Oscar Fingal O'Flaherty Wills Wilde (Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde) - Irish philosopher, esthete, writer, poet.

Oscar was born on October 16, 1854 in Dublin, his father was an ophthalmologist, and his mother was a writer and journalist. Oscar Wilde received his first education at home. His parents, superbly educated, instilled in him a love of books and languages ​​from childhood.

From 1864 to 1871, Oscar Wilde studied at the Royal School of Portora (near Dublin), from which he graduated with a gold medal. Wilde was awarded a Royal School Scholarship to study at Trinity College, Dublin.

In this educational institution, Wilde acquired not only knowledge, but also some beliefs and character traits that he retained throughout his life.

In 1874, Wilde was awarded a scholarship to study at Oxford Magdalene College in the classics department. While still a student, Oscar traveled around Europe and also wrote several works. For the poem "Ravenna" he received the Newdigate Prize. After graduating from university, he settled in London and traveled around the USA giving lectures.

The next period of his life was literary fruitful. He worked as a journalist (he was editor of the magazine " Women's World"), and also wrote many short stories during that time. Wilde's popular novel The Picture of Dorian Gray was published in 1890.

The writer’s wit was perfectly demonstrated in the comedies “An Ideal Husband”, “The Importance of Being Serious”, “ Salome" After an affair with Alfred Douglas (he abandoned his family because of this relationship), the Marquess of Queensberry sued Wilde. Oscar was sentenced to two years in prison, in which he finally broke down morally. Released in 1897, he settled in France, changing his name to Sebastian Melmoth, and wrote “The Ballad of Reading Gaol.”

The famous poet, sensitive playwright, publicist and famous prose writer Oscar Wilde lived a life full of difficulties and personal troubles. He remained misunderstood by his contemporaries, but his works glorified the author for centuries, not allowing his name to sink into oblivion.

The childhood of an unusual boy

Oscar Finngal Wilde O'Flaherty was born in the glorious city of Dublin in 1854. His date of birth was October 16. The parents of the future poet were wealthy and respected people in Irish society.

Oscar's father worked as a doctor, his specialization was ophthalmology and surgery. The boy's mother was an active woman who devoted a lot of time to the fight for the rights of the Irish. Jane Francesca also adored poetry, and managed to convey this love to her son.

William Wilde was not only an eye surgeon, but also was fond of literature, wrote historical works, and once even received a knighthood from the Queen for his work as a doctor.

There were always a lot of visitors and guests in the Wilde family house. The evenings hosted by the married couple attracted the “cream” of local society.

Oscar had an older brother, as well as a younger sister, Isola, who died of meningitis at age ten. Oscar took the loss of his sister very hard.

With his brother William, who was named after his father, Oscar was homeschooled. The brothers' home education was excellent. The boys were taught all the necessary manners. The children read a lot, then learned French and German languages thanks to his governesses, who were foreigners.

The children were then assigned to the Royal School of Portora. Having completed his schooling at the age of seventeen, Oscar could not boast of deep knowledge in the exact sciences, but, nevertheless, he graduated from the institution with a medal for his talents in speed reading and literature. He also received a placement at the prestigious Irish Trinity College.

As a student, Oscar did not get along well with his classmates. One day, the college kids decided to teach the dreamy and arrogant Oscar a little lesson. They dragged the future poet up the hill. Once at the top, Oscar dusted himself off and said loudly: “What a beautiful view!”

Student Wilde loved to participate in various literary competitions. In many of them he took first place. In college, the young man became interested in Ancient Greece. Antiquity, aesthetics, ancient languages ​​became a real passion for him.

Wilde always gravitated towards self-irony, was a skeptic and a supporter of Hellenism. Three years later, the talented guy was sent to study at Oxford. In addition to his knowledge at Oxford, Oscar acquired an English accent, losing his Irish pronunciation.

Around extraordinary personality poet back in student years There were various rumors. Oscar himself was in no hurry to dispel them; he liked the fact that his person was surrounded by legends and myths during his lifetime.

While studying for worldview young man One of the teachers greatly influenced me. John Ruskin, who sees the beauty of the world only in synthesis with goodness, had a great influence on Oscar's views.

During the same period, the young poet went on a trip to Italy and Greece. The countries made a good impression on Wilde. Returning home, the talented young man took inspiration from the trip and created the poem “Ravenna”. For this work, Oscar received one of the university's main awards.

