The Picture of Dorian Gray Importance
by Oscar Wilde • Symbol of Dorian’s soul
• Represents the power of art and
beauty
CHAPTER 1 – STUDY NOTES
• Foreshadows:
(POINT FORM)
o The portrait becoming
central to the plot
1. SETTING
o Its supernatural
• Takes place in Basil Hallward’s significance later
studio
• Surrounded by a beautiful garden
3. BASIL HALLWARD
• Rich sensory imagery:
Personality
o Smell → roses, lilac,
• Sensitive, emotional, sincere
flowers
• Deeply artistic and introspective
o Sound → bees, birds,
distant city noise (London) • Morally conscious
o Sight → sunlight, greenery, Key Ideas
soft colours
• Painted Dorian’s portrait
Significance
• Refuses to exhibit it publicly
• Symbolises beauty, peace, and
artistic harmony • Believes art reveals the artist’s
inner self
• Represents an idealised world of
art Key Idea
• Strong contrast to later moral • “Every portrait that is painted with
corruption feeling is a portrait of the artist, not
the sitter”
• Establishes focus on aesthetic → Shows art as self-expression
beauty
4. LORD HENRY WOTTON
2. THE PORTRAIT
Personality
• Central object: full-length portrait
of Dorian Gray • Witty, intelligent, sarcastic
• Described as: • Cynical and provocative
o Perfect • Enjoys shocking others
o Extremely beautiful Key Beliefs
o Almost lifelike • Reputation is more important than
morality
• Pleasure is the highest goal in life
1
, • Beauty is superior to intellect 7. FORESHADOWING
Role in Chapter • Basil senses Dorian will change his
life
• Challenges Basil’s moral views
• Feels emotional danger in Dorian’s
• Represents dangerous influence
influence
• Introduces hedonistic philosophy
Meaning
• Suggests future:
5. ART vs SOCIETY
o Tragedy
Basil’s View
o Moral corruption
• Art is personal and emotional
o Psychological
• Should remain private if deeply transformation
personal
8. INTRODUCTION OF DORIAN
Lord Henry’s View GRAY (INDIRECT)
• Art should bring attention and fame • Not physically present yet
• Public perception matters more • Described as:
Theme o Extremely beautiful
• Conflict between: o Innocent and pure
o Private truth vs Public o Youthful perfection
image
Basil’s Reaction
• Fascination mixed with fear
6. BEAUTY vs INTELLECT
• Emotional obsession begins
• Lord Henry values beauty over Symbolism
intelligence
• Dorian = ideal beauty
• Claims thinking too much destroys
beauty • Also a source of danger
• Suggests intellectual people lose
charm
9. THEME: INFLUENCE
Meaning
Basil’s View
• Wilde critiques superficial
Victorian values • Influence can destroy identity
• Introduces theme of appearance • Dangerous and unwanted
over substance Lord Henry’s View
• Influence is natural and exciting
• Should be embraced
2
,Exam Insight 13. WARNING ABOUT LORD HENRY
• Lord Henry will later influence • Basil warns Henry not to influence
Dorian strongly Dorian
• Begins moral transformation theme • Believes Henry’s ideas are
dangerous
Foreshadowing
10. SECRECY
• Henry WILL influence Dorian
• Basil hides his true feelings about
Dorian • Basil recognises danger too late
• Refuses to explain emotional
attachment
14. KEY THEMES IN CHAPTER 1
Meaning
• Beauty → idealised and powerful
• Shows fear of judgment
• Art → expression of inner self
• Builds mystery and tension
• Influence → shaping identity
• Secrecy → hidden truth and
11. APPEARANCE vs REALITY tension
• Dorian = physical perfection • Appearance vs Reality → illusion
vs truth
• Basil = hidden emotional truth
Meaning
15. EXAM FOCUS POINTS
• People are not what they appear to
be • Chapter 1 introduces:
• Beauty can conceal deeper truths o Main characters
o Central conflict
12. BASIL’S OBSESSION WITH o Core themes
DORIAN
• Dorian:
• Dorian inspires Basil’s best artwork
o Innocent “blank canvas”
• Basil is emotionally dependent on
• Basil:
him
o Morality and emotional
• Sees Dorian as essential to his
depth
creativity
• Lord Henry:
Meaning
o Temptation and corruption
• Shows emotional vulnerability
• Introduces idea of unhealthy
obsession
3
, CHAPTER 2 – STUDY NOTES 3. THEME: INFLUENCE (VERY
(POINT FORM) IMPORTANT)
Lord Henry’s View
1. INTRODUCTION OF DORIAN • “All influence is immoral”
GRAY (FULL APPEARANCE)
• Influence changes a person’s true
• First full physical introduction of identity
Dorian
Meaning
• Described as:
• Influence causes:
o Extremely handsome
o Loss of individuality
o Youthful and pure
o Identity shift into someone
o Innocent and charming else’s idea
o Well-mannered and polite Irony
Key Idea • Henry criticises influence
• Represents ideal beauty and • Yet actively uses influence on
innocence Dorian
• Seen as:
o Untouched by corruption 4. LORD HENRY’S PHILOSOPHY
o Highly impressionable Self-Expression
(easily influenced)
• People should follow desires freely
• Suppressing feelings is unnatural
2. BASIL VS LORD HENRY
(CONFLICT CONTINUES) Criticism of Society
Basil • Society controls people through:
• Protective of Dorian o Religion
• Does not want Henry to influence o Morality
him o Fear
Lord Henry
Hedonism
• Insists on talking to Dorian
• Pleasure is the purpose of life
• Begins influencing him immediately
• People should:
Meaning o Seek experiences
• Basil = morality, protection, o Avoid restrictions
emotional care
• Henry = temptation, manipulation,
