The Picture of Dorian Gray MCQs

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Author: Nasir Iqbal | Assistant Professor of English Literature


Updated on: November 19, 2025
Estimated Reading Time: 17 min

The Picture of Dorian Gray MCQs

1. What strong scent initially filled the artist’s studio?

A. Lilac and roses
B. Incense and smoke
C. Paint and varnish
D. Tea and coffee

A. Lilac and roses.
The chapter opens with a description of the rich odour of roses and the heavy scent of lilac flowers.

2. Who is lying on the divan smoking cigarettes?

A. Basil Hallward
B. Dorian Gray
C. Lord Henry
D. Alan Campbell

C. Lord Henry.
Lord Henry Wotton was casually lying on the divan, habitually smoking numerous cigarettes at the start.

3. What is displayed in the centre of the room on an easel?

A. A marble statue
B. An antique clock
C. A full-length portrait
D. A stack of books

C. A full-length portrait.
The full-length portrait of a beautiful young man, Dorian Gray, stood centrally clamped to an upright easel.

4. Where does Lord Henry suggest Basil should exhibit the portrait?

A. The Royal Academy
B. The Grosvenor Gallery
C. The National Gallery
D. A private viewing

B. The Grosvenor Gallery.
Lord Henry suggested the Grosvenor, dismissing the Academy as being too large and somewhat vulgar for the artwork.
5. Why does Basil refuse to exhibit his masterpiece?

A. Lack of framing
B. Too controversial
C. Too much self
D. Subject is vain

C. Too much self.
Basil Hallward feels he has put too much of his soul and personal essence into the painted canvas.

6. According to Lord Henry, where does real beauty end?

A. Where vanity begins
B. Where intellect begins
C. Where passion begins
D. Where art begins

B. Where intellect begins.
Lord Henry suggests that thinking destroys facial harmony, asserting that beauty ends when an intellectual expression starts.

7. What is the full name of the beautiful young man in the portrait?

A. Lord Kelso
B. Basil Hallward
C. Dorian Gray
D. Lord Henry

C. Dorian Gray.
Basil Hallward reluctantly reveals the name of the portrait subject, confirming it is Dorian Gray.

8. Lord Henry suggests the charm of marriage is that it requires what?

A. Absolute devotion
B. Complete trust
C. A life of deception
D. Shared honesty

C. A life of deception.
Lord Henry claims the only charm of marriage is the absolute necessity of deception for both married parties.

9. What characteristic does Basil accuse Lord Henry of merely posing as?

A. Deep compassion
B. Thoughtful integrity
C. Moral goodness
D. Cynicism

D. Cynicism.
Basil claims Lord Henry’s cynicism is simply a pose, noting that he never does anything genuinely wrong.
10. What does Basil claim is revealed by a portrait painted with feeling?

A. The sitter’s history
B. The world’s beauty
C. The painter’s soul
D. The subject’s beauty

C. The painter’s soul.
Basil says that a portrait painted with strong feeling reveals the secret of the artist’s soul, not the sitter’s.

11. Basil first met Dorian Gray at a crush held by whom?

A. Lady Agatha
B. Lord Henry
C. Lady Brandon
D. Lord Fermor

C. Lady Brandon.
Basil recounts meeting Dorian Gray for the first time two months prior at a social crush hosted by Lady Brandon.

12. What emotion does Basil initially feel upon meeting Dorian Gray?

A. Intense fascination
B. Mild irritation
C. Sudden terror
D. Artistic interest

C. Sudden terror.
When their eyes met, Basil felt a curious sensation of terror, fearing Dorian would absorb his entire being.

13. What activity was Dorian Gray engaged in when he first appeared in Chapter II?

A. Posing for Basil
B. Reading a book
C. Playing the piano
D. Smoking a pipe

C. Playing the piano.
Upon their entrance, Dorian Gray was seated at the piano, turning pages of Schumann’s ‘Forest Scenes’.

