Oscar Wilde

Study question Oscar Wilde

The Importance of Being Earnest

The Importance of Being Earnest MCQs

The Picture of Dorian Gray

The Picture of Dorian Gray MCQs

Facts about Oscar Wilde

➾ His full name was Oscar Fingal O’Flahertie Wills Wilde.

➾ He was imprisoned for two years with hard labor for homosexuality in 1895.

➾ His conviction for homosexual offenses effectively ended his acclaimed career.

➾ After prison, he wrote only one major work: “The Ballad of Reading Gaol.”

➾ His play Salomé, written in French, was banned in England for depicting Biblical characters.

➾ His popular American lecture tour was a publicity stunt for an opera that mocked his own Aesthetic Movement.

➾ On his American tour, he wore a velvet jacket and knee-breeches specifically for American audiences.

➾ He called Walter Pater’s The Renaissance his “golden book” for its strange influence on his life.

➾ He famously advised one should “either be a work of art, or wear a work of art.”

➾ He described his dangerous social life as being “like feasting with panthers.”

➾ He believed in treating trivial things seriously and serious things with “studied triviality.”

Oscar Wilde MCQs

1. Where was Oscar Wilde born?

A. London, England
B. Dublin, Ireland
C. Paris, France
D. New York, USA

B. Dublin, Ireland
He was born in Dublin to accomplished, intellectual parents. His father was a renowned surgeon and his mother a successful writer. This environment shaped his future.

2. In what year was Oscar Wilde born?

A. 1845
B. 1874
C. 1854
D. 1864

C. 1854
Born on October 16, 1854, he became one of the most prominent figures of the late Victorian era. A true icon.

3. At which Oxford college did Oscar Wilde win the Newdigate Prize?

A. Trinity College
B. Magdalen College
C. Christ Church
D. Exeter College

B. Magdalen College
His time at Oxford was formative. He excelled academically and began to cultivate the flamboyant public persona that would define him. Winning this prize was a major early achievement.

4. For which poem did Oscar Wilde win the Newdigate Prize?

A. Salomé
B. The Happy Prince
C. The Ballad of Reading Gaol
D. Ravenna

D. Ravenna
This prize-winning poem, written in 1878, demonstrated his early poetic talent and classical education. It was a sign of the literary brilliance to come.

5. Oscar Wilde was an early leader of which artistic movement?

A. Naturalism
B. Romanticism
C. Aesthetic Movement
D. Symbolism

C. Aesthetic Movement
Wilde became the most famous spokesperson for Aestheticism. He championed beauty and art above all else. His wit and style made him the face of the movement.

6. What core concept did the “Aesthetic Movement” advance?

A. Art for Art’s Sake
B. Art for Nature’s Sake
C. Art for Society’s Sake
D. Art for Morality’s Sake

A. Art for Art’s Sake
This philosophy argues that art should be judged on its own beautiful terms, not for any moral or social purpose. It was a radical idea in the moralistic Victorian era.

7. What was the title of Oscar Wilde’s first volume of fairy tales?

A. The House of Pomegranates
B. The Happy Prince and Other Tales
C. The Nightingale and the Rose
D. A Woman of No Importance

B. The Happy Prince and Other Tales
Published in 1888, these tales are beautiful, poignant, and often tragic. They showed a more sensitive and compassionate side to Wilde’s writing.

8. What is the title of Oscar Wilde’s only novel?

A. The Canterville Ghost
B. Lord Arthur Savile’s Crime
C. The Portrait of Mr. W. H.
D. The Picture of Dorian Gray

D. The Picture of Dorian Gray
This controversial and brilliant novel explores themes of aestheticism, morality, and duplicity. It became a key piece of evidence used against him in his trials.

9. Which of Oscar Wilde’s plays first brought him wide public fame?

A. A Woman of No Importance
B. Salomé
C. The Importance of Being Earnest
D. Lady Windermere’s Fan

D. Lady Windermere’s Fan
Premiering in 1892, this “Play about a Good Woman” was a huge success. It established Wilde as a major force in London theatre with its dazzling wit and social commentary.

10. Which play confirmed Wilde’s stature as a dramatist?

A. The Duchess of Padua
B. The Importance of Being Earnest
C. Vera; or The Nihilists
D. An Ideal Husband

B. The Importance of Being Earnest
This play, first performed in 1895, is widely considered his masterpiece. It’s a flawless “trivial comedy for serious people” and a pinnacle of English stage comedy.

11. In what year did Oscar Wilde sue the Marquis of Queensbury for libel?

A. 1895
B. 1893
C. 1894
D. 1892

A. 1895
This disastrous decision marked the beginning of his downfall. The libel case collapsed, leading directly to his own arrest and prosecution.