Creative development of a poet

Having lived for a quarter of a century, and having graduated from Oxford, Oscar goes to London to start there new life. In the capital of Britain, the young man is considered a trendsetter, as his style of clothing seems very attractive to local young men. In addition, after meeting the local literary bohemia, he becomes accepted into many salons in London.

After gaining popularity in England, Oscar goes on a tour of America. There he successfully lectures on art, which find a positive response in the hearts of the local public..

The poet returns home even more famous than before. Oscar's popularity at such a young age was confirmed by the fact that his jokes and sayings began to be parsed into quotes.

After America, the poet went to France, where he met the elite French literature. During his next return to his native Britain, Wilde marries. In this marriage, children are born who inspire the writer and poet to create fairy tales and children's stories. For the sake of his children, Wilde wrote such works as:

• Collection "The Happy Prince";
• Collection "Pomegranate House".

Being at first an exemplary family man, Oscar Wilde received the favor of high English society and also achieved incredible popularity.

At the age of 33, which is known to be a transitional age in the lives of many people, Oscar wrote some of his main works. "The Canterville Ghost" was enthusiastically received by the public. "Lord Arthur's Crime" also won the approval of high society.

Around the same years, Wilde began creating The Picture of Dorian Gray. This work was released to the general public in 1890. The novel received mixed public reviews.

In addition to non-trivial works, there were many moments in the writer’s life that were subject to criticism and gossip. After all, fame goes hand in hand with condemnation, and other people's success invariably causes envy.

In the 90s, Oscar distinguished himself as a humorist and comedy writer. He created several comedies for the theater stage. The plays “An Ideal Husband” and “A Woman Not Worth Attention” began to be in great demand.

The personal vicissitudes of Oscar Wilde

At first, everything went smoothly in Oscar’s personal life. In his youth he was a regular at brothels. According to rumors, it was there that he contracted a sexually transmitted disease, which he could not cure for a long time.

During his student years, he often fell in love with young beauties and actresses. Only Constance Lloyd was able to calm down the writer’s ardent heart a little. Oscar courted Constance for three years until the girl agreed to marry him.

In the early years of their marriage, the couple had two children: Cyril and Vivian.

A few years later, disagreements began between the spouses. They moved away from each other and then began to live separately. According to unverified data, Oscar suffered from an untreated venereal disease, due to which he could not live with his wife and children.

Life separate from the family made the morals of the poet and writer freer. He began to enter into relationships not only with women, but also with men.

His first partner was his personal secretary, Robert Ross. Then, in one of the salons, Wilde was introduced to the aristocrat Alfred Douglas. At first, a strong friendship developed between the marquis and the poet based on an interest in literature, then the men entered into close relationships with each other.

Alfred was 16 years younger than Oscar. He constantly encouraged the writer to do little madness. Sometimes Alfred demanded walks together in public, which, of course, could not go unnoticed. He also constantly took money from Oscar. Before meeting the Marquis, the writer lived quite modestly, although he received large fees. Wilde never got into large debts, was not a drunkard or a gambler. Douglas is used to living in grand style. His influential father for the time being tolerated his son’s antics, but after an open relationship with Oscar, he stopped financing him and demanded a break with his famous lover.

The lovers resisted pressure from the public and Douglas's relatives. Relatives, for their part, blackmailed Wilde in every possible way so that he would break up with Alfred. Homosexual relations in England at that time were prohibited by law and punishable by hard labor. Alfred Douglas was also blackmailed by other dandies, and Oscar had to pay off all his ill-wishers while he had the opportunity.

The result of the relationship between Wilde and Douglas was endless problems, which then escalated into lawsuits. After one such trial, Oscar was convicted and sent to prison.

Betrayal, trial, death

The Marquis of Douglas had a narcissistic character. He constantly sought to dominate others, caring only about his own pleasures. Because of his connection with him, Oscar was persecuted by Douglas's father. One day he gave Wilde a note in which he accused the poet of debauchery. Oscar became very angry and sued Father Douglas.

Thanks to his connections and careful preparation, Marquis Sr. won the libel case. The charges against him were dropped. In turn, he himself sued Oscar. There he was able to prove that Wilde had homosexual relationships. The writer received the maximum sentence, which at that time was equal to two years of hard labor.

As soon as the poet was imprisoned, his friend Alfred immediately left him and again began to live for his own pleasure. His wife also turned away from Oscar. She visited him only a few times to sign papers concerning the children.

Due to public disgrace, Wilde's wife had to change her surname and leave England with her children. The woman moved to live in Italy, where she died after unsuccessful medical intervention.

