新编英语教程 6 Unit 8 背景知识之 Oscar Wilde.pptVIP

* * Oscar Wilde Oscar Wilde Irish-born novelist, playwright, poet, and critic Birth: October 16, 1854 Death: November 30, 1900 Place of Birth: Dublin, Ireland Known for: Witty, often paradoxical, sayings that lampoon the social mores and behavior of the English upper classes of his time Championing the aesthetic movement, which is based on the idea of art for arts sake Literary works of Oscar Wilde Wilde’s first book was Poems (1881). His first play, Vera, or the Nihilists (1882), was produced in New York City, where he saw it performed while he was on a highly successful lecture tour. Wilde’s early works included two collections of fairy stories, which he wrote for his sons, The Happy Prince (1888) and A House of Pomegranates (1892), and a group of short stories, Lord Arthur Savile’s Crime (1891). His only novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray (1891), is a melodramatic tale of moral decadence, distinguished for its brilliant, epigrammatic style. Although the author fully describes the process of corruption, the shocking conclusion of the story frankly commits him to a moral stand against self-debasement. Wilde’s most distinctive and engaging plays are the four comedies Lady Windermere’s Fan (1892), A Woman of No Importance (1893), An Ideal Husband (1895), and The Importance of Being Earnest (1895), all characterized by adroitly contrived plots and remarkably witty dialogue. In contrast, Wilde’s Salomé is a serious drama about obsessive passion. Originally written in French. Oscar Wilde and Aestheticism While at Magdalen College, Wilde became particularly well known for his role in the aesthetic and decadent movements. Wilde was deeply impressed by the English writers John Ruskin and Walter Pater, who argued for the central importance of art in life. He later commented ironically on this view when he wrote, in The Picture of Dorian Gray, All art is quite useless. This quote also reflects Wildes support of the aesthetic movements basic principle: Art for