"The Picture of Dorian Gray" Key Quotes Flashcards
“My heart shall never be put under their microscope.” (Basil)
Basil is voicing Wilde’s own views as an aesthete, believing in the concept of “art for art’s sake” and that art should have no deeper meaning. Basil fears that he has gone against this and that he has put too much of himself into the portrait of Dorian, hence why he doesn’t want it to be displayed.
“I can sympathise with everything, except suffering…It is too ugly, too horrible, too distressing… The less said about life’s sores the better.” (Lord Henry)
Shows Henry’s perspective on life to be one of hedonism. He looks only to the positive side of things and focuses on leading his own life rather than addressing the issues in society and talking about what can be done.
“If I ever did a crime, I would come and confess it to you.” (Dorian)
Foreshadowing: this is exactly what Dorian does in Chapter 19, but Henry doesn’t believe him, saying that murder is too vulgar for a man like Dorian (Lombroso’s theory). Also shows Dorian’s complete trust in Henry even though he hasn’t known him for that long - perhaps a sign of Henry’s influence over Dorian?
“Don’t talk like that about anyone you love, Dorian. Love is a more wonderful thing than Art.” “They are both simply forms of imitation…” (Basil & Henry)
Shows the contrast between Basil & Henry’s influence on Dorian. Basil tries to be a good friend to Dorian in showing that he cares about his feelings and wants him to do the right thing. Meanwhile, Henry doesn’t care about whether or not he is a good influence on Dorian; he simply voices his opinion with no regard for the consequences.
“There is something fatal about a portrait. It has a life of its own.” (Dorian)
This takes place after Dorian has discovered that the portrait changes to reflect the state of his soul. However, it is in the stage when Dorian is still wary of the fact that the portrait changes, and is trying to ensure that it doesn’t change to show his sins again. It is almost as if he is indirectly trying to warn Basil of what his creation has become.
“…wondering sometimes which were the more horrible, the signs of sin or the signs of age.”
Dorian’s morality is becoming more and more blurred and distorted; he no longer knows which he values more out of his beauty and his morality.
“…and for a moment felt keenly the terrible pleasure of a double life.”
Dorian enjoys the fact that he can lead this double life and have everyone still believe him to be innocent even as he descends deeper into a hedonistic lifestyle, not fearing the consequences simply because they won’t affect him directly (as far as he knows).
“…pressed against the window of the conservatory, like a white handkerchief, he had seen the face of James Vane watching him.”
Simile “like a white handkerchief”: white flag as a symbol of surrender, indicates what James Vane means to Dorian (reminder of his past, a force that knows his secrets seeking his destruction). Also creates a ghostly image, just as how this sighting of James haunts Dorian until James is killed?
“As long as I live, the personality of Dorian Gray will dominate me.” (Basil)
Degree of foreshadowing: the fact that Basil feels this strongly for Dorian in part leads him to his death. Also suggests the underlying homoeroticism of the relationship between Basil & Dorian (in the first draft, Basil had much more explicit feelings for Dorian) - Basil reflecting much of Wilde himself.
“If it were only the other way! If it were I who was to be always young, and the picture that was to grow old! For that - for that - I would give everything! Yes, there is nothing in the whole world I would not give! I would give my soul for that!” (Dorian)
The crucial moment - especially “I would give my soul for that! “ - This is when Dorian unwittingly makes a Faustian bargain, under which he stops aging and the portrait of him begins to bear the signs of his his age and actions.
“Don’t, Basil, don’t!… It would be murder!” (Dorian)
This line shows perhaps the most notable outward change in Dorian’s perspective on his own beauty, brought about by Henry’s words to him during Chapter 2. Dorian is already treating the portrait as if it is a human being itself - foreshadows the changes from Chapter 7 onwards, as well as the fact that the portrait is essentially treated like its own character.