14. According to Lord Henry, what is the duty one owes to oneself?

A. Achieving success
B. Avoiding temptation
C. Self-development
D. Charitable work

C. Self-development.
Lord Henry argues that the aim of life is perfect self-development, the highest duty one owes oneself.
15. Lord Henry claims the only way to get rid of a temptation is to do what?

A. Repent and pray
B. Discuss it widely
C. Yield to it
D. Confess the sin

C. Yield to it.
Lord Henry suggests that resisting a temptation makes the soul sick, so one must yield to it.

16. What did Dorian wish for upon seeing his completed portrait?

A. Eternal youth
B. To destroy the art
C. To marry Sibyl
D. To be famous

A. Eternal youth.
Dorian wished that the painting would age and mar instead of him, offering his soul for eternal youth.

17. What object does Dorian seize from the painting table to prevent Basil from destroying the portrait?

A. A water glass
B. A dagger
C. A palette-knife
D. A wooden brush

C. A palette-knife.
Basil seeks the long palette-knife to rip up the canvas, but Dorian leaps to seize it from him.

18. Who does Lord Henry visit in Chapter III to ask for information?

A. Lady Agatha
B. Lord Fermor
C. Basil Hallward
D. Alan Campbell

B. Lord Fermor.
Lord Henry strolled to the Albany to call on his uncle, Lord Fermor, to seek details about Dorian’s past.

19. What was Dorian Gray’s maternal grandfather’s title?

A. Lord Fermor
B. Lord Kelso
C. Lord Radley
D. Lord Henry

B. Lord Kelso.
Lord Fermor confirms that Dorian Gray is Lord Kelso’s grandson through his daughter, Lady Margaret Devereux.
20. What was the tragic fate of Dorian Gray’s father?

A. Killed in a duel
B. Died of fever
C. Lost at sea
D. Suicided young

A. Killed in a duel.
Lord Fermor recalls that Dorian’s father, a young subaltern, was killed in a duel at Spa.

21. What does Lord Henry say is the one advantage of having coal?

A. Burning wood
B. Funding charities
C. Heating the house
D. Gaining wealth

A. Burning wood.
Lord Henry’s uncle explains that the advantage of coal is affording the decency of burning wood at home.

22. Who invites Lord Henry to expound his philosophy of pleasure over Burgundy?

A. Lord Fermor
B. Mr. Erskine
C. Sir Thomas Burdon
D. The Duchess of Harley

B. Mr. Erskine.
Mr. Erskine of Treadley invited Lord Henry to visit his home and explain his philosophy over fine wine.

23. Who is Lord Henry’s wife, whom Dorian meets in Chapter IV?

A. Lady Agatha
B. Lady Gwendolen
C. Victoria Wotton
D. Mrs. Vandeleur

C. Victoria Wotton.
Lord Henry’s wife, Lady Henry, introduces herself to Dorian; her name is Victoria, known for being untidy.

24. According to Lord Henry, why do men marry?

A. They are curious
B. They are tired
C. For social status
D. For money

B. They are tired.
Lord Henry states cynically that men marry because they are tired, while women marry because they are curious.
25. Who is the actress Dorian Gray falls deeply in love with?

A. Lady Narborough
B. Sibyl Vane
C. Lady Henry
D. Hetty Merton

B. Sibyl Vane.
Dorian tells Lord Henry he is deeply in love with a brilliant actress named Sibyl Vane, whom no one knows yet.

26. Where did Dorian first discover Sibyl Vane performing?

A. A West End theatre
B. A small, shabby house
C. An absurd little theatre
D. Covent Garden

C. An absurd little theatre.
Dorian found Sibyl Vane acting Juliet in a tawdry, cheap-looking, absurd little theatre while wandering eastward.

