The Importance of Being Oscar Wilde

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In Dublin, Ireland in 1854 a future figure to in aesthetic writing was born to a famous surgeon Sir Robert Wills Wilde who earned his nonheritable title through his medical service. His mother, Jane Francesca Wilde supported Irish Nationalism. From a very young age, he excelled in his education, and was gifted in many languages. His early schooling took place in Enniskillen Portora Royal School, he attended Trinity College in 1873 as well as Magdalen College in Oxford, from 1874-1879. While he was in College he began his reputation as a poet, his early work did get him some success, he won the Newdigate prize for his poetry. From this point on he started making himself stand out from the society’s expectations by wearing his hair long and dressing flamboyantly. He moved to London in 1879, it was where he released a collection of poetry in 1881 he also had a play that was to be performed, but was canceled. That year he would meet his future wife Constance Mary Loyd. He continued to promote his style wearing knee-breeches and a velvet jacket while carrying a single flower became iconic. Although other men would be ashamed of the attention it drew Wilde wildly enjoyed it. He managed to go on a lecture tour to the United States in 1882 for the promotion of Patience an opera. Americans were much more tolerant unlike the English who ridiculed the way he dressed including his manners and his confident personality. He met Oliver Wendell Holmes, Henry Ward Beecher, American writers who described Wilde as “a great, big splendid boy.” Upon his return he continued to work on his acquaintances with rich and influential members of society. His income from his properties in Ireland were not regular and were not able to cover his extravaga... ... middle of paper ... ... ever saw in my life that I would marry, I certainly won't want to know Bunbury. Algernon: Then your wife will. You don't seem to realize, that in married life three is company and two is none. Jack: I am in love with Gwendolen. I have come up to town expressly to propose to her. Algernon: I thought you had come up for pleasure? . . . I call that business. Jack: How utterly unromantic you are! (I.36-38) Pointing at the ideal of marriage is deteriorated by the Algernon reflecting on Wilde’s own thoughts of marriage. Works Cited http://www.shmoop.com/importance-of-being-earnest/marriage-quotes.html http://www.egs.edu/library/oscar-wilde/biography/ http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/249224-a-man-who-marries-without-knowing-bunbury-has-a-very http://www.literaturepage.com/read/importance-of-being-earnest-10.html http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/earnest/section1.html

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