Oscar Wilde - The picture of Dorian Gray

Introduction

You all read something a out Oscar Wilde's "The Picture of Dorian Gray" with your Italian Literature teacher!

Now it is time to explore the novella English  furthermore by yourselves!

For reading up on instructions look in the folder labeled "Process" in "Tasks" you will find the Sources for your webquest for your group.

Enjoy!

Bildergebnis für picture of dorian gray"

Task

 Search information on the web as indicated and answer to the questions of each section in your copybook/ literature section:

 

A:  Aestheticism and Decadence at Fin de Siècle

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1.What is the Aestheticism and Decadence and how does it influence "The Picture of Dorian Gray"?

2. Are there similarities between Wilde's and Gray's life? 

3. What does the Preface tell us about art?

4. What’s a Dandy? Who would be considered a Dandy today?

 

https://www.britannica.com/art/Aestheticism

https://lusme.atavist.com/oscarwilde

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dandy

https://www.bl.uk/romantics-and-victorians/articles/aestheticism-and-decadence

https://blogs.bl.uk/english-and-drama/2014/06/portraits-behaving-badly-decadence-degeneration-and-the-picture-of-dorian-gray.html

 

 

B: Victorian London

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1. What was the city like? (Environment, Housing, Pollution)

2.How did class structure society? 

3.Does this part of Victorian society appear in "The Picture of Dorian Gray"?

http://victorian-era.org/london-during-victorian-times2.html

http://www.aboutbritain.com/articles/victorian-london.asp

http://victorian-era.org/victorian-era-society.html

 

 C:  Role of women  

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1.How does the role of women in the 19th century contrast that of the woman in the fin de siècle?

2.How are women portrayed in the Story?

3. What role do Dorian’s mother/ Sybil / Lord Henry’s wife play?

https://www.bl.uk/romantics-and-victorians/articles/daughters-of-decadence-the-new-woman-in-the-victorian-fin-de-siecle

https://laurenlindessays.wordpress.com/2013/06/18/women-in-dorian-gray/

https://www.bl.uk/romantics-and-victorians/articles/gender-roles-in-the-19th-century

 

 D: Oscar Wilde's life

Oscar Wilde and Lord Alfred Douglas

1. Give a Brief introduction to his life as a writer

2. In what ways may Wilde's personal life have influenced the character of Dorian Gray?

3. Why was he trialed and how was it perceived in the rest of English society? (consequences)

https://www.wilde-online.info/oscar-wilde-biography.html

https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/blue-plaques/oscar-wilde/ 

https://americanhistory.si.edu/steinwaydiary/annotations/?id=854

 

 E: Literary elements in the novel

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1. What elements of the gothic novel can be found in "The Picture of Dorian Gray"? 

2. Explain symbolism, imagery, allegory and find examples for these terms in the text. 

https://www.shmoop.com/picture-dorian-gray/yellow-book-symbol.html

https://www.litcharts.com/lit/the-picture-of-dorian-gray/symbols

https://www.yorknotes.com/alevel/english-literature/the-picture-of-dorian-gray-advanced/study/critical-approaches/02010100_themes

 

 

Process

  1. Work on your own
  2. Prepare a speaking about The picture of Dorian Gray comparing it with The passage of The book read in Italian.
  3. Goal: produce a Selfie-movie of 3minutes in which you present all The topics studied in this web quest:
  • Aestheticism and Decadence at  Fin de Siecle   
  • Victorian London
  • Women
  • Literary elements

Evaluation

You will be assessed on grounds of  

  • Speaking abilities
  •  Contents of The ppt
  • PPT ( layout, tidyness,contents, pictures and multimedia)

Conclusion

At the end of this web-quest, you would  be able to speak  about The main contents of The picture of Dorian Gray and Oscar Wilde.