# Oscar Wilde

> A Dublin-born wit who became London's most successful playwright of the early 1890s, then was imprisoned for "gross indecency" in 1895 and died in exile in Paris five years later.

- Playwright · The Importance of Being Earnest · The Picture of Dorian Gray
- Known for: The comedy *The Importance of Being Earnest*, his only novel, *The Picture of Dorian Gray*, and his 1895 trials and imprisonment.[6][3]
- Born: October 16, 1854
- Died: November 30, 1900
- Last updated: 2026-11-14
- Editorial review: approved 2026-11-14
- Web page: https://authorbackstories.com/classic/oscar-wilde/
- Reading list (PDF): https://authorbackstories.com/classic/oscar-wilde/reading-list.pdf

## Featured book: Best known

*The Picture of Dorian Gray* (1890). His only novel, about a young man whose portrait ages while he does not. It first appeared in *Lippincott's Monthly Magazine* in 1890 and as a book in 1891.[1][2]

## At a glance

- Born: Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde, October 16, 1854, at 21 Westland Row, Dublin[4]
- Parents: William Wilde, a surgeon, and Jane Francesca Wilde, who published poetry as "Speranza"[3]
- Education: Portora Royal School; Trinity College Dublin (1871–1874); Magdalen College, Oxford (1874–1878)[1][3]
- Married: Constance Lloyd, 1884; two sons, Cyril and Vyvyan[1]
- Died: November 30, 1900, in Paris, of cerebral meningitis, aged 46[1][8]
- Buried: Père Lachaise Cemetery, Paris (moved there in 1909)[1]

## Oscar Wilde's Backstory

### Early life

Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde was born at 21 Westland Row, Dublin, on October 16, 1854.[4] His father, William Wilde, was a surgeon; his mother, Jane Francesca Wilde, published poetry under the name "Speranza."[3] He was the second of three children.[5] After Portora Royal School in Enniskillen he read classics at Trinity College Dublin from 1871, winning its Berkeley Gold Medal for Greek and a scholarship to Magdalen College, Oxford.[1][5]

### Oxford and London

At Oxford he became part of the Aesthetic movement and in 1878 won the Newdigate Prize for his poem *Ravenna*.[4][3] He settled in London in 1879, published his *Poems* in 1881, and spent 1882 lecturing across the United States and Canada.[1] In 1884 he married Constance Lloyd; their sons, Cyril and Vyvyan, were born in 1885 and 1886.[1] He reviewed for the *Pall Mall Gazette* and edited *The Woman's World*, and in 1888 published *The Happy Prince and Other Tales*.[1]

### The novel and the plays

*The Picture of Dorian Gray* appeared in a magazine in 1890 and as a book in 1891, the year he also published *Intentions*, two books of stories, and met Lord Alfred Douglas.[1][2] *Lady Windermere's Fan* opened in London in 1892, followed by *A Woman of No Importance* in 1893 and, in 1895, *An Ideal Husband* and *The Importance of Being Earnest*.[1] *Salomé*, which he wrote in French, was refused a licence for performance in London.[1]

### Trials and prison

In 1895 he sued Douglas's father, the Marquess of Queensberry, for libel and lost.[1] He was then tried for gross indecency; the first jury could not agree, and at a second trial he was convicted and sentenced to two years' hard labour, the maximum penalty.[8] He served the sentence from 1895 to 1897, much of it in Reading Gaol, and was declared bankrupt.[3][1] In prison he wrote the long letter later published as *De Profundis*.[1][7]

### Exile and death

On his release in 1897 he left England for good, living in France and Italy under the name Sebastian Melmoth.[1][2] *The Ballad of Reading Gaol* appeared in 1898, the year his wife died.[1] He moved into the Hôtel d'Alsace in Paris in 1899, was received into the Catholic Church in 1900, and died there of cerebral meningitis on November 30, 1900, aged 46.[1][8] His remains were moved to Père Lachaise Cemetery in 1909.[1]

