I'm a history nut and I love teaching others about history, so here's some of my favorite and the most important/famous people in history, although some of these are lesser known.
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Basic Info: Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde Poet/Playwright Born- October 16, 1854 Died- November 30, 1900 Wife- Constance Lloyd Children- Cyril and Vyvyan
Quotes: (I'm going to start adding some of my favorite quotes by each person) "Be yourself; everyone else is already taken" "We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars" "To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all." "Always forgive your enemies- nothing annoys them so much"
The Early Years: Oscar Wilde was born in Dublin on October 16, 1854, to William Wilde and Jane Francesca Elgee. His father was a doctor and his mother was a poet. She had a great influence on Oscar's love of books and writing.
He was the second of three children. His older brother, William Charles Kingsbury Wilde, was a journalist, and his sister, Isolda Francesa Emily Wilde, died when she was nine.
He also had three half siblings who were born out of wedlock before Oscar's parents got married.
Education: He attended Portora Royal School in Enniskillen when he was nine. He won many prizes while he was there and he graduated in 1871. He received a scholarship that allowed him to enroll in Trinity College at the age of 16. After his first year there, he ranked first in the school's classics examination and received yet another scholarship. He graduated from Trinity College in 1874. He received several more awards and yet another scholarship. (How? Like seriously? I had such a hard time getting scholarships. Thankfully, I got some. Good luck to any of you struggling through the same process)
He attended Oxford next. He was incredibly smart and excelled academically. It was here that he began creative writing.
After graduating from Oxford, Oscar Wilde moved to London, and lived with his friend, Frank Miles.
Career: Oscar set his focus onto poetry and published his first collection, called Poems, in 1881. (Am I the only one wondering if that was the most creative name he could've come up with?)
The collection was nothing special, but received some good reviews. It helped to establish him in the writing world.
In 1882, he traveled to New York City and gave 140 lectures over a period of nine months. He also met with several American scholars and literary figures during this time. He met with Walt Whitman, Henry Longfellow, and several others.
He returned back to England and went on yet another literary tour. He traveled through England and Ireland on a lecture circuit that lasted until mid-1884. He became a leading member of the aesthetic movement and established himself as an important figure in the literary world.
Marriage and Children: Oscar Wilde married Constance Lloyd, an Englishwoman, on May 29, 1884. Together they had two sons: Cyril, born in 1885, and Vyvyan, born in 1886.
Career, Continued: Oscar was hired to run the magazine, Lady's World. He had this job for two years, and greatly expanded the magazine and its content.
Starting in 1888, Wilde entered a creative frenzy. (Something I desperately wish I could enter as well). All of his greatest works were written over the next 7 years.
He wrote a collection of children's stories titled, The Happy Prince and Other Tales. He published Intentions in 1891. His only novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray, was also written during this period of creativity.
The Picture of Dorian Gray was harshly criticized for its lack of morals. Critics were outraged, but Wilde fiercely defended his novel. It is now seen as a literary masterpiece.
His first play, Lady Windermere's Fan, opened in February of 1892 and quickly became very popular. He was encouraged to focus on playwriting for his career. He produced several amazing plays over the next few years and became known for his wit and satire.
Trial and Prison: During his great literary success, Wilde met and began a relationship with Lord Alfred Douglas.
The affair became known to Alfred's father, the Marquis of Queensberry, and on February 18, 1895 he left a note outside Wilde's house. On the calling card, it was addressed to "Oscar Wilde: Posing Somdomite" (misspelling of sodomite).
The fact that Oscar Wilde was homosexual wasn't really a secret. It was more of an "open secret," I guess. However, the words on the calling card sparked outrage in Wilde and he sued the Marquis of Queensberry. The trial began in March.
Queensberry's lawyers provided evidence of Wilde's homosexuality, including homoerotic passages from his works and love letters to Douglas. Oscars lawsuit was dismissed and he was arrested for "gross indecency."
He was sentenced to two years in prison.
After his release in 1897, Wilde retreated to France. He was exhausted and broke and had nowhere to go. He loved with a few friends in different flats across France, and spent some time in cheap hotels as well.
He was briefly able to reunite with Douglas during this time.
He spent very little time writing during his time in France. He wrote a poem called The Ballad of Reading Gaol, which lamented of his experiences in prison.
Death: On November 29, 1900a priest was sent for. Wilde was conditionally baptized into the Catholic Church. On November 30, in Paris, Wilde died of meningitis, the same sickness that had claimed his sister's life. However, some people claim that it was syphilis that really took his life, but this is highly unlikely and the agreed upon cause is meningitis.
He was buried in the Cimetière de Bagneux just outside Paris.
Legacy: Oscar Wilde is remembered for his flamboyant lifestyle and successful writing career. He was extremely witty and comedic, something that really shines through his writing.
Movies and More: Dorian Gray (2009) Wilde (1997) The Important of Being Earnest (2002) The Picture of Dorian Gray (1945) The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (2003) (features the character, Dorian Gray)
There's various nonfiction books about him.
Cool Facts: • his father was one of Ireland's most prominent surgeons. He was even knighted for his work • his mother was a famous women's suffragist and advocated for women's education • his wife visited him while he was in prison to tell him that his mother passed away • he and his wife never divorced, but she changed her surname as well as their son's from Wilde to Holland • in memory of his sister, he wrote a poem called Requiescat • his wife was also a writer and published a collection of short stories titled There Was Once • it is believed that Wilde had another romantic relationship during his marriage, before he met Alfred Douglas. He and his college friend, Robbie Ross, may have been romantically involved. • his last words were reportedly "This wallpaper and I are fighting a duel to the death. Either it goes or I do." • other sources say his last words were parts of a Catholic prayed
