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S T A G E 3

Late nineteenth-century London: a city of contrasts. Great wealth and terrible poverty, beauty and ugliness, purity and immorality. Oscar Wilde takes the reader into this strange and fascinating world through the strange story of the picture of Dorian Gray. Young, handsome and innocent, the aristocratic Dorian is visiting his friend, the kind and gentle painter Basil Hallward, when he meets Lord Henry Wotton. Entertaining and cynical, Lord Henry introduces Dorian to the idea of a world where the only value is beauty, and everything must serve this ideal. But how can Dorian survive ageing and ugliness? In front of his beautiful portrait, painted by Hallward, Dorian makes a terrible wish. This wish will come true, dragging Dorian into a world of the senses, of beauty and joy, but also of terror, of fear and ultimately of murder…

In this reader you will fi nd:- Information about Oscar Wilde’s life- Sections focusing on background and context- Glossary of diffi cult words- Comprehension activities- PET-style activities- Exit test

TagFantasy

Oscar Wilde

The Picture of Dorian Gray

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YOUNG ADULT ELI READERS

The Picture of Dorian Gray

ISBN 978-88-536-0517-7

OSCAR WILDE THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY

Y O U N G A D U L T R E A D E R S

Y O U N G A D U L T R E A D E R SY O U N G A D U L T R E A D E R S

Eli Readers is a beautifully illustrated series of timeless classics and specially-written stories for learners of English.Eli Readers is a beautifully illustrated series of timeless classics and specially-written stories for learners of English.

S T A G E 1

S T A G E 2

S T A G E 3

S T A G E 4

S T A G E 5

S T A G E 6

Classic

Elementary

Pre-Intermediate

Intermediate

Upper Intermediate

Advanced

Profi ciency

600 headwords

800 headwords

1000 headwords

1800 headwords

2500 headwords

Unabridged Texts

KET

PET

FCE

CAE

CPE

A1

A2

B1

B2

C1

C2

6

MAIN CHARACTERS

DORIAN GRAY We fi rst meet Dorian when he is about

twenty. He is young, handsome and very rich.

BASIL HALLWARD

A successful and talented artist who paints the picture mentioned in the title.

LORD HENRY WOTTON

A young lord, very rich and very cynical. His infl uence is

not always positive.

JAMES VANE

Sibyl’s brother, a sailor who is leaving for Australia to make his fortune.

ALAN CAMPBELL

A doctor who was a friend of Dorian’s in the past.

SIBYL AND JAMES VANE’S MOTHER

An ex actress who lives with her children. She is vain and shallow and very ambitious for Sibyl and James.

SIBYL VANE

A young actress, only seventeen years old with whom Dorian falls in love

7

10

The studio was fi lled with the rich perfume of fl owers. Lord Henry Wotton lay smoking. Everything was still.

In the centre of the room was a portrait* of a beautiful young man.The artist, Basil Hallward, was sitting in front of it, smiling.

‘It is your best work,’ said Lord Henry. ‘Show it at the Grosvenor.’‘No, I can’t. There is too much of me in it,’ answered Hallward.‘You don’t look like the picture!’ said Lord Henry. ‘You have an

intellectual face but this young man is an Adonis. He is beautiful. He never thinks, I am sure. You are not like him at all.’

‘You don’t understand, replied Hallward. I know I don’t look like him, I would be sorry to. Dorian Gray’s beauty will disappear. It is better to be ugly and stupid, and live in peace.’

‘Is that his name?’ asked Lord Henry.‘Yes,’ answered Hallward. ‘I didn’t want to tell you. I prefer secrets,

they are more romantic.’‘I agree, ‘said Lord Henry.’ I know nothing about my wife, and she

knows nothing about me.

The two young men laughed and went into the garden where they sat in the shade.

Chapter One

The Wish

portrait (noun, count.) a picture of a person, especially of his/her face

2

11

18

AFTER-READING ACTIVITIES

1 Look at the descriptions below from Chapter 1 and say if each

one describes Basil Hallward, Lord Henry Wotton or Dorian Gray.

1 He is beautiful. ………………………...........................................................…………

2 He has an intellectual face. …………………………………………………………………

3 His enemies respect him. ……………………………………………………………………

4 He plays the piano. ………………………………………………………………………………

5 His emotions were more interesting than an invitation to lunch.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………....……

6 He is a bad infl uence. …………………………………………………….……………………

7 His eyes were bright. …………………………………………………..………………………

8 He was amazed. ……………………………………………………………...……………………

9 He seemed quite angry. ………………………………………………………………………

10 A look of pain came into his eyes. ………………………………………………..

2 Read the questions and choose the correct answer.

1 Where is the portrait of the beautiful young man?

A in the garden ■■ B to the left of the studio ■■ C in the centre of the studio ■■

2 Why does Basil Hallward refuse to show the painting?

A it has no soul ■■ B it shows too much of Basil’s soul ■■ C it shows too much of Dorian's soul ■■

3 How does Basil paint after meeting Dorian?

A in a new way ■■ B every day ■■ C with great soul ■■

4 Where did Lord Henry fi rst hear Dorian Gray’s name?

A from Basil ■■ B from the butler ■■ C from his Aunt Agatha ■■

Reading

19

3 Use the Past Simple form of these verbs to complete the sentences

you saw in Chapter 1.

