The Picture of Dorian Gray

       Understanding that his beauty will fade, Dorian Gray expresses the desire to sell his soul, to ensure that his picture, rather than he, will age and fade. The wish is granted, and Dorian pursues a libertine life of varied and amoral experiences while staying young and beautiful; all the while his portrait ages and records every sin.

Basil Hallward, an artist, paints a portrait of Dorian Gray. Unbeknownst to Basil, the picture has somehow become enchanted, and it ages in Dorian's place.
Free to sin without consequences, Dorian lives a life of debauchery and freedom. He acts on his every desire, committing unspeakable acts that leave his portrait disfigured.
In the end, Dorian decides to reform. He plunges a knife into the portrait, thus breaking the spell. He is found dead in his home, horribly disfigured by his sins.

Author:	Oscar Wilde
Original Title:	The Picture of Dorian Gray
Published in:	1890
Characters:	Basil Hallward, Lord Henry Wotton, Sibyl Vane, James Vane, Lady Victoria Wotton, Alan Campbell, Henry Ashton, Adrian Singleton, Lord Staveley, Lady Gwendolen, Lady Narborough, Duchess of Monmouth, Dorian Gray

Genres:

Fiction, Decadent Literature