The novel which first appeared in 1890, is first of all an unmasking portrayal of London's effete bourgeoisie, which was extremely limited by the puritan spirit of the times. The setting of the book is London at the end of the 19th century and the three main characters are Dorian Gray, Lord Henry Wotton and the painter Basil Hallward.

At the beginning the reader finds himself transported into Basil's studio, where Dorian is sitting for a portrait. Basil Hallward is absolutely fascinated by the young man's untouched beauty and innocence. For him the young man is pure art and he feels that their meeting would be a motive in his art from now on. Although Dorian is a Narcissus, because he overrates the value of his own beauty, Basil falls under his spell. Basil is aware of the fact, that Dorian's mere personality would probably absorb his whole nature, soul and art. One day Dorian, who must be easily suggestible because of his youth, is introducted at Basil's to Lord Henry Wotton. Lord Henry, who's quite a cynic, refuses to bear the responsibility for the effect that his actions and his influence could possibly have on other people. For Henry, Dorian and his relationship to Basil Hallward are just interesting things to study. Dorian becomes more and more dependent on his new charismatic friend and the young man isn't able to understand that it's quite hazardous to have a mentor, who is convinced that conscience is more a burden than a support in life. Since Henry believes that the only aim in life is self-development and that satisfaction of all desires is the only thing that counts, he draws the conclusion that conscience and morality are the two main obstacles to that keep people away from achieving these goals.

Finally, when the picture is finished, Basil is afraid of exhibiting it because he thinks that it contains too much of his own personality - so he's afraid to be offended. One day Dorian goes to a little, run-down theatre, where he falls in love with one of the actresses. Dorian is of the opinion that he loves the girl, but to be true, he's just in love with characters from art like Julia or Ophelia and not with the living actress Sybil Vane. When Dorian tells Lord Henry and Basil, that he has already proposed marriage to Sybil, some days later, they're quite shocked. While Basil hopes that that marriage will never become a great disappointment for Dorian, Henry thinks that this marriage could be an interesting experience - both for Dorian and him, the curious spectator. Then they decide to go to theatre to see the extraordinary kind of art, Sybil Vane is able to create though her way of acting. But that night Sybil acts horribly and the longer the play lasts, the more Dorian's "love" vanishes. After the las act he hurries backstage and is totally surprised when Sybil tells him that she just acted so badly because Dorian taught her that the only reality she knew, was the one on the stage. When he replies that he doesn't love her anymore, and that he wouldn' t want to marry her anymore, the young woman is smashed to pieces. Back home again Dorian recognises that the picture looks different in some way. After some minutes he's firmly convinced that the picture must have altered because of a little, thoughtless wish, he had made while sitting for the portrait: he had wished that he himself might remain young and the portrait might grow old and bear the burden of his sins.The longer he looks at the picture, the more he becomes aware that his behavior was cruel and that he should ask Sybil for pardon and marry her, no matter if he still loved her or not. He swears that he will never sin again and he knows, that the picture will always be a visible emblem of conscience to him and guide him through life. But then Lord Henry turns up and tells him that Sybil died the other night. People suspected that it was suicide.

Dorian blames himself for her death firstly, but then Henry makes him believe that he should regard her death as an interesting experience and as the greatest gift a woman can give to man - her life. Now Dorian assures Henry that he is now able to remember that incident just as a marvellous experience. Furthermore, he decides that from now on pleasures and sins should dominate his life and he is convinced that he would never have to take responsibility for his future actions because the picture would have to bear his shame.The same day Basil visits Dorian because he wants to comfort him. Basil is flabbergasted when he has to listen to Dorian, who talks about the events of the past few days so indifferently. Then Dorian becomes aware that his corruption has to be hidden away from the world and so he hides the picture in an uninhabited room of his house. Then we are told about a book, given to Dorian by Lord Henry, which seems to contain the story of his own life (the hero of the book is a young Parisian). At that time strange rumours about Dorian Gray begin to creep through London, but hardly anyone is able to believe them. Dorian himself, is determined to discover or create both a new Hedonism and Mysticism in his life. For that reason he starts to collect different things, that could possibly inspire the senses (e.g. perfumes, jewels, instruments and embroideries). Nothing is able to lessen his recklessness and sometimes he "looks as evil simply as a mode through which you can realize the conception of the beautiful".

On the day of his 38th birthday Basil turns up at Dorian's, because he is about to leave London. Basil wants to inform Dorian about the horrible rumours and tells Dorian that he would support him, because he knew that none of them could be true, because every sin writes itself accross a man's face. But still, Basil wants Dorian to explain why his friendship is so fatal to young people. Dorian is both offended and aggressive and tells Basil that he should now see his soul. When Basil looks at the picure some minutes later he can't believe what he sees, but than he tries to comfort Dorian by telling him that the sins in the face of the old man would maybe disappear if he changed his lifestyle and listened to his conscience. Suddenly Dorian looses control and stabs his friend with a knife. In Dorian's opinion Basil is responsible for his degeneration, because he painted the portrait.

Then he remembers a man called Alan Parker - a chemitrist - and blackmails him with details from the past, so that he helps him to get rid of Basil's body. Then Dorian goes to one of the most disreputable districts of London in order to forget by taking opium. There he's just known as "Prince Charming" - that is the same name Sybil Vane had uttered in presence of her brother before her death. It's a mere accident that James Vane hears that name. Now James wants to kill the man responsible for his sister's death, but when he realizes that that "Prince Charming" looks like an innocent boy, he hesitates and Dorian is able to flee.

A week later Dorian and Henry are visiting the Duchess of Monmouth, who workships Dorian Gray. Dorian is both afraid of his conscience of death and of James Vane, when he is alone with his thoughts. Then some men who are hunting kill a man accidentially - it's James Vane and Dorian is as relieved as a man could ever be. Now Dorian regrets his sins and tells Henry that he's determined to become moral. When Dorian asks Henry that he would say, if he told him, that he murdered Basil, Henry answers, that he would not believe it because crime is vulgar, and because he'd be the opposite of all vulgarity - namely art. Henry also thinks that his interest for morality would be nothing else than another way to search and find pleasure.[^...]

The last chapter of The Portrait of Dorian Gray

Katrin Mayer