy. One of the criteria for success for a young man even then is the formation of a halo of legend around his personality. He was never in a hurry to destroy all the incredible gossip and rumors that concerned his name.

At Oxford University, the attitude of the future writer to the beautiful is finally formed. Moral values ​​for Oscar are no longer the only criterion of beauty. The teacher who influenced Wilde's worldview was John Ruskin, an English writer and theorist. He had a great influence on the development of literary trends at the end of the 19th century.

During his studies, Oscar travels for the first time to his beloved Italy and Greece. Inspired by new experiences, Wilde writes one of his first poems, Ravenna, for which he receives a university prize.

Creation

At the age of 24, Wilde moved to live in the capital of Great Britain. He becomes a popular regular in London's high society salons due to his ironic and controversial statements and manner of dressing. Wilde's tastes and habits dictated fashion for the intelligentsia and the aristocracy. Soon many young people began to appear who tried to imitate their idol in everything. The jokes of the young Irishman were sorted out by his fans for quotes.

In the early years of his literary work, Oscar Wilde was engaged only in poetry, occasionally writing essays on aesthetic issues. From 1882 to 1883, the young writer spent abroad, in the USA, where he traveled with his lectures on art. The American public was crazy about the charm and intellect of the writer, Oscar acquired a large army of admirers and followers across the ocean.

After returning to Europe, Wilde immediately went to France, where he got acquainted with the color of French literature.

Returning to his homeland and finding a family, Oscar Wilde devotes himself to writing fairy tales inspired by his own children. These are the collections "Happy Prince" and "Pomegranate House", the most famous works of which are "The Boy-Star", "A Loyal Friend", "The Nightingale and the Rose", "The Fisherman and His Soul". By this time Wilde's fame in England was at its peak.

His journalistic articles are published in the best editions of the country, Wilde takes on the duties of an editor in the magazine "Women's World". The legendary playwright speaks favorably of him in his interviews. The London dandy and provocateur evokes conflicting feelings among the public: from blind adoration to criticism, which is expressed in attacks and the publication of caricatures of the writer. But the barbs against Oscar only strengthen his authority and popularity in society.

At the age of 33, Wilde wrote his first serious works for the first time. Starting with the creation of the stories "The Crime of Lord Arthur Savile", "The Canterville Ghost", "The Sphinx Without a Riddle", Wilde proceeds to the main work of his creative biography - the novel "The Picture of Dorian Gray", which was published in 1890. The book was received ambiguously by contemporaries.

Despite the educational goals that the author pursued, the novel was perceived in high society as an immoral work. But the simpler audience was delighted. Following the scandal associated with the publication of a single novel, Oscar Wilde publishes the drama Salome, which largely influenced the development of the art of decadence. The play also received a controversial assessment of public opinion and was not staged in the UK for a long time.

In the early 1990s, Oscar Wilde created a series of comedies for the theatrical stage, which were embodied on the stage in London. These are such plays as "Lady Windermere's Fan", "A Woman of No Interest", "An Ideal Husband" and "The Importance of Being Earnest". In them, the playwright manifests himself as a master of witty dialogue. More and more confident in dramaturgy, he uses the technique of paradox.

Personal life

Oscar Wilde from his youth was distinguished by amorousness. His first hobbies were Florrie Balkum, actress Lilly Langtry. Already at a young age, the writer becomes a visitor to the capital's brothels, which at that time were popular with bohemians. But at the age of 27, Wilde meets Constance Lloyd, the daughter of an Irish lawyer, who, after a stormy three-year romance, becomes his wife. Soon, weather-boys appear in the family of a London dandy - the sons of Cyril and Vivian.

After a few years of marriage, alienation began between the spouses. It is quite possible that the reason for this was the untreated venereal disease of the writer. Oscar Wilde begins to live separately from his wife and children, and then changes his orientation. One of his first male partners is Robert Ross, who for a long time worked as a personal secretary and confidant of the writer.