1 Lord Henry Wotton ………. smoking.

2 ‘It is your best work,’ ………. Lord Henry.

3 ‘I ………. you’ replied Hallward. ‘There is too much of me in it.’

4 ‘You see, two months ago I ………… to a party at Lady Brandon's

house.’

5 I ………….. to boring people for ten minutes.

6 ‘I …………. you only loved art.’

7 Lord Henry ………… Hallward's emotions more interesting than

his invitation.

8 Dorian Gray was at the piano. He ……….. sight of Lord Henry.

9 ‘If Dorian wants,’ …………… Hallward.

10 He ……….. a knife.

4 Write a dialogue between Dorian Gray and Lord Henry Wotton

where the two men arrange to meet to go to the theatre.

Remember to include where, at what time, how to arrive (on foot

or by carriage?).

5 Expand the notes to write a short summary of Chapter 1. The fi rst

sentence is completed as an example.

Lord Henry Wotton / go / Basil Hallward / studio.

Lord Henry Wotton went to Basil Hallward's studio.

Hallward / be/ famous artist. Two men / speak / new friend of

Hallward's. Lord Henry / want / meet. They / sit / garden and

when / they / go / house, Lord Henry / meet / Dorian. Dorian and

Lord Henry / speak / garden.

Lord Henry / say/ Dorian / ‘you / become old and ugly.’ Hallward /

fi nish / painting. First / Dorian / be / happy / then / he/ be / angry.

He / want / stay young and beautiful. He / offer / soul / exchange

/ for eternal youth and beauty. He / want / painting / to grow old.

Grammar

Writing

tell reply think lie fi nd speak say catch take go

118

FOCUS ON...

The Life of Oscar Wilde

Early LifeOscar Fingal O'Flahertie

Wills Wilde was born in

Dublin on 16th October 1854.

His father was Sir William

Wilde, a famous doctor: his

patients included Queen

Victoria. His mother was

Jane Francesca Elgee, a

poet and supporter of Irish

independence. Wilde had

an older brother and a

younger sister who died

young. He studied at home

until he was nine, and

then at private school. In

1874 he went to Magdalen

College, Oxford and

studied Greek classics.

First PublicationsDuring his studies, Wilde published some poetry.

He also wrote articles for magazines and travelled

in Europe and America. He became famous for

his eccentric lifestyle. In 1878 he graduated from

Oxford and went to live in London. He wrote for

many magazines and became more famous for his

extravagant behaviour and love of aesthetics.

Some people started to say that he was immoral.

MarriageIn 1884 Wilde married Constance Lloyd. He thought she was very intelligent. They lived in London and were happy for a short time. Their son Cyril was born in 1885, and their younger son Vyvyan in 1886. Wilde was affectionate to his children, but ignored his wife. He preferred the company of men. At the time, it was illegal for men to have homosexual relationships.

Oscar Wilde, June 1875.

119

Trial and PrisonWilde was famous for his love affairs with men, which were against the law. In 1895 he was arrested and put on trial. The verdict was guilty. He was sentenced to two years of hard labour. He spent most of the time in Reading, and later wrote The Ballad of Reading Gaol. Prison was bad for his health. When he left prison in 1897 he went to Europe, and never returned to Britain.

Oscar Wilde, 1882.

The Picture of Dorian Gray, appearing as the lead story in “Lippincott’s Monthly Magazine” on 20 June 1890.

Final YearsIn very bad health, Wilde spent most of his fi nal years in Paris. He was very poor. Constance refused to meet him, but sent him money. She died in 1898 after an operation. He converted to Roman Catholicism a few days before he died, on 30th November 1900. Only a few of his friends stayed with him until the end.

First Prose WorksIn 1888 Wilde published The Happy Prince and other tales, which he wrote for his two children. His only novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray was published in 1891. At the same time he fell in love with Lord Alfred Douglas. From 1893 he considered his marriage fi nished. Wilde’s fi rst play, Lady Windermere's Fan, opened in February 1892. Playwriting was his greatest talent and in a few years he wrote A Woman of No Importance (1893), An Ideal Husband (1895) and The Importance of Being Earnest (1895).