In 1897, Oscar Wilde was released. He left Britain for France, where he lived on the support that his wife, who was still alive at that time, sent him. Oscar again made the same mistake by resuming his relationship with Douglas. Only the reunion did not last long. He abandoned the writer again when he ran out of money.

Imprisonment and hard hard labor broke the man, took away his will to live and hope for the best. Despite this, Wilde finds the strength to write the ballad “Reading Gaol”. He publishes it under the pseudonym Melmoth, since the writer’s own name is tarnished with shame.

In 1900, the poet and playwright contracted an ear infection. It develops into meningitis. That same year, on November 30, Oscar Wilde passed away due to brain inflammation.

The writer's burial was initially located in a small Parisian cemetery. His remains were then moved to the famous Père Lachaise cemetery.

Wilde's grave was decorated with a sculpture of a sphinx. Later, this monument had to be surrounded by a glass fence. Many women believed that if you kiss this sphinx, you will certainly meet your true love. The entire monument was smeared with lipstick, which spoiled the material and appearance of the burial.

Oscar Wilde was an interesting and slightly eccentric man. For my short life he experienced true ups and downs. Let's consider the most Interesting Facts about this outstanding poet and writer:

• In England, Wilde was voted the wittiest man of all time;
• The novel written by the author about Dorian Gray has been filmed more than 25 times;
• Even while in prison, Oscar strived to do something good for people. There he drew up an act “on prisons”, in which he proposed improving the lives of prisoners. UK legislators took the petition into account;
• Good manners were so inherent in the poet that he always changed his suit for a fresh one before dinner;
• There is evidence that as a child, Oscar was forced to wear girls' dresses because his mother wanted a girl instead of a boy.

The Irish and the English are equally proud that it was their land that raised the world-famous author and poet. In his worldview, Wilde was ahead of his time. If he had been born today, his fate could have turned out completely differently. The trials that befell the writer could have broken anyone, but he found the strength to finish his last work, albeit under a new name, since he could not use his own due to public condemnation. The poet's children grew up under a completely different surname and hardly saw their father until his death.

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 famous in high society circles. Father William Wilde practiced medicine, in his field 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. Salons were held in the Wilde couple's house, attended by the top 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 earlier than Oscar, and his sister Isola was born two years younger. The girl died at the age of ten due to inflammation of the brain. The children received an excellent education at home. They had German and French governesses. The first educational institution for the brothers was the Royal School of Portora, which was located in a small town near Dublin. Little Oscar was distinguished by his talent for reading and witty statements. At the end educational institution at the age of 17, Wilde received a gold medal and was sent to Trinity College.

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

After three years, the promising student is sent to Oxford, where the style and image of Oscar Wilde as an impeccable dandy finally takes shape. One of the criteria for success for a young man even then is the formation of an aura 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 beauty is finally formed. For Oscar, moral values ​​are no longer the only criterion for 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 late XIX century.

During his studies, Oscar travels for the first time to his beloved Italy and Greece. Inspired by new impressions, Wilde wrote one of his first poems, “Ravenna,” for which he received a university prize.

Creation

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

Oscar Wilde started out as a poet

In the first years of his literary creativity Oscar Wilde dealt only with poetry, occasionally creating essays devoted to problems of aesthetics. 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 writer's charm and intelligence; Oscar acquired a large army of fans and followers overseas.

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

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

His journalistic articles are published in the country's best publications, Wilde takes on the responsibilities of editor in the magazine "Women's World". The legendary playwright speaks favorably about 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 barbs directed at Oscar only strengthen his authority and popularity in society.

First edition of The Picture of Dorian Gray in a British magazine

At the age of 33, Wilde wrote his first serious works. Starting with the creation of the stories “The Crime of Lord Arthur Savile”, “The Canterville Ghost”, “The Sphinx Without a Riddle”, Wilde began his main work 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 pursued by the author, high society perceived the novel as an immoral work. But the simpler audience was delighted. Following the scandal associated with the publication of his only novel, Oscar Wilde published the drama “Salome,” which largely influenced the development of the art of decadence. The play also received mixed reviews from public opinion and was not staged in the UK for a long time.

Poster for the play “An Ideal Husband”

In the early 90s, Oscar Wilde created a number of comedies for the theater stage, which were embodied on the stage of London. These plays include Lady Windermere's Fan, A Woman Not Worth Noticing, An Ideal Husband and The Importance of Being Earnest. In them, the playwright reveals himself as a master of witty dialogue. More and more confidently in dramaturgy, he uses the technique of paradox.

