Biography of Oscar Wilde

Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde was born on 16 October 1854, in Dblin, !reland, the
second of three children born to writer "ane Francesca #gnes ne $lgee %18&1'18(6) and
srgeon *ir Willia+ ,obert Wills Wilde %1815'18-6). Wilde's +other was a pro+inent poet
and nationalist/ his father a sccessfl ear and eye srgeon and noted philanthropist, 0nighted
in 1864. Oscar had an older brother na+ed Willia+ and a yonger sister, !sola. #fter his
initial years of schooling at ho+e, in 18-1 he entered 1rinity 2ollege, Dblin, then went on to
stdy the classics at 3agdalen 2ollege, O4ford, $ngland fro+ 18-4'18-8. !t was here that he
ca+e nder the inflence of writer and critic Walter 5ater %186('18(4) and helped fond the
#esthetic 3o7e+ent, 8art for art's sake8. Wilde e4celled in his stdies, winning +any pri9es
and awards inclding O4ford's :ewdigate 5ri9e for his poe+ 8,a7enna8 %18-8)/Oscar Wilde
(1854-1900), !rish dra+atist, poet, and athor wrote the dar0ly sardonic Fastian the+ed The
Picture of Dorian Gray %18(1)
$7er the aesthete, Wilde hi+self was profondly affected by beaty and li7ed and dressed
fla+boyantly co+pared to the typical ;ictorian styles and +ores of the ti+e. <e was often
pblicly caricatred and the target of +ch +oral otrage in $rope and #+erica. <is
writings sch as Dorian Gray with ho+oerotic the+es also broght +ch contro7ersy for hi+
bt he was part of the e7er'growing +o7e+ent of 'decadents' who ad7ocated pacifis+, social
refor+, and libertarianis+. While +any 7ilified hi+, he was +a0ing his +ar0 with style and
wit and en=oyed +ch sccess with +any of his plays. Wilde was laded by and ac>ainted
with +any inflential figres of the day inclding fellow playwright ?eorge Bernard *haw,
#+erican poets Walt Whit+an and <enry Wadsworth @ongfellow, and $nglish athor and
social critic "ohn ,s0in. <is wor0s ha7e inspired contless fellow athors, ha7e been
translated to n+eros langages, and ha7e been adapted to the stage and screen +any ti+es
o7er. Fiction by Wilde incldes The Canterville Ghost %188-), The Happy Prince and Other
Tales %1888), The Portrait of Mr. W. H. %188(), House of Po!e"ranates %18(1), #ord
rthur $avile's Cri!e%18(1), and %ntentions %essays, 18(1). <is plays inclde &era' or the
(ihilists %188A), The Duchess of Padua %1886), #ady Winder!ere's )an%18(&), )lorentine
Tra"edy %#a $ainte Courtisane 18(6), Wo!an of (o %!portance %18(6), $alo! %18(4), n
%deal Hus*and %18(5), and The %!portance of +ein" ,arnest %18(5).
Wilde was charged with 8gross indecency8 for ho+ose4al acts. 1he otco+e of the
sensational trial was a sentence of two years hard labor which Wilde ser7ed +ost of at the
,eading ?aol otside of @ondon. Oscar Wilde died of +eningitis on 6A :o7e+ber 1(AA. <e
now rests in 5Bre @achaise ce+etery in 5aris/ ,oss' ashes were added to the angel'adorned
to+b in 1(5A.