I am a 17 year old English student who has become captivated and delighted in the works of Oscar Wilde.
His plays sought to question deeply integrated Victorian conventions. They ridiculed the integrity of the upper class Victorian individual, whilst simultaneously challenging Victorian society and government as an entire institution. While his essays, most famously The Soul of Man Under Socialism are more directly confrontational and rebellious, Wilde’s plays needed to abide by Lord Chamberlain’s conservative criteria to be permitted in British theatres, and crucially, they had to appeal to the public to be commercially successful. Consequently, his play’s criticisms became carefully embedded into comedy and epigrams. At times, his plays sought to challenge by an ironic, rigorous conformity to conventional plot twists and characters.
I believe that what makes Wilde such an intriguing study is that his plays, essays, and one novel openly contradict the opinions of one another and at times themselves. Wilde challenges the very nature of holding opinions by being unafraid to dispute his own ones seemingly moments afterwards. This leaves the student with an seemingly impossible task of attempting to derive a conclusion. Wilde scarcely provides answers to problems outlined by his critiques. The ones he did propose were usually either definitively ironic or ridiculously whimsical. His writing never ceases to be witty, pensive, and provocative however, so perhaps to study his works, one must first cease to look for answers and instead try to comprehend the beauty and complexity of his questions.
I started this blog to develop my own understanding of, and skill in analysing and interpreting Wilde’s plays, and to share the beauty I find in them with all who are interested. I aim to provide a close annotation of all his plays chronologically, drawing attention to lines and areas I find particularly interesting, accompanied by summaries of the political and artistic context that Wilde was influenced by, and in turn influenced. My posts are designed to be a useful source to students studying his works, but please read and enjoy merely for the sake of learning - Wilde would be very proud.