Personal life

Oscar Wilde was amorous from his youth. His first crushes were Florrie Balkum and actress Lilly Langtry. Already at a young age, the writer became a visitor to the capital's brothels, which at that time were popular among 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, boys of the same age appear in the family of the London dandy - sons Cyril and Vivian.

After a few years of marriage, alienation began between the spouses. It is quite possible that the cause of this was the writer’s untreated venereal disease. 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 the writer's personal secretary and confidant.

In 1891, an acquaintance took place that 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 just published novel. Soon a strong friendship began between the two aesthetes, which grew into passion.

Court and prison

The men stopped hiding their relationship; they often appeared at social parties together. Bosie Douglas, as Alfred was called by all his acquaintances, had a narcissistic type of character - he tried to subjugate everything and everyone to his will. Oscar could not resist the young man's whims and constantly indulged him. His father, the Marquis of Queensberry, soon learned about his son Bosie's connection. The shocking news prompted him to begin pursuing Wilde. The last straw for the writer’s patience was an open note that was given to him by the Marquis during a meeting of the Albemarle Club. In it, Bosie's father accused Wilde of sodomy.

Outraged, Oscar sues his opponent for libel, which becomes a mistake for him. The prepared marquis proves the correctness of his accusation. After the trial is completed, a counter-trial begins, the purpose of which is to accuse Wilde of homosexuality. The Marquis won the case, and the writer was sent to prison. Oscar Wilde received the maximum punishment existing in those years: two years of hard labor. Many of his friends, including Bosie, turned their backs on him. The wife and children left the country and changed their last name. 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. These years he lives on the allowance that his wife sends him after the sale of all the personal property of the Wilde family. In the French capital, he begins dating Douglas again, but their relationship becomes strained. Taking the pseudonym Sebastian Melmoth, Oscar begins literary activity and writes a famous work recent years his life "The Ballad of Reading Gaol".

At the beginning of 1900, Oscar fell ill with an ear infection, which, with his body weakened by imprisonment, provoked the development of meningitis. Brain inflammation was the cause of the writer’s death 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 Père Lachaise cemetery. At the writer’s burial site, a monument in the form of the head of the Sphinx was erected.

• According to the results of a survey conducted among BBC viewers, Oscar Wilde was recognized as the wittiest person who ever lived in England.
• The novel “The Picture of Dorian Gray” has been translated into cinema more than 25 times.
• The Tokyo Disneyland Ghost House features a portrait of a young Dorian Gray, who changes the picture to an image of a scary old man.

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

Quotes

• “Positive people get on your nerves, bad people get on your imagination.”
• “As one witty Frenchman said, women inspire us to do great things, but always prevent us from doing them.”
• “A cynic is a person who knows the price of everything and values ​​nothing.”
• “Being in love begins with a person deceiving himself, and ends with him deceiving 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 it.”

Books

• "Ravenna" (1878)
• "The Garden of Eros" (1881)
• "The Duchess of Padua" (1883)
• "The Canterville Ghost" (1887)
• "The Crime of Lord Arthur Savile" (1888)
• "The Happy Prince and Other Tales" (1888)
• "The Picture of Dorian Gray" (1890)
• "Salome" (1891)
• "The Pomegranate House" (1891)
• "Lady Windermere's Fan" (1892)
• "A Woman Not Worth Noticing" (1893)
• "The Sphinx" (1894)
• "An Ideal Husband" (1895)
• "The Ballad of Reading Gaol" (1898)

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 from his pen instantly became popular. However, as many bright personalities, he was not destined to live a long life.

Oscar Wilde's family

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

The beloved mother of the future writer, Jane Wilde, was also no stranger to literature. During her tumultuous youth, this heroic woman was a member of the revolutionary Young Irish movement and at one time wrote patriotic poetry for them.

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

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

The writer's childhood and youth

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

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

Far from his parents' home in a new environment, young Oscar Wilde soon created an excellent reputation for himself. Witty quotes from this student passed from mouth to mouth among his comrades. In addition, he managed to study well. So, the guy managed to graduate from school with a gold medal and earn a scholarship to continue his studies at Dublin College of the Holy Trinity.

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.

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

Brief biography: Oscar Wilde in London and the USA

After finishing his studies, the young esthete decided to stay and live in the capital of the kingdom. By that time, he had gotten rid of the accent that marked him as Irish, and had learned to speak an excellent literary language. The young, charming gentleman with an elegant style and excellent humor quickly found a place in the highest circles of London's cultural elite. Pretty soon he became “that Wilde.” He was listened to, quoted and admired.

