V4 en 5 Dorian Gray

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• vwo
• Leerjaar 3

The picture of 

Dorian Gray

After today's lesson, you will...

... know more about Oscar Wilde.

... know about the aesthetic movement.

 

The Aesthetic Movement

The Aesthetic movement is an art movement that emerged in Industrial Britain around 1860 and was considered a revolt against the materialistic culture brought about by the Industrial era. Simply put, the Aesthetic movement was driven by the desire for producing art for art’s sake – a phrase you may hear often in the debate surrounding what constitutes “good art”. Art for art’s sake implies that artists produce works merely for the aesthetic quality or value that the artwork evokes.

This means that in Victorian Britain, there was a growing desire for art that was simply appreciated for its surface value or beauty rather than deep concept, technical execution, subliminal qualities, symbols, or complex interpretations.

What is the
aesthetic movement?

The Picture of Dorian Gray

Summary

character overview

Write summary chapter 1

How it all starts......

The story begins in the art studio of Basil Hallward who has painted a portrait of a beautiful young man (Dorian Gray).

 Lord Henry Wotton, a friend of Basil,  believes that the portrait should be displayed, but Basil disagrees because he is affraid that this could show an obsession with Dorian Gray. 

Who wrote The picture of Dorian Gray?

What do you know about the Victorian age?

The Victorian Age (1)

• Started around 1830 ended in early 20th century
• Named after Queen Victoria (1837 - 1901)
• Britain: great economic and political power
• "The workshop of the world"
• "The empire on which the sun never set"

Young Victoria

Elderly Victoria

The Victorian Age (2)

• Empire building: Britain's national destiny
• Sense of moral superiority (white man's burden)
• From  1830s: Laws aimed at reform (Reform Bills, Poor Laws, educational laws)
• Yet: period of great social inequality
• rich vs poor ("the two nations")
• men vs women ("Victorian double standard")

The Victorian Age (3)

• Scientific discovery and progress

• Growing uncertainty and intellectual doubt"
• Religious beliefs vs scientific evidence
• Discovery of fossils
• Theory of evolution 

 Grosvenor Gallery

One of the major institutions associated with the Aesthetic movement is the Grosvenor Gallery, which opened its doors to Aesthetic artists in 1877 and provided an official platform for these artists to share their creative expressions of Aestheticism and voice their preferences as a rejection of academic art styles. The Grosvenor Gallery promoted the work and careers of many influential Aesthetic artists

Grosvenor Gallery is also mentioned in the book. By who and in what context?

1. Basil, because he wants to exhibit the picture there
2. Dorian because he wants to be famous
3. Henry, because he wants to exhibit the picture there

Which characters are introduced in chapter one?

1. Basil and Henry
2. Henry and Dorian
3. Basil and Dorian
4. Dorian and Sybil

character overview

What do you know about Basil?

What do you know about Henry?

What is the
aesthetic movement?

The Aesthetic Movement

The Aesthetic movement is an art movement that emerged in Industrial Britain around 1860 and was considered a revolt against the materialistic culture brought about by the Industrial era. Simply put, the Aesthetic movement was driven by the desire for producing art for art’s sake – a phrase you may hear often in the debate surrounding what constitutes “good art”. Art for art’s sake implies that artists produce works merely for the aesthetic quality or value that the artwork evokes.

Summarize chapter 2 in your own words

The picture of 

Dorian Gray

Part 3

Before we start....

What can you remember from last class

What is the
aesthetic movement? Use your own words.

Who is Basil?

Who is Henry?

1. An art-critic and aristocrat
2. He is the artist who paints the picture
3. He is the boyfriend of Dorian
4. He owns an art gallery

character overview

Victorian Era: Characteristics

• daily life
  
• moral purpose
• idealism/ideal life
• pessimism
• visually descriptive
• dramatic monologue
• takes inspiration from renaissance

Why was the novel successful? 

