The Life Of Oscar Wilde

Studienarbeit aus dem Jahr 2005 im Fachbereich Anglistik - Literatur, Note: 2, Ernst-Moritz-Arndt-Universität Greifswald (Institut für Anglistik/Amerikanistik), Veranstaltung: Social Criticism in Oscar Wilde's 'An Ideal Husband' and 'A Woman of No Importance', Sprache: Deutsch, Abstract: This homework will deal with the biography of Oscar Wilde. It is perhaps rather unusual for a homework in a course in literature to deal predominantly with the life of a writer. Usually, academic treatment of literature tries not to give too much attention to the mere biographical background of any writer whose works are discussed. But certainly the case of Oscar Wilde would be one to call for an exception from the rule As to the reasons for the unusual treatment of a writer in this respect, it can first of all - be stated that the dates and events in Oscar Wilde's life are very well documented. Seemingly, the life of Oscar Wilde has, on the whole, been of greater interest to scholars than the synoptic analysis of his works. One scholar comments on the disproportion in academe between sifting through the life and analysing the works: 'Es besagt viel, wenn man feststellt, wie wenig über sein Werk gesagt und wie ausführlich über sein Leben fabuliert wurde. [...] Das zahlenmäßige Missverhältnis zwischen Biographien und Werkuntersuchungen bestätigt nur die Beobachtung, dass sein Leben stets stärker die Aufmerksamkeit des Publikums auf sich gezogen hat als das, was er geschrieben hat.' He adds that such an approach is rather inappropriate: 'Dies geriet einer gerechten Beurteilung seines oeuvre nicht zum Vorteil, sondern hat ihr eher geschadet.' Be that as it may, any research will certainly reveal many significant links between the life and the works of Oscar Wilde. And here we have the second reason for the discussion of his biography in this homework: even the most superficial glance at the life will reveal that it is hardly possible to deal with life or oeuvre separately. One can find the anarchistic dandy, trying to live up to the principles of aestheticism, in both of them. In Oscar Wilde's lifetime, his contemporaries of the Victorian age experienced 'Oscar Wilde's complex personality [, which] was full of contrasts, inner tensions and excesses', as well as most of his works. It is not surprising that, being for the most part dramatic, Wilde's works also contain many 'contrasts, inner tensions and excesses' - if only in the form of a finely wrought bon mot of one of the notorious characters. [...]