In 1891, an acquaintance took place, which played a fatal role in the life of the writer. The young marquis Alfred Douglas came to visit him and expressed his admiration for the writer's newly published novel. Soon, a strong friendship developed between the two aesthetes, which grew into passion.

Court and prison

Men stopped hiding their relationship, they often appeared at secular parties together. Bosie Douglas, as Alfred was called by all his acquaintances, had a narcissistic type of character - he tried to subordinate everything and everyone to his will. Oscar could not resist the whims of the young man and constantly indulged him. His father, the Marquis of Queensberry, soon found out about the connection of his son Bozi. The shocking news spurred him to pursue Wilde. The last straw for the writer's patience was an open note, which was handed to him by the Marquis, during a meeting of the Elbemarl Club. In it, Bosie's father accused Wilde of sodomy.

An outraged Oscar sues his opponent for libel, which becomes a mistake for him. The prepared marquis proves the correctness of his accusation. After the completion of the process, a counter session of the court begins, the purpose of which was to accuse Wilde of homosexuality. The marquis won the case, and the writer was sent to prison. Oscar Wilde received the maximum punishment that existed in those years: two years of hard labor. Many of his friends, including Bozi, turned their backs on him. His wife and children left the country and changed their surname. A few years later, she died in Italy after an unsuccessful operation.

Death

After returning to freedom in 1897, Oscar immediately hurried to leave his homeland and went to Paris. During these years, he lives on the content that his wife sends him after the sale of all the personal property of the Wilde family. In the capital of France, he again begins to meet with Douglas, but their relationship becomes tense. Taking the pseudonym Sebastian Melmoth, Oscar begins literary activity and writes the famous work of the last years of his life, The Ballad of Reading Prison.

At the beginning of 1900, Oscar fell ill with an ear infection, which, when the body was weakened by imprisonment, provoked the development of meningitis. Inflammation of the brain caused the death of the writer on November 30 of the same year. Wilde was buried in one of the cemeteries in Paris, and one decade later his grave was moved to the Pere Lachaise cemetery. At the burial place of the writer, a monument in the form of the head of the Sphinx was erected.

• According to the results of the poll, which was conducted among viewers of the BBC channel, Oscar Wilde is recognized as the most witty person who ever lived in England.
• The novel "The Picture of Dorian Gray" has been embodied by the forces of cinema for more than 25 times.
• The Tokyo Disneyland Haunted House is adorned with a portrait of a young Dorian Gray who changes his image to that of a scary old man.

• Traveling around the United States, Oscar Wilde made a bet with an American on the most implausible phrase. The very first remark of the opponent: "Once upon a time an American gentleman ..." brought him victory. Oscar Wilde stopped him and admitted defeat.
• The imprisonment of a famous writer influenced the judicial legislation of Great Britain. Written by Wilde and submitted to the House of Commons, the "Jails Act" was accepted for consideration and influenced the further improvement of the conditions of detention of prisoners.

Quotes

• "Positive people get on your nerves, bad people get on your imagination."
• “As one witty Frenchman said, women inspire us to great things, but always prevent us from doing them.”
• "A cynic is a person who knows the price of everything and appreciates nothing."
• “Love begins with the fact that a person deceives himself, and ends with the fact that he deceives another.”
• “There are only two real tragedies in life: one is when you don’t get what you want, and the second is when you get.”

Books

• "Ravenna" (1878)
• "Garden of Eros" (1881)
• "The Duchess of Padua" (1883)
• "The Canterville Ghost" (1887)
• "Lord Arthur Savile's Crime" (1888)
• "The Happy Prince and Other Tales" (1888)
• "The Picture of Dorian Gray" (1890)
• "Salome" (1891)
• "Pomegranate House" (1891)
• "Lady Windermere's Fan" (1892)
• "A Woman of No Interest" (1893)
• "Sphinx" (1894)
• "An Ideal Husband" (1895)
• "The Ballad of Reading Gaol" (1898)

Oscar Fingal O'Flaherty Wills Wilde is an English writer of Irish origin, critic, philosopher, esthete; in the late Victorian period he was one of the most famous playwrights. He was born into a doctor's family on October 16, 1854 in Dublin, Ireland. studied not far from his native city, in Enniskillenne, at the Royal School of Portora, where he demonstrated a brilliant sense of humor, showed himself to be a very talkative person with a lively mind.