### Afterward

In 2017 he was among the thousands of men posthumously pardoned under "Turing's Law," part of the Policing and Crime Act.[13][14] In 2025 the British Library symbolically reissued the reader's pass the British Museum had cancelled in 1895, presenting it to his grandson, Merlin Holland.[11][10]

## Fun facts

- *The Ballad of Reading Gaol* was published under the name "C. 3. 3.," his cell number in prison.[3]
- Florence Balcombe, whom he courted in Dublin after Oxford, married Bram Stoker, the author of *Dracula*.[4]
- He won Trinity College Dublin's Berkeley Gold Medal, its top award in Greek.[5][4]
- The British Museum admitted him as a reader in 1879; its trustees cancelled his ticket while he was in prison in 1895.[12][10]
- *Salomé*, which he wrote in French, was refused a performance licence in London in 1892 and was first staged in Paris in 1896.[1]
- In 1912 a monument by Jacob Epstein was placed over his grave.[1]

## Books

In order of first publication; each series is kept together in reading order.

Titles and years of first publication in book form from the chronologies of the Oscar Wilde Society and University College Cork's CELT project, with the early plays from Wikipedia's Oscar Wilde bibliography.[1][2][9]

- 1878: *Ravenna* (Poetry). The poem that won Oxford's Newdigate Prize.[3] [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=Ravenna%20Oscar%20Wilde)
- 1880: *Vera; or, The Nihilists* (Play). His first play.[9] [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=Vera%3B%20or%2C%20The%20Nihilists%20Oscar%20Wilde)
- 1881: *Poems* (Poetry). His first book of poems.[1] [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=Poems%20Oscar%20Wilde)
- 1883: *The Duchess of Padua* (Play). [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=The%20Duchess%20of%20Padua%20Oscar%20Wilde)
- 1888: *The Happy Prince and Other Tales* (Children's book). Fairy tales, including "The Nightingale and the Rose."[1][22] [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=The%20Happy%20Prince%20and%20Other%20Tales%20Oscar%20Wilde)
- 1890: *The Picture of Dorian Gray* (Novel). His only novel; first published in a magazine in 1890, as a book in 1891.[1][2] ISBN 9780141439570. [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/131187/9780141439570) · [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/isbn/9780141439570)
- 1891: *A House of Pomegranates* (Children's book). [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=A%20House%20of%20Pomegranates%20Oscar%20Wilde)
- 1891: *Intentions* (Nonfiction). Essays on art and criticism.[1][2] [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=Intentions%20Oscar%20Wilde)
- 1891: *Lord Arthur Savile's Crime and Other Stories* (Story collection). ISBN 9780194243988. [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/131187/9780194243988) · [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/isbn/9780194243988)
- 1893: *Lady Windermere's Fan* (Play). First staged in London in 1892.[1] [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=Lady%20Windermere's%20Fan%20Oscar%20Wilde)
- 1893: *Salomé* (Play). Written and first published in French; an English translation followed in 1894.[1] ISBN 9780486218304. [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/131187/9780486218304) · [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/isbn/9780486218304)
- 1894: *A Woman of No Importance* (Play). First staged in 1893.[1] [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=A%20Woman%20of%20No%20Importance%20Oscar%20Wilde)
- 1894: *The Sphinx* (Poetry). [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=The%20Sphinx%20Oscar%20Wilde)
- 1898: *The Ballad of Reading Gaol* (Poetry). [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=The%20Ballad%20of%20Reading%20Gaol%20Oscar%20Wilde)
- 1899: *An Ideal Husband* (Play). First staged in 1895.[1] [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=An%20Ideal%20Husband%20Oscar%20Wilde)
- 1899: *The Importance of Being Earnest* (Play). First staged in 1895.[1] ISBN 9780393421972. [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/131187/9780393421972) · [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/isbn/9780393421972)
- 1905: *De Profundis* (Nonfiction). A letter he wrote in prison, published after his death in a version edited by Robert Ross.[7] [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=De%20Profundis%20Oscar%20Wilde)

