Author: Oscar Wilde
Biography: Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde (16 October 1854 – 30 November 1900) was an Irish writer and poet. After writing in different forms throughout the 1880s, he became one of London's most popular playwrights in the early 1890s. He refined his ideas about the supremacy of art in a series of dialogues and essays, and incorporated themes of decadence, duplicity, and beauty into his only novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray (1890). The opportunity to construct aesthetic details precisely, and combine them with larger social themes, drew Wilde to write drama. He wrote Salome (1891) in French in Paris but it was refused a licence. Unperturbed, Wilde produced four society comedies in the early 1890s, which made him one of the most successful playwrights of late Victorian London.
Biography: Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde (16 October 1854 – 30 November 1900) was an Irish writer and poet. After writing in different forms throughout the 1880s, he became one of London's most popular playwrights in the early 1890s. He refined his ideas about the supremacy of art in a series of dialogues and essays, and incorporated themes of decadence, duplicity, and beauty into his only novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray (1890). The opportunity to construct aesthetic details precisely, and combine them with larger social themes, drew Wilde to write drama. He wrote Salome (1891) in French in Paris but it was refused a licence. Unperturbed, Wilde produced four society comedies in the early 1890s, which made him one of the most successful playwrights of late Victorian London.
At the height of his fame and success, whilst his masterpiece, The Importance of Being Earnest (1895), was still on stage in London, Wilde sued the Marquess of Queensberrythe father of his lover, Lord Alfred Douglas, for libel. The trial unearthed evidence that caused Wilde to drop his charges and led to his own arrest, tried for gross indecency with other men. After two more trials he was convicted and imprisoned for two years' hard labour. In prison he wrote De Profundis (written in 1897 & published in 1905), a long letter which discusses his spiritual journey. Upon his release he left immediately for France, never to return to Ireland or Britain. There he wrote his last work, The Ballad of Reading Gaol(1898), a long poem commemorating the harsh rhythms of prison life. He died destitute in Paris at the age of forty-six.
Background: Although Wilde had created controversy with ideas he had revealed on his writings, these short tales let us know the well-intentioned side of the author.
Theme: Charity, humbleness, empathy, solidarity.
Mood: It is a fable in a deceptively simple classic fairy tale style presenting ironic scenarios.
Style: Short tale
Setting: North-European city on Winter.
Characters: The Happy Prince, the Swallow, matchgirl, the Major, major assistants, student, seamstress, seamstress’ son, hand-maiden, reed.
Figurative Language: The story is written as a fable, where animals present human characteristics. Full of metaphors and very descriptive.
Imagery:
- Statute on a high column.
- People admiring the Happy Prince.
- The Swallow in love with the Reed.
- The Swallow’s plans for going to Egypt.
- The Maid-of-Honor in a party talking about seamstress.
Plot: A swallow, flying south for the winter, stops for the night on the shoulder of a great golden statue of the Happy Prince. The swallow discovers that the statue is crying because he is unable to help the needy people of his town. The ensuing partnership between the golden statue and the little swallow will touch the hearts of all.
Point of view: “The Happy Prince” is a story about humankind. More than charity, the tale shows the irony of an –apparently- dead statue and a bird who are more generous than people.
Activity
Relate each character with the corresponding virtue.
| Swallow | sour |
| Happy Prince | rude |
| Major | adventurous |
| Town Councillor | faithful |
| Swallow companions | humble |
| Maid-of-Honour | Showy |
thank you
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