corruption
4
by Oscar Wilde • Symbol of Dorian’s soul
• Represents the power of art and
beauty
CHAPTER 1 – STUDY NOTES
• Foreshadows:
(POINT FORM)
o The portrait becoming
central to the plot
1. SETTING
o Its supernatural
• Takes place in Basil Hallward’s significance later
studio
• Surrounded by a beautiful garden
3. BASIL HALLWARD
• Rich sensory imagery:
Personality
o Smell → roses, lilac,
• Sensitive, emotional, sincere
flowers
• Deeply artistic and introspective
o Sound → bees, birds,
distant city noise (London) • Morally conscious
o Sight → sunlight, greenery, Key Ideas
soft colours
• Painted Dorian’s portrait
Significance
• Refuses to exhibit it publicly
• Symbolises beauty, peace, and
artistic harmony • Believes art reveals the artist’s
inner self
• Represents an idealised world of
art Key Idea
• Strong contrast to later moral • “Every portrait that is painted with
corruption feeling is a portrait of the artist, not
the sitter”
• Establishes focus on aesthetic → Shows art as self-expression
beauty
4. LORD HENRY WOTTON
2. THE PORTRAIT
Personality
• Central object: full-length portrait
of Dorian Gray • Witty, intelligent, sarcastic
• Described as: • Cynical and provocative
o Perfect • Enjoys shocking others
o Extremely beautiful Key Beliefs
o Almost lifelike • Reputation is more important than
morality
• Pleasure is the highest goal in life
1
, • Beauty is superior to intellect 7. FORESHADOWING
Role in Chapter • Basil senses Dorian will change his
life
• Challenges Basil’s moral views
• Feels emotional danger in Dorian’s
• Represents dangerous influence
influence
• Introduces hedonistic philosophy
Meaning
• Suggests future:
5. ART vs SOCIETY
o Tragedy
Basil’s View
o Moral corruption
• Art is personal and emotional
o Psychological
• Should remain private if deeply transformation
personal
8. INTRODUCTION OF DORIAN
Lord Henry’s View GRAY (INDIRECT)
• Art should bring attention and fame • Not physically present yet
• Public perception matters more • Described as:
Theme o Extremely beautiful
• Conflict between: o Innocent and pure
o Private truth vs Public o Youthful perfection
image
Basil’s Reaction
• Fascination mixed with fear
6. BEAUTY vs INTELLECT
• Emotional obsession begins
• Lord Henry values beauty over Symbolism
intelligence
• Dorian = ideal beauty
• Claims thinking too much destroys
beauty • Also a source of danger
• Suggests intellectual people lose
charm
9. THEME: INFLUENCE
Meaning
Basil’s View
• Wilde critiques superficial
Victorian values • Influence can destroy identity
• Introduces theme of appearance • Dangerous and unwanted
over substance Lord Henry’s View
• Influence is natural and exciting
• Should be embraced
2
,Exam Insight 13. WARNING ABOUT LORD HENRY
• Lord Henry will later influence • Basil warns Henry not to influence
Dorian strongly Dorian
• Begins moral transformation theme • Believes Henry’s ideas are
dangerous
Foreshadowing
10. SECRECY
• Henry WILL influence Dorian
• Basil hides his true feelings about
Dorian • Basil recognises danger too late
• Refuses to explain emotional
attachment
14. KEY THEMES IN CHAPTER 1
Meaning
• Beauty → idealised and powerful
• Shows fear of judgment
• Art → expression of inner self
• Builds mystery and tension
• Influence → shaping identity
• Secrecy → hidden truth and
11. APPEARANCE vs REALITY tension
• Dorian = physical perfection • Appearance vs Reality → illusion
vs truth
• Basil = hidden emotional truth
Meaning
15. EXAM FOCUS POINTS
• People are not what they appear to
be • Chapter 1 introduces:
• Beauty can conceal deeper truths o Main characters
o Central conflict
12. BASIL’S OBSESSION WITH o Core themes
DORIAN
• Dorian:
• Dorian inspires Basil’s best artwork
o Innocent “blank canvas”
• Basil is emotionally dependent on
• Basil:
him
o Morality and emotional
• Sees Dorian as essential to his
depth
creativity
• Lord Henry:
Meaning
o Temptation and corruption
• Shows emotional vulnerability
• Introduces idea of unhealthy
obsession
3
, CHAPTER 2 – STUDY NOTES 3. THEME: INFLUENCE (VERY
(POINT FORM) IMPORTANT)
Lord Henry’s View
1. INTRODUCTION OF DORIAN • “All influence is immoral”
GRAY (FULL APPEARANCE)
• Influence changes a person’s true
• First full physical introduction of identity
Dorian
Meaning
• Described as:
• Influence causes:
o Extremely handsome
o Loss of individuality
o Youthful and pure
o Identity shift into someone
o Innocent and charming else’s idea
o Well-mannered and polite Irony
Key Idea • Henry criticises influence
• Represents ideal beauty and • Yet actively uses influence on
innocence Dorian
• Seen as:
o Untouched by corruption 4. LORD HENRY’S PHILOSOPHY
o Highly impressionable Self-Expression
(easily influenced)
• People should follow desires freely
• Suppressing feelings is unnatural
2. BASIL VS LORD HENRY
(CONFLICT CONTINUES) Criticism of Society
Basil • Society controls people through:
• Protective of Dorian o Religion
• Does not want Henry to influence o Morality
him o Fear
Lord Henry
Hedonism
• Insists on talking to Dorian
• Pleasure is the purpose of life
• Begins influencing him immediately
• People should:
Meaning o Seek experiences
• Basil = morality, protection, o Avoid restrictions
emotional care
• Henry = temptation, manipulation,
corruption
4