27. What pet name does Sibyl Vane use for Dorian Gray?

A. My Lord
B. Prince Charming
C. Young Adonis
D. My Genius

B. Prince Charming.
Sibyl tells Dorian he looks like a prince in a play and decides to call him Prince Charming forever.

28. What relation is Mr. Isaacs to Sibyl Vane’s family?

A. Theatre owner
B. A kind relative
C. A money-lender
D. Her stage manager

C. A money-lender.
Sibyl’s mother mentions Mr. Isaacs has advanced them fifty pounds, indicating his role as a money-lender.

29. Where is Sibyl Vane’s brother, James, planning to travel?

A. Paris
B. America
C. Australia
D. Whitechapel

C. Australia.
James Vane is preparing to leave London to seek his fortune as a sailor or sheep-farmer in Australia.
30. What shocking fact did James Vane discover about his parents?

A. They were estranged
B. His father was poor
C. They were not married
D. They were famous

C. They were not married.
James Vane asks his mother if she was married to his father, and she eventually gives a negative answer.

31. What is Lord Henry’s view on unselfish people in marriage?

A. They are complex
B. They lack individuality
C. They are spiritual
D. They are honest

B. They lack individuality.
Lord Henry believes marriage makes one unselfish, and unselfish people are colourless and lack individuality.

32. How does Sibyl Vane perform in front of Lord Henry and Basil?

A. Superbly well
B. Exquisitely
C. Absolutely incompetent
D. Remarkably emotional

C. Absolutely incompetent.
Sibyl Vane performs Juliet with extreme staginess and false tone, disappointing Dorian and his guests.

33. Why does Sibyl Vane say she acted so badly that night?

A. She was nervous
B. She was sick
C. She was in love
D. She hated art

C. She was in love.
Sibyl explains that loving Dorian made her realize the hollowness and unreality of acting and art.

34. What does Dorian Gray first notice has changed on his portrait?

A. A frown
B. A paler cheek
C. A touch of cruelty
D. A broken heart

C. A touch of cruelty.
Examining the canvas after rejecting Sibyl, Dorian sees a strange line of cruelty around the painted mouth.
35. What news does Lord Henry deliver to Dorian the day after the rejection?

A. Basil left town
B. Sibyl is dead
C. They are ruined
D. The portrait is lost

B. Sibyl is dead.
Lord Henry brings the horrible news that Sibyl Vane died by swallowing poison in her dressing-room.

36. How does Dorian initially feel about the death of Sibyl Vane?

A. Deep remorse
B. Like a tragedy
C. Indifferent
D. Like a wonderful ending

D. Like a wonderful ending.
Dorian finds Sibyl’s death “theatrical” and beautiful, like a wonderful ending to a play.

37. What explanation does the newspaper give for Sibyl Vane’s death?

A. Foul play
B. Artistic madness
C. Misadventure
D. Suicide

C. Misadventure.
The newspaper report states that the inquest returned a verdict of death by misadventure for Sibyl Vane.

38. Where does Dorian Gray decide to hide the fatal portrait?

A. The library
B. The dining room
C. The schoolroom
D. The cellar

C. The schoolroom.
Dorian decides to lock the portrait away in the dusty, unused schoolroom at the very top of the house.

39. What does Lord Henry send Dorian in Chapter X that fascinates him?

A. A beautiful orchid
B. A yellow book
C. A painting
D. A foreign coin

B. A yellow book.
Lord Henry sends a philosophical French novel bound in yellow paper that instantly mesmerizes Dorian Gray.
40. What does Basil Hallward demand to see when confronting Dorian?

A. His house
B. His latest jewelry
C. His soul
D. His love letters

C. His soul.
Basil, tormented by the terrible rumours, passionately demands to see the truth of Dorian’s soul.

41. On what date, leading to his 38th birthday, does Basil Hallward return?

A. October first
B. Christmas Eve
C. November ninth
D. June twenty-first

C. November ninth.
Basil meets Dorian on the foggy night of November ninth, anticipating Dorian’s thirty-eighth birthday.

