The Picture of Dorian Gray

What are the similarities between Stevenson’s DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE and Oscar Wilde’s THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY? Both are philosophical fictions based on split personality of man. In Jekyll and Hyde the evil in man gets more pronounced in the persona of Hyde and is in the open for everyone to see. In Dorian Gray this evil effect is always hidden in a portrait and not many get to know the hideous nature of Dorian. And both die quite the same way.

And what are the differences? The good man, Jekyll, goes into the background, while the bad man, Hyde, becomes the prominent character, looking more repulsive as time wears on. In the other book, Dorian appears a nice person (good looking all the time) but indulges in shady activities, while the portrait, hidden away in a locked room, starts turning grotesque. The portrait is the soul of Dorian Gray, whereas Hyde is the darker half of Jekyll.

Dorian Gray is an extremely handsome young man of whom, an artist, Basil paints an excellent portrait. Though Dorian likes his portrait, he saddened that he would grow old and would lose his youthful charm, while the portrait will always retain its beauty. He wishes the opposite should happen, the portrait should rather bear the scars of aging while he should remain forever youthful. His wish comes true.

Now Dorian is influenced by a nobleman named Lord Henry, who is a cynic given to luxury, one who believes vices are virtues. Dorian’s first crime – he refuses to marry an actress, Sybil Vane, whom he was planning to marry. She kills herself. Now, is that a crime? Possibly in the 19th century it was. The portrait all by itself gets an ugly twitch in the lips. Dorian recognizes his wish/prayer has come true.

Lord Henry lends Dorian a book which is about passionate crimes committed by a French noble. We don’t get to know what exactly those crimes are. Dorian, influenced by the book, leads a life of immoral passion, and addiction. On one instance, he murders. He also blackmails a man who then commits suicide. Progressively the portrait alters in appearance and expression to look more horrible, cruel, notorious, hideous and old. On the other hand, Dorian continues to retain his youth and beauty, even after twenty five years or so have passed. He looks barely twenty, the age when the portrait was made.

The ending is truly beautiful and unpredictable. Out of remorse, Dorian stabs his portrait to deface it. Miraculously, he is found dead with a knife plunged to his heart, looking old and wrinkled, and the portrait is seen restored to its pristine beauty. Wilde has pulled the twist to the very last paragraph of the book in a convincing manner.