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.
The Picture of Dorian Gray
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 1891.12
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At a glance
- Born
- Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde, October 16, 1854, at 21 Westland Row, Dublin4
- 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)13
- Married
- Constance Lloyd, 1884; two sons, Cyril and Vyvyan1
- Died
- November 30, 1900, in Paris, of cerebral meningitis, aged 4618
- 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.15
Oxford and London
At Oxford he became part of the Aesthetic movement and in 1878 won the Newdigate Prize for his poem Ravenna.43 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.12 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.31 In prison he wrote the long letter later published as De Profundis.17
Exile and death
On his release in 1897 he left England for good, living in France and Italy under the name Sebastian Melmoth.12 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 46.18 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.1314 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.1110
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.54
- The British Museum admitted him as a reader in 1879; its trustees cancelled his ticket while he was in prison in 1895.1210
- 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, starting where its first book appeared. 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.129
Bookshop.org (which supports independent bookstores) and Amazon links are affiliate links: we may earn a small commission on purchases, at no cost to you. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. WorldCat links find the book in a library near you.
- 1878
- 1880
- 1881
- 1883The Duchess of Padua
- 1888The Happy Prince and Other Tales
- 1890
- 1891A House of Pomegranates
- 1891
- 1891
- 1893
- 1893
- 1894
- 1894The Sphinx
- 1898The Ballad of Reading Gaol
- 1899
- 1899
- 1905De Profundis
A letter he wrote in prison, published after his death in a version edited by Robert Ross.7
Latest news
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.192021
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.1110
Adaptations and other media
Film
- The Importance of Being Earnest (2002)2002Based on The Importance of Being Earnest
Oliver Parker's film, with Rupert Everett and Colin Firth.24
- Dorian Gray (2009)2009Based on The Picture of Dorian Gray
Oliver Parker's film, with Ben Barnes as Dorian and Colin Firth as Lord Henry Wotton.25
Stage
Myth and record
The claimHis 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 recordThe 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
The claimWilde wrote "Be yourself; everyone else is already taken," a line sold under his name on posters, mugs and magnets.17
The recordNo 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
Born in Dublin.4
Begins studying classics at Trinity College Dublin.1
Wins Oxford's Newdigate Prize for the poem Ravenna and takes his degree.23
Poems, his first book of poetry, is published.1
Spends the year lecturing in the United States and Canada.1
Marries Constance Lloyd.1
The Picture of Dorian Gray appears in a magazine.1
Lady Windermere's Fan opens in London.1
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
Released from prison, he leaves for France and takes the name Sebastian Melmoth.1
Dies in Paris.1
Robert Ross publishes an edited version of his prison letter as De Profundis.7
He is among thousands of men posthumously pardoned under "Turing's Law."1314
The British Library reissues his reader's pass.11
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
- Biography The Oscar Wilde SocietyReference
- Oscar Wilde CELT, University College CorkReference
- Oscar Wilde Academy of American PoetsReference
- Oscar Wilde Dublin UNESCO City of LiteratureReference
- Oscar Wilde University of Oxford (Writers Inspire)Reference
- Wilde, Oscar Encyclopedia.comReference
- De Profundis Encyclopaedia BritannicaReference
- Oscar Wilde Wikipedia (2024 snapshot)Reference
- Oscar Wilde bibliography WikipediaReference
- British Library reinstates Oscar Wilde's Reader Pass after 130 years British LibraryPrimary record
- Oscar Wilde's British Library reading pass reissued 130 years after confiscation The Irish TimesNews
- British Library to reinstate Oscar Wilde's reader card 130 years after it was revoked (The Guardian, quoted) The Guardian, via Kip CurrierNews
- Legendary Irishman Oscar Wilde among thousands of gay men pardoned by new Turing's Law The Irish PostNews
- UK pardons thousands convicted under past anti-gay laws Associated Press (via The Washington Times)News
- Quote Origin: This Wallpaper Is Killing Me; One of Us Must Go Quote InvestigatorReference
- Famous Last Words in History Visit HeritageWebsite
- The importance of being important San Diego ReaderNews
- Fact Check: Did Oscar Wilde Say, 'Be Yourself; Everyone Else Is Already Taken'? Check Your Fact (Daily Caller News Foundation)News
- The Australian Ballet: Oscar TDFWebsite
- The Australian Ballet Oscar Orchestra of St. Luke'sWebsite
- New York City Center Announces the 2026/27 Season En Face MagazineNews
- The Nightingale and the Rose PlaybillNews
- The Importance of Being Earnest South Coast RepertoryPrimary record
- The best Oscar Wilde films The SpectatorNews
- Oscar Wilde on DVD Bay Area ReporterNews