12. What was Oscar Wilde’s prison sentence?

A. A heavy fine and community service
B. Two years imprisonment with hard labour
C. One year imprisonment without hard labour
D. Six months imprisonment with hard labour

B. Two years imprisonment with hard labour
Convicted of “gross indecency,” he was given the maximum sentence. The brutal conditions of his imprisonment broke his health and spirit.

13. Where did Oscar Wilde settle after his release from prison?

A. The Continent
B. Dublin
C. London
D. New York

A. The Continent
Bankrupt and disgraced, he left England immediately upon his release in 1897. He would never return. He spent his final years in exile, primarily in France.

14. What is the title of the powerful poem Wilde wrote after prison?

A. The Ballad of Reading Gaol
B. The Sphinx
C. Hélas
D. Ravenna

A. The Ballad of Reading Gaol
This moving poem, his last major work, is a stark departure from his earlier style. It’s a powerful indictment of the cruelty of the prison system.

15. In what city did Oscar Wilde die?

A. Dublin
B. Paris
C. London
D. New York

B. Paris
He died in poverty in a Parisian hotel in 1900 at the age of 46. A tragic end for one of the brightest stars of his generation.

16. What was Lord Alfred Douglas’s nickname?

A. Alfie
B. Dodger
C. Sonny
D. Bosie

D. Bosie
“Bosie” was the young, handsome poet whose tumultuous relationship with Wilde and whose father, the Marquess of Queensberry, led to Wilde’s downfall.

17. Which sonnet is said to have “encapsulated his entire career”?

A. The Sphinx
B. Requiescat
C. Hélas
D. Impression du Matin

C. Hélas
The opening line, “To drift with every passion till my soul / Is a stringed lute on which all winds can play,” captures the core tension of his aesthetic philosophy.

18. What was the title of Wilde’s first significant book of poetry?

A. The Happy Prince and Other Tales
B. The Picture of Dorian Gray
C. Poems
D. The House of Pomegranates

C. Poems
Published at his own expense in 1881, this collection showcased his poetic influences and established his presence on the literary scene.

19. Which book by Walter Pater had a “strange influence” over Wilde’s life?

A. Appreciations
B. Studies in the History of the Renaissance
C. Marius the Epicurean
D. Plato and Platonism

B. Studies in the History of the Renaissance
Wilde called this his “golden book.” Its conclusion, urging one “to burn always with this hard, gemlike flame,” became a central tenet of his aesthetic philosophy.

20. In what language did Wilde primarily write “Salomé”?

A. Italian
B. English
C. German
D. French

D. French
He wrote it in French partly as a tribute to the French Symbolist writers he admired and partly to secure a performance by the great French actress Sarah Bernhardt.

21. Which play did Wilde complete just before “Salomé”?

A. Lady Windermere’s Fan
B. The Importance of Being Earnest
C. A Woman of No Importance
D. An Ideal Husband

A. Lady Windermere’s Fan
Wilde’s creative output in the early 1890s was astonishing. He moved seamlessly from the sparkling social comedy of *Lady Windermere’s Fan* to the exotic tragedy of *Salomé*.

22. Which famous actress wanted to play the lead role in “Salomé”?

A. Sarah Bernhardt
B. Eleonora Duse
C. Ellen Terry
D. Mrs. Patrick Campbell

A. Sarah Bernhardt
The legendary Sarah Bernhardt was set to star in the play’s premiere, which would have been a massive artistic triumph for Wilde.

23. Why was “Salomé” refused a license for public production in England?

A. It violated the ban on portraying Biblical characters.
B. Its unconventional dramatic structure.
C. Its controversial themes of love and desire.
D. Its perceived immoral content.

A. It violated the ban on portraying Biblical characters.
An old law forbade the depiction of characters from the Bible on the English stage. This censorship was a bitter blow to Wilde.

24. Who created the famous illustrations for the English translation of “Salomé”?

A. Gustave Moreau
B. Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
C. Aubrey Beardsley
D. Odilon Redon

C. Aubrey Beardsley
Beardsley’s striking and controversial black-and-white illustrations are now inseparable from the play itself. They are iconic images of the Art Nouveau style.

25. What shocking episode did Wilde add to the biblical story in “Salomé”?

A. Salome kills Herod.
B. Salome seduces John the Baptist.
C. Salome kisses the decapitated head of Jokanaan.
D. Herodias kisses John the Baptist’s head.

C. Salome kisses the decapitated head of Jokanaan.
This climactic act of necrophilia was Wilde’s most scandalous addition to the story. It horrified audiences and cemented the play’s decadent reputation.