## Latest news

- Oct. 8, 2026: The Australian Ballet opened Christopher Wheeldon's *Oscar*, a full-length ballet about Wilde created in 2024, at New York City Center; it weaves his memories with *The Nightingale and the Rose* and *The Picture of Dorian Gray*.[19][20][21]
- Oct. 16, 2025: On his birthday, the British Library symbolically reissued his reader's pass to his grandson, the writer Merlin Holland, 130 years after the British Museum's trustees cancelled it following his conviction.[11][10]

## Adaptations and other media

### Film

- *The Importance of Being Earnest (2002)* (2002). Based on *The Importance of Being Earnest*. Oliver Parker's film, with Rupert Everett and Colin Firth.[24]
- *Dorian Gray (2009)* (2009). Based on *The Picture of Dorian Gray*. Oliver Parker's film, with Ben Barnes as Dorian and Colin Firth as Lord Henry Wotton.[25]

### Stage

- *Oscar* (2024). Based on *The Picture of Dorian Gray*, *The Happy Prince and Other Tales*. Christopher Wheeldon's full-length ballet for the Australian Ballet, with music by Joby Talbot, weaves Wilde's life with *The Nightingale and the Rose* and *The Picture of Dorian Gray*.[20][21]

## Myth and record

- Claim: His last words on his deathbed were a joke about his hotel-room wallpaper, along the lines of "My wallpaper and I are fighting a duel to the death. One or the other of us has to go." The line is widely listed among history's famous last words.[16]
  The record: The research site Quote Investigator found good evidence that Wilde made a remark of this kind, but not that it was his last. The earliest published account, from 1929, quotes the journalist Claire de Pratz, who said Wilde told her about the duel with his wallpaper in his hotel room. The deathbed setting comes from later, secondhand accounts, and the wording varies from version to version.[15]
- Claim: Wilde wrote "Be yourself; everyone else is already taken," a line sold under his name on posters, mugs and magnets.[17]
  The record: No one has found it in his writings. A 2019 fact check by the Daily Caller News Foundation found no evidence that he said or wrote it.[18]

## Timeline

- Oct. 16, 1854: Born in Dublin.[4]
- 1871: Begins studying classics at Trinity College Dublin.[1]
- 1878: Wins Oxford's Newdigate Prize for the poem *Ravenna* and takes his degree.[2][3]
- 1881: *Poems*, his first book of poetry, is published.[1]
- 1882: Spends the year lecturing in the United States and Canada.[1]
- 1884: Marries Constance Lloyd.[1]
- 1890: *The Picture of Dorian Gray* appears in a magazine.[1]
- 1892: *Lady Windermere's Fan* opens in London.[1]
- 1895: *The Importance of Being Earnest* opens; after his libel case against the Marquess of Queensberry fails, he is convicted of gross indecency and sentenced to two years' hard labour.[1]
- 1897: Released from prison, he leaves for France and takes the name Sebastian Melmoth.[1]
- 1898: *The Ballad of Reading Gaol* is published.[1][3]
- Nov. 30, 1900: Dies in Paris.[1]
- 1905: Robert Ross publishes an edited version of his prison letter as *De Profundis*.[7]
- Jan. 31, 2017: He is among thousands of men posthumously pardoned under "Turing's Law."[13][14]
- Oct. 16, 2025: The British Library reissues his reader's pass.[11]
- Oct. 8, 2026: The Australian Ballet's *Oscar* opens at New York City Center.[19]

## What came after

South Coast Repertory stages *The Importance of Being Earnest* from January 23 to March 20, 2027.[23]

