YOUNG ADULT READERS STAGE 3

OSCAR WILDE
Eli Readers is a beautifully illustrated series of timeless classics and
specially-written stories for learners of English.
THE PICTURE
OF DORIAN GRAY

OSCAR WILDE THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY

STAGE 3
Oscar Wilde
The Picture of Dorian Gray
Late nineteenth-century London: a city of contrasts. Great wealth and terrible
poverty, beauty and ugliness, purity and immorality. Oscar Wilde takes the
reader into this strange and fascinating world through the strange story of the
picture of Dorian Gray. Young, handsome and innocent, the aristocratic Dorian
is visiting his friend, the kind and gentle painter Basil Hallward, when he meets
Lord Henry Wotton. Entertaining and cynical, Lord Henry introduces Dorian to
the idea of a world where the only value is beauty, and everything must serve
this ideal. But how can Dorian survive ageing and ugliness? In front of his
beautiful portrait, painted by Hallward, Dorian makes a terrible wish. This wish
will come true, dragging Dorian into a world of the senses, of beauty and joy,
but also of terror, of fear and ultimately of murder…

In this reader you will find:

- Information about Oscar Wilde’s life
- Sections focusing on background and context
- Glossary of difficult words
- Comprehension activities
- PET-style activities
- Exit test

Tag
Fantasy

STAGE 1 Elementary 600 headwords A1

STAGE 2 Pre-Intermediate 800 headwords A2 KET
STAGE 3 Intermediate 1000 headwords B1 PET
STAGE 4 Upper Intermediate 1800 headwords B2 FCE
STAGE 5 Advanced 2500 headwords C1 CAE
YOUNG ADULT ELI READERS

STAGE 6 Proficiency Unabridged Texts C2 CPE

Classic

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 MAIN CHARACTERS

BASIL HALLWARD
A successful and talented artist who
paints the picture mentioned in the title.

DORIAN GRAY
We first meet Dorian when he is about
twenty. He is young, handsome and
very rich.

LORD HENRY WOTTON

A young lord, very rich and
very cynical. His influence is
not always positive.

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 JAMES VANE
SIBYL VANE Sibyl’s brother, a sailor who is leaving
A young actress, only seventeen years old for Australia to make his fortune.
with whom Dorian falls in love

SIBYL AND JAMES VANE’S MOTHER ALAN CAMPBELL

An ex actress who lives with her children. She is vain A doctor who was a friend
and shallow and very ambitious for Sibyl and James. of Dorian’s in the past.

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 Chapter One

The Wish

2 The studio was filled with the rich perfume of flowers. Lord Henry
Wotton lay smoking. Everything was still.
In the centre of the room was a portrait* of a beautiful young
man.The artist, Basil Hallward, was sitting in front of it, smiling.
‘It is your best work,’ said Lord Henry. ‘Show it at the Grosvenor.’
‘No, I can’t. There is too much of me in it,’ answered Hallward.
‘You don’t look like the picture!’ said Lord Henry. ‘You have an
intellectual face but this young man is an Adonis. He is beautiful. He
never thinks, I am sure. You are not like him at all.’
‘You don’t understand, replied Hallward. I know I don’t look like
him, I would be sorry to. Dorian Gray’s beauty will disappear. It is
better to be ugly and stupid, and live in peace.’
‘Is that his name?’ asked Lord Henry.
‘Yes,’ answered Hallward. ‘I didn’t want to tell you. I prefer secrets,
they are more romantic.’
‘I agree, ‘said Lord Henry.’ I know nothing about my wife, and she
knows nothing about me.

The two young men laughed and went into the garden where they
sat in the shade.

portrait (noun, count.) a picture of a person, especially of his/her face

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AFTER-READING ACTIVITIES

Reading
1 Look at the descriptions below from Chapter 1 and say if each
one describes Basil Hallward, Lord Henry Wotton or Dorian Gray.
1 He is beautiful. ………………………...........................................................…………
2 He has an intellectual face. …………………………………………………………………
3 His enemies respect him. ……………………………………………………………………
4 He plays the piano. ………………………………………………………………………………
5 His emotions were more interesting than an invitation to lunch.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………....……
6 He is a bad influence. …………………………………………………….……………………
7 His eyes were bright. …………………………………………………..………………………
8 He was amazed. ……………………………………………………………...……………………
9 He seemed quite angry. ………………………………………………………………………
10 A look of pain came into his eyes. ………………………………………………..

