Though Oscar Wilde is know today primarily as a playwright and as the author of the Picture of Dorian Gray (1891) – his only novel – he also wrote poetry, fairy tales, essays and criticism, all of the most popular spokesman in the late XIX century advocating the doctrine of aestheticism, which insisted that art should be primarily politics, religion, science, bourgeois morality.

Oscar Wilde (Fingal o’Flathertie Wills) was born in Dublin on October 16, 1854 to parents who were prominent in Ireland’s social life. His father (William Ralph Wills) was a leading ear and eye surgeon who had founded a hospital a ear before Wilde’s birth and who had received the appointment of Surgeon Oculist in Ordinary created for him in recognition of his international reputation. Wilde’s mother (Francesca Elgee Wilde), nine years younger then her husband, was known in literary and political circles as "Speranza”, a name she adopted in the 1840’s to give hope to Irish nationalists and activists in the woman’s rights movement.

Wilde received an education appropriate to his station in life. When he was 10, he was sent to Portora Royal School (founded by King Charles II) in Enniskillen, Ulster, In October 1971, he entered Trinity College in Dublin, where he distinguished himself by winning various prizes and medals, particularly foe his learning in the classes. In June 1874, he won a scholarship, the classical Demyship, to Magdalen College. At Oxford, Wilde developed the manner of poseur and was widely recognized by his fellow students as a brilliant talker.

On May 29, 1884 he married Constance Lloyd. She came from a respectable legal family in Ireland. They had two children – Cyril and Vyvyan. Probably, his happy family life inspired him to write stories for children. The Happy Prince and other tales was published in 1888, A House of Pomegranates – in 1891-1892.

In October 1900, following his trip to Rome, Wilde was ill with an ear infection that developed into encephalitis. On October 10 underwent an operation. Thus, he died on November at the age of 46. His tomb, sculpted by Sir Jacob Epstein, is in Pere-Lachaise Cemetery, Paris.

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Oscar Wilde was born in Dublin on October 16, 1854. His father was a famous Irish surgeon. His mother was well known in Dublin as a writer of verse and prose. At school, and later at Oxford, Oscar displayed gift for art and the humanities. While at the university, Wilde became one of the most famous personalities of the day: he wore his hair long, decorated his room with different beautiful things. His witty sayings were well known among the students.

After graduating from the university, Wilde turned his attention to writing, travelling and lecturing.

Oscar Wilde earned the reputation of being the leader of the Aesthetic Movement and an apostle of beauty.

His most famous works appeared over the next ten years. The most popular are "The Happy Prince and Other Tales", "The Picture of Dorian Gray", and his comedies "Lady Windermere's Fan", "An Ideal Husband", "The Importance of Being Earnest". Wilde also wrote poems, essays, reviews, letters. He attracted the attention of his audiences by the brilliance of his conversation, his knowledge, and the force of his personality.

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Oscar Wilde is one of the most interesting representatives of British literature. He was born in 1856 in Irish family. His father was an optician, an author of some books on Irish folklore. His mother was a poetess and was well-known in aristocratic society. After graduating from Oxford University Wilde delivered lectures on ethics and aesthetics in Europe and America. He was accused of immoral behaviour and got into prison. After it he left for Paris where he died in 1900. He is well-known for his extraordinary talent and humour. "The truth is rarely pure and never simple”, "There is no sin except stupidity”, "Art never expresses anything but itself” are only a few of his famous aphorisms. He always considered the aesthetic feeling of a person to be the moving force of human development. Wilde’s fairy-tales always depicted the union between the good and the beauty. Every detail in his lyrical fairy-tales has symbolic meaning. "The Picture of Dorian Gray” is one of his most famous novels. It is a story of a young man Dorian Gray. Under the influence of Lord Henry, his spiritual "teacher”, Dorian becomes an immoral murderer. Despite this fact his face remains young and beautiful. But his portrait painted by his friend reflects Dorian’s immorality and cruelty. Thrusting a knife into his portrait Dorian kills himself. His face becomes ugly while the portrait shines with perfect beauty. Oscar Wilde’s literary heritage is very large and his works are often staged nowadays.

In his works, especially in his tales, he glorifies beauty, and not only the beauty of nature or artificial beauty, but the beauty of devoted love. He admires unselfishness, kindness and generosity ("The Happy Prince", "The Nightingale and the Rose") and despises egoism and greed ("The Selfish Giant", "The Devoted Friend"). The theme of most of his works, even of his tales, is quite realistic. He shows the contrast between wealth and poverty. His own sympathy for poor, labouring people is quite evident.

At the height of his popularity and success, tragedy struck. He was accused of immorality and sentenced to two years' imprisonment. When released from prison in 1897, he lived mainly on the Continent, settling later in Paris. In 1898 he published his poem "Ballad of Reading Gaol". He died in Paris 1900.