1. intended for middle class

2. flexible

3. escapism (industrial revolution Vs. refuge in nature)

4. realistic

5. solutions to complex issues

Characteristics of Victorian Novel: 

1. Standard middle-class (bourgeoisie) habits and standards of behaviour.

2. The most popular topic is the adaptation of the individual to society. (Was this similar to the Romantic era?)

3. Emphasis on the way that characters develop. 

(lower class described in a boring manner, aristocracy portrayed in a jealous/arrogant manner). 

Back to the book

Literary terms:

Setting

Characters

5 stages of a story....

5 stages of a story

Themes explained

• Aesthetic Movement:  Victorians believed art had to have a clear objective: educate masses, distinguish good from bad, be beautiful. The aim of art was to have no aims = Art for Art's sake.
• Hedonism: the theory that pleasure (the satisfaction of desires) is the highest good and aim of human life. 

Aestheticism

How is the picture of Dorian Gray an example of Aestheticism: 

Real art takes no part in molding the social or moral identities of society, nor should it. Art should be beautiful and pleasure its observer, but to imply further-reaching influence would be a mistake. The only purpose of life Dorian has in mind is pleasure seeking and nothing else. 

The picture of 

Dorian Gray

Part 4

Five stages of a story

Introduction

Rising action

Climax

Falling Action

Resolution

In which stage are we now in the book (chapters 5 and 6)

Before we continue....

Let's look back at the previous chapters

Who is Lord Henry? Be as complete as possible.

How does Dorian meet Sybil for the first time?

1. He meets her at a party for the aristocrats
2. He buys a ticket for the theatre and sees her there
3. Lord Henry introduces them to each other
4. He is walking through the city and lured into a theatre

What does Lord George tell Henry about Dorian's background?

How it all starts......

The story begins in the art studio of Basil Hallward who has painted a portrait of a beautiful young man (Dorian Gray).

 Lord Henry Wotton, a friend of Basil,  believes that the portrait should be displayed, but Basil disagrees because he is affraid that this could show an obsession with Dorian Gray. 

the inciting moment

Dorian then arrives and is fascinated by the portrait. Basil decides to give the portrait to Dorian.  Henry explains that one should give into impulses in life and that beauty and youth are fleeting. Dorian then declares that he would give his soul if the portrait were to grow old and he would remain young and beautiful. 

rising action start

Henry makes it his goal to try to mold Dorian's personality.  Dorian tells Henry that he has fallen in love with an actress called Sibyl Vane. Chapter 4 ends with Dorian letting Henry know he's going to marry her via a telegram.

The Picture of Dorian Gray

Themes & 

Background

Themes explained

• Aesthetic Movement:  Victorians believed art had to have a clear objective: educate masses, distinguish good from bad, be beautiful. The aim of art was to have no aims = Art for Art's sake.
• Hedonism: the theory that pleasure (the satisfaction of desires) is the highest good and aim of human life. 

Themes explained

• Theme of Faust: sell soul to devil in return for beauty, wisdom and pleasure. In the end nothing is gained. 
• immortal beauty of youth opposed to becoming older, uglier and meaner
• appearances are deceptive

Background:

• commotion after publication: homosexuality and mistresses. The novel was used as evidence in a lawsuit in 1895 against Wilde, tried and convicted on charges of homosexuality.    

• Wilde's response: “There is no such thing as a moral or an immoral book. " "Book are well written, or badly written."

• The novel could be read as a profoundly moral book, even a cautionary tale against the dangers of immorality. 
  

How it all starts......

The story begins in the art studio of Basil Hallward who has painted a portrait of a beautiful young man (Dorian Gray).