Upon graduation, Wilde won a gold medal and a scholarship that allowed him to continue his studies at Trinity College in Dublin. Studying here from 1871 to 1874, Wilde, as well as at school, demonstrated an aptitude for ancient languages. Within the walls of this educational institution, for the first time, he listened to lectures on aesthetics, which, together with the influence exerted on the future writer by a refined, highly cultured professor-curator, largely shaped his future "branded" aesthetic behavior.

During his studies at Oxford, Wilde traveled to Greece and Italy, and the beauty and culture of these countries made a strong impression on him. As a student, he won the Newdigate Prize for his poem Ravenna. Leaving the university in 1878, Wilde settled in London, where he became an active participant in social life, quickly gaining attention with his wit, non-trivial demeanor and talents. He becomes a revolutionary in the field of fashion, he is willingly invited to various salons, and visitors come to look at the “Irish wit”

In 1881, his collection Poems was published, immediately noticed by the public. J. Ruskin's lectures turned Wilde into a fan of the aesthetic movement, who believes that everyday life needs a revival of beauty. With lectures on aesthetics in 1882, he undertook a tour of American cities and was at that time the object of close attention from journalists. Wilde spent a year in the USA, after which, returning home for a short time, he left for Paris, where he met V. Hugo, A. France, P. Verlaine, Emile Zola and other major representatives of French literature.

1890 The Picture of Dorian Gray, a novel that becomes incredibly popular, is published. Critics called it immoral, but the author is already accustomed to criticism. In 1890, the essentially supplemented novel was published again, already in the form of a separate book (before that it had been published by a magazine) and was supplied with a preface, which became a kind of manifesto of aestheticism. The aesthetic doctrine of Oscar Wilde was also expounded in the collection of articles Designs, published in 1891.

From this year until 1895, Wilde experienced the peak of fame, which was simply dizzying. In 1891, an event occurred that influenced the entire subsequent biography of the popular writer. Fate brought him to Alfred Douglas, who was younger than him by more than a decade and a half, and love for this man destroyed Wilde's whole life. Their relationship could not remain a secret for the metropolitan society. Douglas' father, the Marquess of Queensberry, filed a lawsuit accusing Wilde of the criminal offense of sodomy. Despite the advice of friends to go abroad, Wilde remains and defends his position, attracting the closest attention of the public to the court hearings.

The spirit of the writer, who received two years of hard labor in 1895, did not stand the test. Former friends and admirers for the most part preferred to break off relations with him, dearly beloved Alfred Douglas for all the time did not write a single line to him, not to mention visiting him. During Wilde's stay in prison, his closest person, his mother, died; wife, changing her surname and children, left the country. Wilde himself, who was released in May 1897, also left: the few friends who remained devoted helped him to do this. There he lived under the name of Sebastian Melmoth. In 1898 he wrote an autobiographical poem, which became the last poetic achievement, The Ballad of Reading Gaol.

The biographical tape may be chasing portrait likeness or revealing the hitherto unknown, it may speculate or follow the chronology. What was what became. Why is the history of this or that person still significant for us. In Wilde with Stephen Fry, the title character is not a witness of the century, and the parallels between Wilde and modern tolerance reveling in themselves are probably useless. The trial at which Wilde was sentenced to penal servitude showed him to be both a hypocrite and an idealist. The film is not about how thorny was the path to the liberalization of society. This is a story about a man with an exorbitant ego, a sybaritic genius who never skimped on reasons for condemnation, but suffered in the end for what was best in him. For believing that "eternal love is given to the infinitely unworthy". This paradox of Wilde's religious significance was not applauded by the public.

