Wilde, Oscar - life and plays

Oscar Wilde

Oscar Wilde was born in Dublin in 1854. He was educated at Trinity College Dublin and Magdalene College in Oxford. After his degree he moved to London where he soon became popular among the social and literary circles of the capital for his sparkling wit and unorthodox opinions. In 1881 he went to the U.S. for a series of lectures. On his return, he published two volumes of charming stories: “THE HAPPY PRINCE AND OTHER TALES” in 1888 and his only novel “THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY” published in 1891.
In the next four years, he became rich and famous with his plays:
“LADY WINDERMERE’S FAN” , “A WOMAN OF NO IMPORTANCE”, “AN IDEALS HUSBAND”, “THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST”.
His fifth play “SALOME’” was not allowed to be performed on stage by the Lord Chamberlain in England but had great success in Paris. Wilde’ literary career was destroyed in 1895 when he was imprisoned for homosexual practices and sentenced to two years hard labour.
Prison ruined his health and when he was released Wild found himself a complete social outcast, so he decided to leave England. He went first to Italy where he visited Naples, Rome and other towns, then to France where he died in 1900 under the name of Sebastian Melmoth.