2 Read the questions and choose the correct answer.

1 Where is the portrait of the beautiful young man?
A in the garden ■
B to the left of the studio ■
C in the centre of the studio ■
2 Why does Basil Hallward refuse to show the painting?
A it has no soul ■
B it shows too much of Basil’s soul ■
C it shows too much of Dorian's soul ■
3 How does Basil paint after meeting Dorian?
A in a new way ■
B every day ■
C with great soul ■
4 Where did Lord Henry first hear Dorian Gray’s name?
A from Basil ■
B from the butler ■
C from his Aunt Agatha ■

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Grammar
3 Use the Past Simple form of these verbs to complete the sentences
you saw in Chapter 1.
tell reply think lie find speak say catch take go
1 Lord Henry Wotton ………. smoking.
2 ‘It is your best work,’ ………. Lord Henry.
3 ‘I ………. you’ replied Hallward. ‘There is too much of me in it.’
4 ‘You see, two months ago I ………… to a party at Lady Brandon's
house.’
5 I ………….. to boring people for ten minutes.
6 ‘I …………. you only loved art.’
7 Lord Henry ………… Hallward's emotions more interesting than
his invitation.
8 Dorian Gray was at the piano. He ……….. sight of Lord Henry.
9 ‘If Dorian wants,’ …………… Hallward.
10 He ……….. a knife.

Writing
4 Write a dialogue between Dorian Gray and Lord Henry Wotton
where the two men arrange to meet to go to the theatre.
Remember to include where, at what time, how to arrive (on foot
or by carriage?).

5 Expand the notes to write a short summary of Chapter 1. The first

sentence is completed as an example.
Lord Henry Wotton / go / Basil Hallward / studio.
Lord Henry Wotton went to Basil Hallward's studio.
Hallward / be/ famous artist. Two men / speak / new friend of
Hallward's. Lord Henry / want / meet. They / sit / garden and
when / they / go / house, Lord Henry / meet / Dorian. Dorian and
Lord Henry / speak / garden.
Lord Henry / say/ Dorian / ‘you / become old and ugly.’ Hallward /
finish / painting. First / Dorian / be / happy / then / he/ be / angry.
He / want / stay young and beautiful. He / offer / soul / exchange
/ for eternal youth and beauty. He / want / painting / to grow old.

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FOCUS ON...

The Life of Oscar Wilde

Early
Life
Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie
Wills Wilde was born in
Dublin on 16th October 1854.
His father was Sir William
Wilde, a famous doctor: his
patients included Queen
Victoria. His mother was
Jane Francesca Elgee, a
poet and supporter of Irish
independence. Wilde had
an older brother and a
younger sister who died
young. He studied at home
until he was nine, and
then at private school. In
1874 he went to Magdalen
College, Oxford and
studied Greek classics.
Oscar Wilde, June 1875.

Marriage
First Publications In 1884 Wilde married Constance Lloyd.
During his studies, Wilde published some poetry. He thought she was very intelligent. They
He also wrote articles for magazines and travelled lived in London and were happy for a short
in Europe and America. He became famous for time. Their son Cyril was born in 1885,
his eccentric lifestyle. In 1878 he graduated from and their younger son Vyvyan in 1886.
Oxford and went to live in London. He wrote for Wilde was affectionate to his children,
many magazines and became more famous for his but ignored his wife. He preferred the
extravagant behaviour and love of aesthetics. company of men. At the time, it was illegal
Some people started to say that he was immoral. for men to have homosexual relationships.

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 First Prose Works
In 1888 Wilde published The Happy Prince and other tales, which he wrote for his two children.
His only novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray was published in 1891. At the same time he fell in
love with Lord Alfred Douglas. From 1893 he considered his marriage finished. Wilde’s first
play, Lady Windermere's Fan, opened in February 1892. Playwriting was his greatest talent
and in a few years he wrote A Woman of No Importance (1893), An Ideal Husband (1895) and
The Importance of Being Earnest (1895).

Trial
and Prison
Wilde was famous for his love
affairs with men, which were
against the law. In 1895 he
was arrested and put on trial.
The verdict was guilty. He was
sentenced to two years of hard
labour. He spent most of the time
in Reading, and later wrote The
Ballad of Reading Gaol. Prison was
bad for his health. When he left
prison in 1897 he went to Europe,
and never returned to Britain.

Oscar Wilde, 1882.

Final Years
In very bad health, Wilde spent most of his
final years in Paris. He was very poor. Constance
refused to meet him, but sent him money. She
died in 1898 after an operation. He converted to
Roman Catholicism a few days before he died,
on 30th November 1900. Only a few of his friends
stayed with him until the end.

The Picture of Dorian Gray, appearing as the lead story in

“Lippincott’s Monthly Magazine” on 20 June 1890.

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