Oscar had an elder brother, Willie, and a younger sister, Isola Francesca, who died at the early age of 10.

Oscar's father, Sir William Wilde (1815 - 1876), was a leading ear and eye surgeon, a renowned philanthropist and gifted writer, who wrote books on archaeology and folklore. She wrote patriotic Irish verse under the pseudonym 'Speranza'. Oscar's mother, Lady Jane Francesca Wilde (1820-1896), was a successful poet and journalist. Oscar Wilde was born in Dublin on 16 October 1854 to Sir William Wilde and his wife Jane. 'Biography lends to death a new terror' - Oscar Wilde Resting place: Le Pére Lachaise Cemetery, Paris, France Occupation: Playwright, novelist, poet, editor, critic Mother: Jane Francesca Elgee (poet and journalist) He was tried and imprisoned for his homosexual relationship (then considered a crime) with the son of an aristocrat.įast Facts Birth name: Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde This doctrine is most clearly summarized in the phrase 'art for art's sake'.īesides literary accomplishments, he is also famous, or perhaps infamous, for his wit, flamboyance, and affairs with men.

Wilde was a proponent of the Aesthetic movement, which emphasized aesthetic values more than moral or social themes. In his lifetime he wrote nine plays, one novel, and numerous poems, short stories, and essays. He is regarded as one of the greatest playwrights of the Victorian Era. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.Oscar Wilde was an Anglo-Irish playwright, novelist, poet, and critic. In addition to Dorian Gray, this volume represents all these genres, including such works as Lady Windermere's Fan and The Importance of Being Earnest, 'The Happy Prince', 'The Critic as Artist', and 'The Ballad of Reading Gaol'.ĪBOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. His talent was prodigious: the author of brilliant social comedies, fairy stories, critical dialogues, poems, and a novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray. Oscar Wilde's dramatic private life has sometimes threatened to overshadow his great literary achievements. It brings together a unique combination of Wilde's poetry and prose short stories, plays, critical dialogues and his only novel - to give the essence of his work and thinking. This authoritative edition was formerly published in the acclaimed Oxford Authors series under the general editorship of Frank Kermode.

The Major Works by Oscar Wilde