42. What object was hanging in the schoolroom when Dorian entered?

A. A Persian rug
B. A Greek bust
C. A ragged tapestry
D. An ivory mirror

C. A ragged tapestry.
Upon entering the old room, Dorian noticed a ragged Flemish tapestry hanging on the wall.

43. What tool does Dorian Gray use to murder Basil Hallward?

A. A silver pistol
B. A heavy cane
C. A palette-knife
D. A sharp dagger

D. A sharp dagger.
Driven by fury, Dorian seizes the long palette-knife he had previously used and fatally stabs Basil.

44. Who does Dorian Gray summon to dispose of Basil Hallward’s body?

A. Lord Henry
B. Francis, the valet
C. Alan Campbell
D. Jim Vane

C. Alan Campbell.
Dorian sends for Alan Campbell, an estranged chemist friend, to destroy Basil’s body chemically.
45. How does Dorian compel Alan Campbell to help him?

A. Money and threats
B. Emotional appeal
C. Scientific challenge
D. Blackmail letter

D. Blackmail letter.
Dorian forces the terrified Alan Campbell’s obedience by threatening to send a letter revealing a dark past secret.

46. After disposing of Basil’s body, where does Dorian Gray go that night?

A. The Opera
B. A theatre
C. An opium-den
D. Lady Narborough’s

C. An opium-den.
After burning Basil’s possessions, Dorian seeks forgetfulness by heading immediately to a sordid opium-den.

47. Who attacks Dorian Gray in the dark archway near the docks?

A. The police
B. Adrian Singleton
C. Jim Vane
D. A drunken sailor

C. Jim Vane.
James Vane, Sibyl’s brother, had been hunting Dorian for years and finally caught him in the archway.

48. Why is James Vane convinced he has attacked the wrong man?

A. Dorian looked afraid
B. The man was too young
C. Dorian showed his rings
D. The police arrived

B. The man was too young.
Dorian’s preserved youthfulness makes James Vane believe he is barely twenty, not the man from eighteen years prior.

49. How is James Vane killed shortly after confronting Dorian?

A. Drowning at sea
B. Shot by mistake
C. Chemical poisoning
D. Stabbed by Dorian

B. Shot by mistake.
James Vane, identified as a sailor, is accidentally shot in a thicket by Sir Geoffrey during a shooting party.
50. What final act does Dorian perform before he himself dies?

A. Confesses his sins
B. Destroys the knife
C. Burns the house
D. Stabs the portrait

D. Stabs the portrait.
Dorian attempts to free himself from the burden of conscience by plunging the knife into the fatal canvas.

Brief Overview

The Picture of Dorian Gray was first published as a novella in July 1890 by Oscar Wilde. It is considered a classic of Gothic horror and philosophical fiction. The novel explores the destructive themes of beauty, morality, and the consequences of a decadent lifestyle.

The novel starts with the artist Basil Hallward painting a portrait of the exceptionally handsome Dorian Gray. Lord Henry Wotton convinces Dorian to value only endless pleasure and eternal youth. Dorian makes a terrible wish: that the portrait would age and bear the burden of his sins, while he stays forever young. This wish magically comes true.

Dorian falls in love with the actress Sibyl Vane. When she performs poorly, Dorian cruelly rejects her, which causes Sibyl to kill herself tragically. The portrait immediately shows a cruel expression. Dorian quickly hides the changing, ugly painting in a locked upstairs room.

Dorian leads a wicked life of moral corruption while maintaining his flawless, youthful appearance. Years later, Basil confronts Dorian about his bad reputation. Dorian shows Basil the horrible, corrupted picture and, in a rage, kills Basil with a knife. He then forces a scientist to use chemicals to destroy the body.

Sibyl’s brother, James Vane, attempts to kill Dorian for revenge. Dorian’s unchanging young face saves him from recognition, and James Vane is soon killed in a hunting accident. Dorian tries to be good, but the portrait only reveals more cunning and hypocrisy.

Dorian stabs the portrait to destroy his own conscience. Servants later find the portrait restored to its initial beauty. A dead, old, and loathsome man lies on the floor below it, recognized as Dorian Gray only by the valuable rings on his hand.

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