Important Passages
Lord Henry Wotton
Many interesting concepts are being explored by Oscar Wilde in The Picture of Dorian Gray, particularly through the character of Lord Henry Wotton. To elect but a few of these seems to be a challenge entirely great in itself. Below text presents two out of the many worth discussing.
“Ordinary people waited till life disclosed to them its secrets, but to the few, to the elect, the mysteries of life were revealed before the veil was drawn away. Sometimes this was the effect of art, and chiefly of the art of literature, which dealt immediately with the passions and the intellect. But now and then a complex personality took the place and assumed the office of art, was indeed, in its way, a real work of art, Life having its elaborate masterpieces, just as poetry has, or sculpture, or painting.” (p. 57)[1]
An idea present in many of Lord Henry Wotton’s philosophies is the distinction between people and people. This passage is not the first time Wilde refers to the “elect”, a category with which Lord Wotton quite clearly identifies. This quote is important since it presents one of Lord Wotton’s explanations for the influence he acquires over Dorian Gray. He believes that by entering Dorian’s life, he has allowed him to realise its mysteries before his time had come to be naturally disclosed to them. He believes that for Dorian he has assumed the office of art, bringing with him Life and its “elaborate masterpieces”, which are simply to seductive for Dorian to resist. Wotton’s idea of this power of the arts is rather true in real life as well, as is its inferiority when challenged by the impressiveness of an intricate, unconventional, real person. The equal value of people is incontrovertible, but one can indeed agree with Lord Wotton that there are in fact distinctions between people’s abilities to influence others. What he is wrong about is that there is a common truth to what sort of people that belong to the elect and what sort that does not. One can never successfully categorise since everything is relative, and that in that sense in reference to Lord Wotton’s theory, all should be able to be extraordinary.
“It was the passions about whose origin we deceived ourselves that tyrannized most strongly over us. Our weakest motives were those of whose nature we were conscious. It often happened that when we thought we were experimenting on others we were really experimenting on ourselves.” (p. 58)
This conclusion come to by Lord Wotton reflects the origin of behaviour, particularly related to that of him and of Dorian. Whilst Wotton seems to have embraced the truth of his motives and seized to judge himself for it, Dorian is still partly denying the truth of his. Much like today, society in general does not accept egotism and people acting solely for their own wellbeing and amusement. Deep down, Dorian has not accepted that all his actions ever since the encounter with Lord Henry have sprung from his need to boost his ego, something that Wotton takes advantage of when toying with him. He is aware that his experiment with Dorian is truly an experiment with himself and also seems quite indifferent to the consequences Dorian must suffer for the sake of his results. Though Lord Wotton’s opinions and methods may at times seem unfair and brutal, he has reached a more profound level of maturity than most people ever do. He has passed the period of self-deception and accepted himself for who he is. All that we see in others are reflections of that which exists within ourselves; otherwise we would not have been able to notice it. This is the key to the relationship between Dorian and Lord Henry. Lord Henry’s attitude towards his passions and behaviours will probably lead him forwards, but Dorian’s? Will his attitude ultimately come to be his downfall?
A.W.
[1] All page references are made to The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde, published by the Penguin Group, 2000.
“Ordinary people waited till life disclosed to them its secrets, but to the few, to the elect, the mysteries of life were revealed before the veil was drawn away. Sometimes this was the effect of art, and chiefly of the art of literature, which dealt immediately with the passions and the intellect. But now and then a complex personality took the place and assumed the office of art, was indeed, in its way, a real work of art, Life having its elaborate masterpieces, just as poetry has, or sculpture, or painting.” (p. 57)[1]
An idea present in many of Lord Henry Wotton’s philosophies is the distinction between people and people. This passage is not the first time Wilde refers to the “elect”, a category with which Lord Wotton quite clearly identifies. This quote is important since it presents one of Lord Wotton’s explanations for the influence he acquires over Dorian Gray. He believes that by entering Dorian’s life, he has allowed him to realise its mysteries before his time had come to be naturally disclosed to them. He believes that for Dorian he has assumed the office of art, bringing with him Life and its “elaborate masterpieces”, which are simply to seductive for Dorian to resist. Wotton’s idea of this power of the arts is rather true in real life as well, as is its inferiority when challenged by the impressiveness of an intricate, unconventional, real person. The equal value of people is incontrovertible, but one can indeed agree with Lord Wotton that there are in fact distinctions between people’s abilities to influence others. What he is wrong about is that there is a common truth to what sort of people that belong to the elect and what sort that does not. One can never successfully categorise since everything is relative, and that in that sense in reference to Lord Wotton’s theory, all should be able to be extraordinary.
“It was the passions about whose origin we deceived ourselves that tyrannized most strongly over us. Our weakest motives were those of whose nature we were conscious. It often happened that when we thought we were experimenting on others we were really experimenting on ourselves.” (p. 58)
This conclusion come to by Lord Wotton reflects the origin of behaviour, particularly related to that of him and of Dorian. Whilst Wotton seems to have embraced the truth of his motives and seized to judge himself for it, Dorian is still partly denying the truth of his. Much like today, society in general does not accept egotism and people acting solely for their own wellbeing and amusement. Deep down, Dorian has not accepted that all his actions ever since the encounter with Lord Henry have sprung from his need to boost his ego, something that Wotton takes advantage of when toying with him. He is aware that his experiment with Dorian is truly an experiment with himself and also seems quite indifferent to the consequences Dorian must suffer for the sake of his results. Though Lord Wotton’s opinions and methods may at times seem unfair and brutal, he has reached a more profound level of maturity than most people ever do. He has passed the period of self-deception and accepted himself for who he is. All that we see in others are reflections of that which exists within ourselves; otherwise we would not have been able to notice it. This is the key to the relationship between Dorian and Lord Henry. Lord Henry’s attitude towards his passions and behaviours will probably lead him forwards, but Dorian’s? Will his attitude ultimately come to be his downfall?
A.W.
[1] All page references are made to The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde, published by the Penguin Group, 2000.