 Lord Henry Wotton, a friend of Basil,  believes that the portrait should be displayed, but Basil disagrees because he is affraid that this could show an obsession with Dorian Gray. 

the inciting moment

Dorian then arrives and is fascinated by the portrait. Basil decides to give the portrait to Dorian.  Henry explains that one should give into impulses in life and that beauty and youth are fleeting. Dorian then declares that he would give his soul if the portrait were to grow old and he would remain young and beautiful. 

rising action start

Henry makes it his goal to try to mold Dorian's personality.  Dorian tells Henry that he has fallen in love with an actress called Sibyl Vane. Chapter 4 ends with Dorian letting Henry know he's going to marry her via a telegram.

the inciting moment

Dorian then arrives and is fascinated by the portrait. Basil decides to give the portrait to Dorian.  Henry explains that one should give into impulses in life and that beauty and youth are fleeting. Dorian then declares that he would give his soul if the portrait were to grow old and he would remain young and beautiful. 

rising action: the heartbreak

Henry makes it his goal to try to mold Dorian's personality.  Dorian tells Henry that he has fallen in love with an actress called Sibyl Vane. He attends a performance of Sibyl together with Henry and Basil. Sybil declares her love for Dorian, she cannot pretend to be in love on stage anymore now that she knows what real love is. Dorian is repulsed by this. 

rising action: a changing portrait

When Dorian arrives home, a cruel expression has appeared on the portrait's face. He decides to ask forgiveness of Sybil, but the next day Henry tells him that she has committed suicide and that Dorian should not feel bad about it. 

climax: to repent or not to repent?  

Dorian moves the portrait to the attic and receives a book from Henry which influences him to become more and more extravagant and evil while the portrait continues to age. 

Basil confronts Dorian on his excesses and destroying lives.

Dorian shows Basil the horrifying portrait. Basil tells Dorian that if this is a reflection of his soul that he should repent. Dorian kills Basil in a rage. 

Falling action

Dorian and James Vane (Sybil's brother) meet in a opium den where James wants to kill Dorian, but he changes his mind since Dorian appears to be very young. Later on, James is accidentally killed during a hunting party. 

The resolution

Dorian tells Henry that he has become virtuous and that he has decided to not take advantage of a young girl who fell in love with him. Dorian then wants to see whether the portrait has changed due to his honourable act. The man in the portrait now has a sly look in his eyes. Dorian decides to attack the portrait with a knife. The servants hear a scream and find a dead old man on the floor with a knife in his chest and the portrait is a beautiful young man again. 

Homework: discussion questions

1. Relate at least 2 Victorian elements to the novel. Make sure to explain your answer by using an example from the novel. 

2. Which conflict would you say is present in the book? (man Vs. man, man Vs. society, man Vs. nature) Explain your answer.

3. How can The Picture of Dorian Gray be considered an example of the Aesthetic movement? Explain your answer. 

4. Find a quote by Oscar Wilde that you like and explain it. 

Who is Prince Charming?

Opdracht

Vat de hoofdstukken tot nu samen in je eigen woorden.

De komende weken lees je zelfstandig verder. Het boek moet uit zijn na de herfstvakantie. Je kunt de youtubevideos gebruiken om de belangrijke punten eruit te halen.

p. 17 example of details

Rising action continued

He attends a performance of Sibyl together with Henry and Basil. Sybil declares her love for Dorian, she cannot pretend to be in love on stage anymore now that she knows what real love is. Dorian is repulsed by this. 

rising action: a changing portrait

When Dorian arrives home, a cruel expression has appeared on the portrait's face. He decides to ask forgiveness of Sybil, but the next day Henry tells him that she has committed suicide and that Dorian should not feel bad about it. 

climax: to repent or not to repent?  

Dorian moves the portrait to the attic and receives a book from Henry which influences him to become more and more extravagant and evil while the portrait continues to age. 

Basil confronts Dorian on his excesses and destroying lives.

Dorian shows Basil the horrifying portrait. Basil tells Dorian that if this is a reflection of his soul that he should repent. Dorian kills Basil in a rage. 

1. Relate at least 2 Victorian elements to the novel. Make sure to explain your answer by using an example from the novel.

possible answer:

- adaptation of the individual to society: Basil Halward is afraid that by displaying his portrait he will show too much of his adulation of Dorian. He is afraid that it will reveal too much of his true self.

- aristocracy portrayed in a jealous/arrogant manner: Dorian is described as hedonistic, careless and innocent person who under the influence of Lord Henry Wotton becomes more and more arrogant and egocentric.