## Sources

1. [Biography](https://oscarwildesociety.co.uk/biography/). The Oscar Wilde Society. (reference)
2. [Oscar Wilde](https://www.ucc.ie/en/research-sites/celt/resources/writers/wilde/). CELT, University College Cork. (reference)
3. [Oscar Wilde](https://poets.org/poet/oscar-wilde). Academy of American Poets. (reference)
4. [Oscar Wilde](https://www.dublincityofliterature.ie/literary-city/featured-authors/oscar-wilde). Dublin UNESCO City of Literature. (reference)
5. [Oscar Wilde](https://writersinspire.podcasts.ox.ac.uk/node/3438). University of Oxford (Writers Inspire). (reference)
6. [Wilde, Oscar](https://www.encyclopedia.com/law/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/wilde-oscar). Encyclopedia.com. (reference)
7. [De Profundis](https://www.britannica.com/topic/De-Profundis). Encyclopaedia Britannica. (reference)
8. [Oscar Wilde](https://kiwix.lema.org/wikipedia_en_all_mini_2024-02/A/Oscar_Wilde). Wikipedia (2024 snapshot). (reference)
9. [Oscar Wilde bibliography](https://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oscar_Wilde_bibliography). Wikipedia. (reference)
10. [British Library reinstates Oscar Wilde's Reader Pass after 130 years](https://www.bl.uk/about/press/releases/british-library-symbolically-reinstates-oscar-wildes-pass). British Library. (primary record)
11. [Oscar Wilde's British Library reading pass reissued 130 years after confiscation](https://www.irishtimes.com/world/uk/2025/10/16/oscar-wildes-british-library-reading-pass-reissued-130-years-after-confiscation). The Irish Times. (news)
12. [British Library to reinstate Oscar Wilde's reader card 130 years after it was revoked (The Guardian, quoted)](https://kipcurrierethics.blogspot.com/search/label/Merlin%20Holland). The Guardian, via Kip Currier. (news)
13. [Legendary Irishman Oscar Wilde among thousands of gay men pardoned by new Turing's Law](https://www.irishpost.com/news/legendary-irishman-oscar-wilde-among-thousands-of-gay-men-pardoned-by-new-turings-law-112632). The Irish Post. (news)
14. [UK pardons thousands convicted under past anti-gay laws](https://m.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/jan/31/uk-pardons-thousands-convicted-under-past-anti-gay/). Associated Press (via The Washington Times). (news)
15. [Quote Origin: This Wallpaper Is Killing Me; One of Us Must Go](https://quoteinvestigator.com/2021/10/22/wallpaper/). Quote Investigator. (reference)
16. [Famous Last Words in History](https://www.visitheritage.co.uk/inspiration/famous-last-words-in-history/). Visit Heritage. (website)
17. [The importance of being important](https://sdreader.com/news/2018/aug/15/importance-being-important/). San Diego Reader. (news)
18. [Fact Check: Did Oscar Wilde Say, 'Be Yourself; Everyone Else Is Already Taken'?](https://checkyourfact.com/2019/08/27/fact-check-oscar-wilde-be-yourself-everyone-already-taken/). Check Your Fact (Daily Caller News Foundation). (news)
19. [The Australian Ballet: Oscar](https://www.tdf.org/shows/23265/the-australian-ballet-oscar/). TDF. (website)
20. [The Australian Ballet Oscar](https://oslmusic.org/calendar/2026/10/10/the-australian-ballet-oscar-2pm/). Orchestra of St. Luke's. (website)
21. [New York City Center Announces the 2026/27 Season](https://enfacemagazine.com/?p=18318). En Face Magazine. (news)
22. [The Nightingale and the Rose](https://playbill.com/article/the-nightingale-and-the-rose). Playbill. (news)
23. [The Importance of Being Earnest](https://www.scr.org/plays/productions/26-27-season/the-importance-of-being-earnest/). South Coast Repertory. (primary record)
24. [The best Oscar Wilde films](https://spectator.com/article/the-best-oscar-wilde-films/). The Spectator. (news)
25. [Oscar Wilde on DVD](https://www.ebar.com/arts_&_culture/dvd//259594). Bay Area Reporter. (news)