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

The following year, the recognized esthete traveled to the USA. Here he lectured on art and aesthetics. Within a year of living in America, Oscar Wilde became practically a living legend. Quotes from this wit and stories about his adventures practically never left the newspaper pages. Reporters followed him everywhere, watching how brilliantly he extricated himself from various situations without losing his dignity. Returning from his 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 gave birth to two beautiful boys, Cyril and Vivian.

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

Unfortunately, the writer’s happy family life had a rather short biography. Oscar Wilde began communicating with a young nobleman named Alfred Douglas in 1891. From this time on, his relationship with his wife becomes only a formality.

Peak of the writer's popularity

Oscar Wilde's close friendship with Douglas lasted from 1981 to 1895. Interestingly, this period turned out to be the most fruitful in the writer's work. And although many 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 Wilde fame at that time.

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

During these same years, Oscar Wilde wrote not only plays. Books with articles by the writer about aestheticism and his views on society and its morality also saw the light of day during this period. These were the famous “Plans” and “The Soul of Man under Socialism.”

Trial, imprisonment and final years

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

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

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, had 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 new country he published his last work, “The Ballad of Reading Gaol,” which was signed with the name S.3.3.

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

Having never returned 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 before he was fifty. On the other hand, for a person like Oscar Wilde, this may have been the best option. After all, he left literature and life at the peak, without having time to bore either himself or his readers, and for such an esthete this was very important.

Oscar Wilde- English writer and poet. One of the most famous playwrights of the late Victorian period, one of the key figures of aestheticism and European modernism.

Wilde's works (for example, The Picture of Dorian Gray) are included in the required school curriculum in many countries of the world.

In this article we will look at the characteristics of Wilde and his difficult life.

So, in front of you short biography of Oscar Wilde. .

Biography of Wilde

Oscar Fingal O'Flaherty Wills Wilde was born on October 16, 1854 in . He grew up in an intelligent and educated family. His father, William Wilde, was a talented and famous doctor who performed operations on the eyes and ears.

In his free time, Wilde Sr. was seriously interested in archeology and studied. Later, he founded a medical center where the poor could undergo free examination.

For these and other services to the state, Wilde's father was awarded a knighthood.

Oscar's mother, Jane Francesca, was involved in movements promoting Irish rights and freedom. There were often gatherings at the Wilde's house. famous people who discussed various topics.

In addition to Oscar, the Wilde family had a girl, Isola, and a boy, William, but Izola died of meningitis in childhood.

Childhood and youth

Until the age of 9, Oscar received education at home from governesses: a French woman and a German woman. He was then sent to the Royal School of Portora.

Oscar Wilde loved to study and sat for a long time. It's interesting that already with youth in his speech there were many words composed by himself.

Oscar Wilde as a child

Wilde was an average student, like most of his peers. However, he had the ability to read phenomenally quickly. He also received a special award for his knowledge of the Greek text of the New Testament.

At the age of 17, Oscar graduated from school with honors, after which he continued his studies at Trinity College.

At that time, Wilde became seriously interested in studying ancient culture and ancient languages. Soon this will be reflected in the development of his personality.

Thanks to the knowledge gained, his behavior, clothes and style of speech will change.

In 1874, Oscar Wilde continued his studies at Oxford, where he was able to get rid of his Irish accent. He sought to have a reputation as an extraordinary and mysterious person.

When any fables were spread about him, he in no way tried to refute them. On the contrary, Wilde himself often “added fuel to the fire”, wanting to be discussed even more actively.

In this regard, he was similar to the one known throughout the world.

Wilde's biographers note that it was while studying at the university that the future writer formed his attitude towards everything beautiful. His worldview was seriously influenced by the art theorist John Ruskin, who taught at Oxford.

As a student, Oscar Wilde managed to visit Italy, which he had long dreamed of visiting.

He was so impressed by everything he saw that he soon wrote the poem “Ravenna”. This work was one of the first in his biography.

Interestingly, the university teachers liked his poem so much that they awarded the student a prize.

Wilde's works

When Wilde turned 24, he moved to. The guy often went to social events, dressing in various extravagant outfits.

Soon many young people began to dress in similar clothes, trying to look like Oscar Wilde.

Since the writer had an extraordinary mind and a bright sense of humor, he constantly made subtle jokes and witty statements, which were then repeated by his fans.

