“Biography lends to death a new terror.” This is a quote from the famous writer of the 19th century Oscar Wilde, and the irony is that in this paper I will be shedding some light on the life and times of this controversial artist. Wilde was an Irish playwright, novelist, poet, and critic. He is regarded as one of the greatest playwrights of the Victorian Era. In his lifetime he wrote nine plays, one novel, and numerous poems, short stories, and essays. He was a supporter of the Aesthetic movement, which emphasized aesthetic values more than moral or social ideals. This movement is most clearly summarized in the phrase “art for art's sake.” The main focus of this paper will be Wildes early life, his various works and controversial lifestyle, and a bit of my personal opinion on this man and his effects on the world today. Oscar Wilde was born in Dublin on October 16, 1854 to Sir William Wilde and his wife Jane. Oscar's mother, Lady Jane Francesca Wilde, was a successful poet and journalist; she wrote many successful Irish verses under a pseudonym. His father, Sir William Wilde, was a surgeon and also a gifted writer, who wrote books on archeology and folklore. Oscar was educated at Portora Royal School until 1871, and then attended Trinity College in Dublin as well as Magdalen College in Oxford until 1878. It was during his stint in Oxford that he became an advocate in the aesthetic movement and while at Magdalen, he won the 1878 Newdigate Prize for his poem Ravenna. After he graduated, he moved to London to establish a literary career. Several years later, he published his first collection of poetry which was simply called Poems which received mixed reviews by critics at the time. On May 29, 1884, Oscar married Constance Lloyd and they had two sons, Cyril and Vyvyan. To support his family, Oscar accepted a job as the editor of Woman's World magazine, where he worked from 1887-1889. In 1888, he published The Happy Prince and Other Tales, fairy-stories written for his two sons. His first and only novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray was published in 1891 and received an extremely negative response. This had much to do with the novel's homoerotic overtones, as homosexuality was not only looked down upon but illegal in the latter half of the century. Wilde's greatest talent, however, was for writing plays. His first successful play, Lady Windermere's Fan, opened in February 1892. He produced a string of extremely popular comedies over the next few years including A Woman of No Importance, An Ideal Husband, and The Importance of Being Earnest. These plays were all highly acclaimed and firmly established Oscar as a playwright. The same year as the release of his controversial novel about Dorian Gray, Wilde began an affair with Lord Alfred Douglas, nicknamed “Bosie,” who became both the love of his life and his ultimate downfall. After many scandalous accusations and rumors (many of them being true) Wilde's marriage ended in 1893. However, instead of staying in the background, in April of 1895, Oscar sued Bosie's father for libel as he had been accused of homosexuality. Oscar's case was unsuccessful and he was himself arrested and tried for gross indecency. He was sentenced to two years of hard labor for the crime of sodomy. During his time in prison he wrote De Profundis, a dramatic monologue and autobiography, which was personally addressed to Bosie. After his release in 1897, he wrote The Ballad of Reading Gaol revealing his concern for inhumane prison conditions. Following the death of his former wife in 1898, he was denied access to his two sons, though he he was given money each year from her estate to live off of. He was once quoted as saying “anyone who lives within their means suffers from a lack of imagination.” Due to this attitude and therefore his extravagant lifestyle, the money he was given from his ex-wife's estate did not go very far. His former lover Bosie had inherited a large sum of money after the death of his father and Wilde asked Bosie if he would be willing to supply him with income from his inheritance. It is said that Bosie had a tantrum, stating, “I cannot afford to spend anything except on myself.” He spent the rest of his life wandering Europe, staying with friends and often living in cheap hotels. He died of cerebral meningitis on November 30, 1900, completely destitute and penniless, in a cheap Paris hotel. One cannot deny Oscar Wildes profound influence on the 19th century, though most of his influence and notoriety was gained posthumously. Most notoriety he was granted during his life was gained by his homosexual tendency and his consequential stint in prison. It is unfortunate that he was not given more credit for his works during his lifetime due to the narrow-mindedness of the time in which he lived. Perhaps if his life was not regarded as a sham he may not have gone down the road of destitution. Though many of his most famous witticisms were recorded during his later years and I believe is a lot of what gained him so much fame and sympathy after his death for generations to come. A few years ago, I heard a quote by him which has stuck with me and probably the reason I chose him to write this paper about. “Man is least himself when he talks in his own person. Give him a mask, and he will tell you the truth.” This is a quote I feel was inspired by his own personal experience. Wilde was probably aware of his homosexuality his entire life. However, do to it being not only looked down upon, but outlawed, he found he could only tell the truth hiding behind the mask of his writing. For me, this brings a certain question to mind. How many various artists and writers who gained fame for their fictional works were actually hiding behind their own figurative masks? I myself am an avid reader of fiction and I have long since come to the conclusion that most fiction has some basis (even the smallest) in reality. Or at least the reality of the writer. I also enjoy writing short stories and monologues and in reviewing my various pieces of writing I can see that some of my own silent fears and beliefs are portrayed in various ways. In conclusion, Oscar Wilde was a man who inspired many people of various backgrounds, times and artistry, myself included. His refusal to settle back and let people tell him how he should live his life was inspirational and controversial. He accomplished much in his short life. One cannot deny that it is a shame he did not live longer so as to leave future generations with even more works to be admired. His life should be a lesson to us to not stifle ones creativity based on not accepting who they are. Wilde himself, put it best by saying, “One can survive anything, nowadays, except death, and live down everything except a good reputation.”