Brief Biography of Oscar Wilde
- Wilde was born in Dublin, Ireland during the Victorian Era. As an Irishman, Wilde had the ability to look into English society and observe its shortcoming rather than be blinded to them as a result of his nationality bias.
- Family: Wilde's mother was a poet and Irish nationalist and his Father was a doctor. Wilde's mother introduced him to literature, and he made a successful career from it.
- Wilde's affinity for Greek and Latin at Trinity College translated into a deep appreciation for the beauty of the art (drama, prose, and poetry) and his signature riddling of Greek and Roman allusions throughout his works.
- At Oxford, Wilde came under influence of tutor Walter Pater’s Aesthetic philosophy. Wilde focused more on humanistic aesthetics, which promoted focusing on the self rather than social constructs. Wilde once said: "Aestheticism is the science of the beautiful. It is a search for the secret of life. By the by, do you know, I was very much disappointed in the Atlantic Ocean. It was very tame. I expected to have it roar about and be beautiful in its storms. I was disappointed in it."
Historical Era of the Play - The Victorian Era
- Morality can be described as a set of values that supported the following concepts:
- sexual repression
- low tolerance of crime
- strong social ethic
- Late Victorian writing included "proper" behavior being used as satire.
- The upper class valued heritage, history, lineage, and continuity of their family line.
- It was very rude to show arms and legs during the Victorian era.