Art, Beauty and Love this was Wilde's altar. No matter how self-sufficient the one who claimed that everything happens in a person’s mind, in any case, everything worthwhile, Wilde sought consolation in faith in prison. An affair with Lord Douglas, which undermined the writer's creative powers, led him to Reading Prison, but if there were no imprisonment, we would not have a confession and a ballad, the most personal in Wilde's work. The film is based on a biographical study by Richard Ellman, and certainly sheds light on the ups and downs of lovers' relationships. But still, this is a list of various kinds of evidence, and what their love lived for, and how Wilde managed to keep it, this is "De Profundis", Wilde's letter to Bowsey Douglas. Brian Gilbert's film successfully combines these two sources. A step-by-step, almost journalistic investigation (Where? How long did it take? ..) is woven into the canvas of De Profundis emotions.

Both in Wilde's confession and in the biopic, there are no notes of remorse. Deprivation is experience, and therefore material for the Artist, as Wilde never ceased to see himself. He does not repent, either, because the meeting with Lord Douglas allowed Wilde to move from a theoretician in the worship of Beauty into practice. In his one and only novel, the Irishman showed how an ideal appearance dazzles even with the meanness of its owner. Lord Douglas is the ultimate example of soulless beauty. He was not the prototype of Dorian Gray, then he and Wilde were not yet together, but, like a literary hero, Lord Douglas, despite his debauchery, lived to an advanced age. Maybe he also had a portrait? In a certain sense, Wilde was a portrait for him: they came to Wilde for the debts of Lord Douglas, and he, recognized as the main sinner in this story, died for his beloved in hard labor.

Despite the fact that Wilde sang Beauty without reservation, in a letter from prison, Wilde reproaches Lord Douglas for cruelty, because physical beauty causes, as it turned out, mental pain. The film frankly demonstrates, even emphasizes the repulsive relationship between Wilde and the young aristocrat, who believed that paying for sex is a great opportunity to protect your feelings from someone else's attempts on them. Wilde forgave everything to this ungrateful hysterical boy. Douglas cost him his unwritten plays, his fortune, his self-respect. Truly, he was infinitely unworthy, but love is not weighed on an apothecary's scales or trimmed with a cutter's scissors.

It is possible that in this love-redemption, which Wilde wrote about in De Profundis, that it was a Christian feeling, and, like a sinner from the Gospel, he will be forgiven for having loved a lot, probably there is an element in this arguing with yourself. The question of Wilde's conceit is removed, it is enough to make sure that even in the confession intended for Lord Douglas, he quotes himself: as soon as something comes out from under his pen, it becomes an indisputable truth. Wilde would not admit to himself that, being with Bosie and being superior to him in every way, he could not "to bring to light the beauty dormant in it". Apparently, another, in addition to the catchy outer.

The facts about their relationship, presented during the hearing, could not help but shock the Victorian court. Wilde did indeed perjure himself in denying Father Bowsey's allegations. He tried to veil the nature of their relationship; they were infinitely far from ancient harmony. But at that court the verdict was pronounced not only on Wilde, but everyone, by his own judgment on this matter, passed it on to himself. Leaving aside his art, it can be assumed that the arrogant, albeit with undeniable genius, personality of the writer was humanly unsympathetic to many. “In the realm of passions, perversion has become to me what a paradox is in the realm of thought.” What are you talking about. And when yesterday's friends turned away from Wilde in sincere indignation or disgust-pose, Robbie Ross, his future literary executor, saluted Wilde by raising his hat. While others reached out to spit in his face. Wilde then says: "People have gone to heaven for less". So the court coped with its main task to distinguish good from evil.

Oscar Fingal O'Flaherty Wills Wilde - English writer of Irish origin, critic, philosopher, esthete; in the late Victorian period was one of the most famous playwrights. Born in the family of a doctor on October 16, 1854 in Dublin, Ireland. During 1864-1871. studied not far from his native city, in Enniskillenne, at the Royal School of Portora, where he demonstrated a brilliant sense of humor, showed himself to be a very talkative person with a lively mind.