26. In which essay does Wilde suggest an artist is scarcely subject to ethical judgments?

A. The Decay of Lying
B. The Critic as Artist
C. The Soul of Man Under Socialism
D. Pen, Pencil and Poison

D. Pen, Pencil and Poison
In this essay about a forger and poisoner who was also an artist, Wilde playfully argues for the separation of art from conventional morality.

27. In “The Picture of Dorian Gray,” crime is to the lower classes what art is to the upper classes: a method of procuring what?

A. Sensations
B. Wealth
C. Power
D. Knowledge

A. Sensations
This line from the novel highlights the decadent pursuit of new experiences, whether through aesthetic beauty or sordid crime. It’s all about feeling something new.

28. In “The Critic as Artist,” what did Wilde say about psychology in fiction?

A. It is too morbid.
B. It has never been morbid enough.
C. It has explored the soul deeply.
D. It should avoid the secrets of the soul.

B. It has never been morbid enough.
Wilde championed the exploration of the darker, more complex aspects of the human psyche, pushing against the superficiality of much Victorian literature.

29. What did W. B. Yeats say Oscar Wilde called Pater’s “The Renaissance”?

A. His guiding light
B. His golden book
C. His philosophical guide
D. His artistic bible

B. His golden book
This term shows the immense value and reverence Wilde held for Pater’s work, which served as a foundational text for his own aesthetic ideals.

30. In which essay did Wilde say, “we cannot get behind the appearance of things to reality”?

A. The Critic as Artist
B. The Decay of Lying
C. Pen, Pencil and Poison
D. The Soul of Man Under Socialism

B. The Decay of Lying
This famous essay argues that art does not imitate life, but rather life imitates art. It celebrates the beautiful lie over dull reality.

31. What is a key characteristic of the “Biblical” style Wilde uses in “Salomé”?

A. Complex sentence structures
B. Repetitions, lack of subordination, and unusual metaphors
C. Absence of metaphor
D. Simple, direct prose

B. Repetitions, lack of subordination, and unusual metaphors
Wilde creates a hypnotic, incantatory effect through this stylized language, making the play feel like a strange, decadent ritual.

32. Which of Pater’s ideas did Wilde feel moved drama towards music?

A. “To burn with a hard, gemlike flame.”
B. “All the arts aspire to the condition of music.”
C. “Not the fruit of experience, but experience itself, is the end.”
D. “The highest quality to your moments as they pass.”

B. “All the arts aspire to the condition of music.”
Wilde applied this idea to drama, focusing on rhythm, repetition, and mood over realistic plot, as seen in the lyrical, almost operatic, style of *Salomé*.

33. What was Maurice Denis’s famous statement on the essence of a picture?

A. It must tell a compelling story.
B. It is essentially a plane surface covered with colors in a certain order.
C. It should imitate nature as closely as possible.
D. It serves to capture a moment in time.

B. It is essentially a plane surface covered with colors in a certain order.
This idea, central to modern art, parallels Wilde’s focus on form over content. It’s not what a work of art represents, but what it *is*.

34. How is Herodias characterized in “Salomé”?

A. She is the most vulgar person in the play.
B. She has a complex and mysterious personality.
C. She is the most empathetic character.
D. She represents the intellectual elite.

A. She is the most vulgar person in the play.
Herodias represents a kind of cynical, pragmatic materialism that stands in stark contrast to the obsessive passions of Herod and Salomé.

35. What was the title of Oscar Wilde’s first play?

A. The Duchess of Padua
B. Lady Windermere’s Fan
C. Vera; or The Nihilists
D. An Ideal Husband

C. Vera; or The Nihilists
Written in 1880, this early melodrama about Russian revolutionaries was not a commercial success but showed his early interest in dramatic writing.

36. Which of Wilde’s plays was written in the tradition of revenge tragedy?

A. The Duchess of Padua
B. Salomé
C. Vera; or The Nihilists
D. A Woman of No Importance

A. The Duchess of Padua
This play, written in blank verse, was an attempt by Wilde to create a grand, historical tragedy in the style of Shakespeare and his contemporaries.

37. Who originated the idea for Oscar Wilde’s American lecture tour?

A. George Alexander
B. Sylvan Barnet
C. Richard D’Oyly Carte
D. Aubrey Beardsley

C. Richard D’Oyly Carte
The theatrical impresario D’Oyly Carte saw a brilliant marketing opportunity in sending the flamboyant Wilde to America.

38. What was the original purpose of Wilde’s American tour?

A. To promote Wilde’s new novel.
B. To promote Gilbert and Sullivan’s “Patience”.
C. To challenge American literary tastes.
D. To introduce the Aesthetic Movement to America.

B. To promote Gilbert and Sullivan’s “Patience”.
The comic opera *Patience* satirized the Aesthetic Movement. D’Oyly Carte sent Wilde, the real-life embodiment of the movement, to explain it to American audiences.

