ingles
O. Wilde (Dublin, 1854 -Paris, 1900)
Life
Dublin – scholarship to study at the Magdalen College in Oxford
Relations with Walter Pater, father of Aestheticism (Art for Art’s sake). Newsdigate Prize for Ravenna.
London- Vera– “Apostle of Aestheticism”, fame for his eccentricity
Tour to the USA – Went to live in Paris (The Duchess of Padua)
1884- He married Constance Mary. (poetry/ prose).
Back to London- his fame as an eccentric, homosexual and conversationalist grew.
He wrote poetry, short stories, a novel, and criticism, but the stage to which he was made for was theatre.
Theatre
In Paris – Salomé (in French) banned in the UK: no play containing biblical characters could enter the English stage – the real impediment was the argument (transforms a biblical story into a story of love offense: eros-thanatos & homosexual notes).
Other plays: Lady Windemere’s Fan, An Ideal Husband…
His theatrical masterpiece: The Importance of Being
Earnest (paradox) probably the second most quoted
play in the English language.
Later life and work
Difficult relationship with the aristocrat Alfred Douglas, son of the Marquess of Queensbery ► launched a campaign of fury on Wilde and, in 1895, he was imprisoned for “gross indecency” and condemned to 2 years of hard labour.
De Profundis, a long letter to Douglas written from prison
Death
In 1897 the two lovers reunited in Naples, but after a brief period they definitely separated.
In 1900, at the age of 46, dying of cerebral meningitis in a self-imposed French exile , Wilde was received into the Roman Catholic Church.
MERCY VS. SACRIFICE
Mercy -piety, forgiveness. Selflessness.
Sacrifice– Selfless / selfish sacrifice
►2 parts: Repression (of impulsive desires)
& Compensation (the reward promised for this kind of behaviour). Selfishness.
Mercy inner benevolence / Sacrifice- utilitarianism when counciously brings personal benefit.
Christ’s comment to the Pharisees: “Go learn the meaning of the words — What I want is mercy, not sacrifice”
Town’s people
1st : Statue – symbol of repression.
Councilor- immoderate delight, unpractical.
Mother- protest to her child’s tears.
Passerby- falseness, misery, envy
► Contrast: Charity Children – visionary innocence, no repression VS. Mathematical master – dreams’ repression “How do you know? You have never seen one”.
2nd : No compensation, no sacrifice.
Towns’ people “little than a beggar”
Art Professor “as he is no longer beautiful, he is no longer useful.”
Town Corporation- use of metal
Swallow & Prince– do not look for future reward, there is no pragmatic sacrifice ► their compensation is gratuitous.
Swallow
1st Selfish practicality
Love for the Reed- he never thinks to sacrifice his desire of travelling.
Criticism “I hope (it) has made preparations for my stay” ,“What is the use of a statue if it cannot keep the rain off?”…
2nd Sacrifice
Series of trials- each time the Prince asks him to stay one day longer (seamstress, playwright, match-girl), each time he must chose between compensation (Egypt) or sacrifice (Europe).
► Europe Vs. Egypt: Puritanical sacrifices Vs. A fairy tale realm
3rd Metamorphosis – Mercy
After the Prince is blind, he voluntarily chooses to stay
Conscience of his future death.
The Happy Prince
1st Blindness-Repression
Sans Souci Palace – sorrow was not allowed to enter – repression.
► City Vs Palace: Puritanical sacrifices Vs. A fairy tale realm
2nd life as a statue- retribution
Ironically, the retribution that aimed to praise him, was what revealed the pain.
Misery realization – Gives away his jewels (not practical sacrifice but pity for the poor)
3rd Complete sacrifice
He gives his body & beauty as bread.
Gives away his aesthetic glory & the broken leaden
Heart is the culmination of aesthetic beauty.
RELIGION
Parallelisms between
The Happy Prince & Christ
●He is twice born
Swallow- his disciple (his gift is partial in comparison)- “Will you not stay with me for one night
SOCIETY
Selfishness of the rich
– Palace girl – Seamstress,
– Professor of Ornithology-Playwright
– Old Jew – Match-girl…
insectes
bee; butterfly ; fly ; mosquito ; spider ; wasp ;
farm animals
bull; chicken ; cow; goat ; horse ; pig; sheep
wild animals
bat -bear-bird-camel-crocodile-deer-elephant-girraffe-kangaroo-lion-monkey-mouse-rabbit-rat-sanke-tigger
sea animals
dolphin-jellyfinish -shark-whale
POSSESSIVE PRONOUNS
MY-MINE
YOUR-YOURS
HIS-HIS
HER-HERS
ITS-
OUR-OURS
YOUR-YOURS
THEIR-THEIRS
MODAL
ought to / ought not to
should/ shouldn’t