Upon graduation, Wilde won a gold medal and a scholarship that allowed him to continue his studies at Trinity College in Dublin. Studying here from 1871 to 1874, Wilde, as well as at school, demonstrated an aptitude for ancient languages. Within the walls of this educational institution, for the first time, he listened to lectures on aesthetics, which, together with the influence exerted on the future writer by a refined, highly cultured professor-curator, largely shaped his future "branded" aesthetic behavior.

In 1874, Oscar Wilde managed to get a scholarship to study at Magdalen College, Oxford (classical department). Here he has developed a reputation as a man who, without making any special efforts, knows how to shine in society. In the same years, his special attitude to art was formed. At the same time, all kinds of curious cases and stories began to be associated with his name, he often found himself in the center of attention.

During his studies at Oxford, Wilde traveled to Greece and Italy, and the beauty and culture of these countries made a strong impression on him. As a student, he becomes the owner of the Newdigate Prize for the poem "Ravenna". After leaving the university in 1878, Wilde settled in London, where he became an active participant in social life, quickly gaining attention with his wit, non-trivial demeanor and talents. He becomes a revolutionary in the field of fashion, he is willingly invited to various salons, and visitors come to look at the "Irish wit".

In 1881, his collection "Poems" was published, immediately noticed by the public. J. Ruskin's lectures turned Wilde into a fan of the aesthetic movement, who believes that everyday life needs a revival of beauty. With lectures on aesthetics in 1882, he undertook a tour of American cities and was at that time the object of close attention from journalists. Wilde stayed in the USA for a year, after which, returning home for a short time, he left for Paris, where he met V. Hugo, A. France, P. Verlaine, Emile Zola and other major representatives of French literature.

Upon returning to England, 29-year-old Oscar Wilde marries Constance Lloyd, who becomes the mother of their two sons. The birth of children inspired the writer to compose fairy tales. In addition, he wrote for magazines and newspapers. In 1887, his stories "The Sphinx Without a Riddle", "The Crime of Lord Arthur Savile", "The Canterville Ghost" and others were published, which were included in the debut collection of stories.

In 1890, a novel is published that is gaining incredible popularity - The Picture of Dorian Gray. Critics called it immoral, but the author is already accustomed to criticism. In 1890, the essentially supplemented novel was published again, already in the form of a separate book (before that it had been published by a magazine) and was supplied with a preface, which became a kind of manifesto of aestheticism. The aesthetic doctrine of Oscar Wilde was also expounded in the collection of articles "Designs", published in 1891.

From this year until 1895, Wilde experienced the peak of fame, which was simply dizzying. In 1891, an event occurred that influenced the entire subsequent biography of the popular writer. Fate brought him to Alfred Douglas, who was younger than him by more than a decade and a half, and love for this man destroyed Wilde's whole life. Their relationship could not remain a secret for the metropolitan society. Douglas' father, the Marquess of Queensberry, filed a lawsuit accusing Wilde of the criminal offense of sodomy. Despite the advice of friends to go abroad, Wilde remains and defends his position, attracting the closest attention of the public to the court hearings.

The spirit of the writer, who received two years of hard labor in 1895, did not stand the test. Former friends and admirers for the most part preferred to break off relations with him, dearly beloved Alfred Douglas for all the time did not write a single line to him, not to mention visiting him. During Wilde's stay in prison, his closest person, his mother, died; wife, changing her surname and children, left the country. Wilde himself, who was released in May 1897, also left: the few friends who remained devoted to him helped him do this. There he lived under the name of Sebastian Melmoth. In 1898 he wrote an autobiographical poem, which became the last poetic achievement - "The Ballad of Reading Prison". Meningitis claimed the life of the poet on November 30, 1900. He was buried in the Paris cemetery of Bagno, but ten years later the remains were reburied in the Pere Lachaise cemetery. A stone sphinx was erected on the grave of an outstanding writer who died in a foreign land in poverty and obscurity.