39. Which of the following is one of the four witty plays Wilde produced between 1892 and 1895?

A. Salomé
B. The Duchess of Padua
C. An Ideal Husband
D. Vera; or The Nihilists

C. An Ideal Husband
This play, along with *Lady Windermere’s Fan*, *A Woman of No Importance*, and *The Importance of Being Earnest*, cemented his reputation as the master of the modern comedy of manners.

40. Who suggested that Wilde write a modern comedy?

A. Lord Alfred Douglas
B. Richard D’Oyly Carte
C. Pierre Louys
D. George Alexander

D. George Alexander
The actor-manager of the St. James’s Theatre, George Alexander, encouraged Wilde to write *Lady Windermere’s Fan*, a decision that proved incredibly successful for both men.

41. Lord Darlington defines a cynic as “a man who knows the price of everything and…”.

A. …the cost of nothing.
B. …the value of something.
C. …the value of nothing.
D. …the worth of all.

C. …the value of nothing.
This is one of Wilde’s most enduring epigrams, delivered in *Lady Windermere’s Fan*. It’s a perfect example of his ability to craft memorable, witty definitions.

42. Baudelaire described Dandyism as “the last burst of heroism” in a time of what?

A. Renaissance
B. Revolution
C. Enlightenment
D. Decadence

D. Decadence
Wilde embodied this idea of the Dandy. In an age of conformity, the Dandy’s heroic act was to cultivate a unique and beautiful personality.

43. What did Oscar Wilde famously state was “the first duty in life”?

A. To be honest.
B. To seek beauty.
C. To be as artificial as possible.
D. To love one another.

C. To be as artificial as possible.
This provocative statement rejects the Victorian emphasis on nature and sincerity. For Wilde, artifice, style, and the curated self were paramount.

44. What is the title of Oscar Wilde’s only sustained political essay?

A. The Decay of Lying
B. Pen, Pencil and Poison
C. The Critic as Artist
D. The Soul of Man Under Socialism

D. The Soul of Man Under Socialism
In this essay, Wilde argues for a form of libertarian socialism where individualism and art can flourish, freed from the burdens of property and poverty.

45. What was a criticism from “Punch” regarding Oscar Wilde’s early “Poems”?

A. The poems were too controversial.
B. The language was excessively simple.
C. “The poet is Wilde, but his poetry’s tame”.
D. It contained too many obscure references.

C. “The poet is Wilde, but his poetry’s tame”.
This clever pun from the satirical magazine *Punch* suggested that while the poet himself was wild and shocking, his actual poetry was surprisingly conventional.

46. What shocking action did Wilde add to the traditional story of Salome?

A. Salome demanded John the Baptist’s release.
B. Salome attempted to murder Herodias.
C. Salome kissed the decapitated head of Jokanaan.
D. Salome committed suicidé after John’s death.

C. Salome kissed the decapitated head of Jokanaan.
This climactic moment of perverse desire is Wilde’s most famous and shocking contribution to the Salome legend, defining the play’s decadent tone.

47. How did Oscar Wilde describe the style of J. K. Huysmans’s “A Rebours”?

A. Vivid imagery and stark realism.
B. Concise sentences and direct statements.
C. Flowery prose and moralistic undertones.
D. Elaborate paraphrases” and “subtle monotony.

D. Elaborate paraphrases” and “subtle monotony.
*A Rebours* is the infamous “poisonous yellow book” that corrupts Dorian Gray. Wilde’s description captures its ornate, obsessive, and decadent prose style.

48. In “De Profundis,” how did Wilde characterize his artistic achievement in “Salomé”?

A. As a purely objective dramatic work.
B. As a groundbreaking piece of social criticism.
C. As “making beautiful colored musical things”.
D. As an imitation of nature and reality.

C. As “making beautiful colored musical things”.
Writing from prison, Wilde reflected on *Salomé* not as a drama of character but as a pure work of art, focusing on its lyrical patterns, colours, and musicality.

49. Besides art, what other subject did Oscar Wilde lecture on during his American tour?

A. American political history.
B. The future of industrial technology.
C. Dress reform.
D. International culinary traditions.

C. Dress reform.
As part of his aesthetic mission, Wilde advocated for more beautiful and rational clothing, criticizing the restrictive and ugly fashions of the Victorian era.

50. Which biblical quote is alluded to in Wilde’s sonnet “Hélas”?

A. John 3:16
B. Matthew 5:3
C. 1 Samuel 14:27
D. Psalm 23:1

C. 1 Samuel 14:27
The line “I did but taste a little honey of my life” alludes to Jonathan’s story, reflecting Wilde’s own sense of having paid a great price for a moment of pleasure.

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.