Oscar Wilde is a talented poet, novelist and playwright. He was an adherent of decadence, which is characterized by motives of decline. The writer's philosophical views influenced his work. Critics have repeatedly scolded his works, in which there was hopelessness. And the audience applauded the theatrical performances based on Wilde's plays.
From the biography of Oscar Wilde
Oscar Wilde was born in Dublin, Ireland on October 16, 1854. The father of the future prose writer, poet and playwright was a practicing surgeon, his area of professional interests was ophthalmology and otolaryngology. Wilde's mother published revolutionary poetry, choosing for herself the creative pseudonym Esperanza.
In 1871, Oscar entered Dublin at Trinity College, where he enjoyed a royal scholarship and was considered the best student of the course. For his successes in mastering the ancient Greek language, the young man received the Berkeley gold medal. From 1874 to 1878, Oscar studied at Oxford Magdalene College.
While studying at Trinity College, Wilde began publishing his works. His poem "Ravenna" was awarded a prestigious award in 1878.
Wilde was married. His chosen one was the daughter of an Irish lawyer, Constance Lloyd. Soon the young couple had two sons. But family life did not work out, the couple broke up.
Oscar Wilde's creativity
In 1878, Wilde chose London as his place of residence. Three years later, he published a collection of poetry. His early creations were in line with the direction of decadence. This aesthetic tradition is characterized by pretentiousness, a tendency to mysticism and pessimism, the cult of individualism, motives of despair and loneliness.
In 1881, Wilde was invited to New York to lecture on literature. Here, for the first time, he clearly formulated the main principles of English decadence. During his several months in North America, Oscar Wilde gave almost one and a half hundred lectures.
From 1888 to 1891, Wilde published two collections of fairy tales and a collection of short stories in England.
The novel "The Portrait of Dorian Gray" (1890) brought popularity to the author. In the name of pleasure and the illusory freedom of expression, Wilde's hero rejects moral norms and moral restrictions. And in the end he dies, becoming a hostage of his choice. Critics have repeatedly criticized this work of Wilde for immorality.
Wilde's wit and talent as a writer are reflected in his plays. The most famous of these are Lady Windermere's Fan (1892), The Ideal Husband (1895), and The Importance of Being Earnest (1895). The play "Salome", which was written by the author especially for Sarah Bernhardt, acquired a stage history only in the early years of the 20th century: censorship was in no hurry to give the go-ahead for the production, since the play featured biblical characters.
In 1895, Wilde found himself at the center of a scandal. He had to defend himself against the accusation of homosexuality. As a result, the famous writer was arrested, tried and sentenced to two years of correctional labor. Wilde was released only in 1897. During his imprisonment, Oscar created the composition "From the Abyss", which was published after his death.
Oscar Wilde ended his earthly journey on November 30, 1900 in the capital of France. The cause of death was meningitis.