At the beginning of his creative biography, Wilde was engaged in writing poetry, and only occasionally paid attention to aesthetics. During the biography of 1882-1883. Wilde spent time in America, where he repeatedly gave lectures on.

The public who came to his performances was delighted with the high intelligence and charisma of the speaker. As a result, Wilde's popularity grew every day.

Returning home, Oscar Wilde decides to try himself as children's writer. Soon he publishes 2 collections of fairy tales: “The Happy Prince” and “The House of Pomegranates.”

These works of Wilde were well received by both readers and critics.

In parallel with this, he writes articles for various publishing houses, and also works as an editor at the Women's World magazine. An interesting fact is that no less famous at that time treated Wilde’s work very well.

It must be said that Wilde’s fans spoke of him with delight, while his opponents were disgusted with him.

However, as before, the writer did not react to harsh criticism addressed to him. on the contrary, it only tempered him and gave him strength for further creativity.

Having reached the age of 33, Oscar Wilde wrote the first serious works in his biography. These include such stories as “The Canterville Ghost”, “The Sphinx Without a Riddle” and “The Crime of Lord Arthur Savile”.

In 1890, the novel “The Picture of Dorian Gray” came out from his pen, which became the most famous in his biography. It's interesting that at first this work was not appreciated.

After this, Wilde wrote a theatrical play based on biblical stories - “Salome”. However, since at that time it was forbidden to stage plays on stages biblical stories, the work was not censored.

Then Wilde wrote many comedic plays: “An Ideal Husband”, “The Importance of Being Earnest”, “Faith, or Nihilists”, “The Duchess of Padua” and others.

Performances based on these works were a huge success with the public, because they contained many witty and even sarcastic dialogues.

Personal life

From his youth, Oscar Wilde was particularly amorous. In this regard, he had many short love affairs.

It is interesting that the writer was a frequent guest of brothels, as were many of his friends.

At the age of 27, he fell in love with Constance Lloyd, who reciprocated his feelings. After 2 years they got married. In this marriage they had two sons - Cyril and Vivian.

Oscar Wilde's family

In the first years of marriage, there was complete idyll between the spouses, but after a few years their feelings began to cool. As a result, Oscar Wilde moved to another house and began to live separately from his family.

Soon he began a homosexual affair with secretary Robert Ross, but after a short time they separated.

His next partner was the Marquis Alfred Douglas, who was 16 years younger than Wilde.

Court and prison

Wilde and Douglas' relationship developed to such an extent that they began to appear together on the streets and at social events. Oscar was crazy about his capricious partner, and tried to fulfill all his wishes.

When Alfred's father found out about his son's relationship with the writer, he was furious. He gave Wilde a note in which he accused him of sodomy. In response, the writer sued his accuser for libel.

Douglas's father was prepared for such a development of events, so he prepared well in advance. He easily managed to prove his charges, as a result of which the court found Wilde guilty of “gross indecency” with male persons.

Oscar Wilde and Alfred Douglas

In 1895 he was sentenced to 2 years in prison. An interesting fact is that while serving his sentence, Alfred Douglas never visited his “friend.” Moreover, in one of the letters addressed to Wilde, he wrote: “When you are not on a pedestal, no one is interested in you...”.

Prison completely broke Oscar. After Wilde's homosexuality was made public, many friends and colleagues turned their backs on him, not wanting to have any relationship with him.

Wilde's wife, Constance, despite the terrible situation, refused to file for divorce, and even visited the writer twice in prison.

However, she soon moved with her children to, and then changed her last name altogether.

Death

When Oscar Wilde was released in 1897, he immediately went to. In Paris, he lived at the support of his wife, who sent him money received from the sale of the writer’s personal belongings.

There he begins dating Douglas again, but their relationship is no longer the same as before. During this period of his biography, Wilde returned to writing and wrote the poem “The Ballad of Reading Gaol” under the pseudonym Sebastian Melmoth.

In 1898, Wilde's wife died in a hospital in Italy after an unsuccessful operation.

Soon Wilde himself fell ill with meningitis caused by an ear infection. IN last days Throughout his life he suffered from unbearable pain and could only communicate with gestures.

Interestingly, he was buried in the Bagno cemetery, but 10 years later his remains were reburied in the famous Père Lachaise cemetery in Paris.

Photo by Oscar Wilde

Below are a few famous photos Wilde.

If you liked the short biography of Wilde, share it on in social networks. If you like biographies of great people in general, and in particular, subscribe to the site. It's always interesting with us!

Did you like the post? Press any button.