Oscar Fingall O Flahertie Wills Wilde was born in
Dublin on October 16th 1854.
He went to Portora Royal School in Enniskillen
Northern Ireland. He was an Irish
protestant from an upper class and highly respected family. His mother Jane
Francesca Elgee, Lady Wilde, was an Irish patriot even though her family
background was Protestant and conservative. She wrote under the pseudonym of
Speranza and as she passed in her carriage people cheered her in the streets of
Dublin for her brave defence of Ireland. She was welcomed by 'dreamers and
workers' and her son learned from her the impact of the written word.
In 1879 after her husband died, she went to live in
London with her two sons Oscar and William.
Oscar studied classics at Trinity College Dublin and
Oxford University. He
was a master of the English language.
His plays were very successful and he became very
famous and moved in the highest society. He spent a year touring America giving
conferences.
He married Constance Lloyd and they had two sons Cyril
1885 and Vyvyan in 1886.
His downfall came in 1895 when he was accused and found guilty of homosexual practices and sent to Reading gaol for two years of hard labour.
Oscar went from fame to infamy and suffered the
humiliation of imprisonment for homosexuality.
However, the worst punishment that he was to suffer
was never to be allowed to see his children again.
Society turned its back on him but his wife Constance
wrote to him and even visited him in prison. His mother asked to see him before
she died but permission was denied.
He had poor health when he left prison and died in
Paris on 30th November 1900 at the age of 46.
The enchantment of Wilde’s works comes from the rich
blend of art and beauty. We are led into the homes of upper class society in
his witty plays.
His mother's love of the fairy tales and folklore of
Ireland are reflected in his children's stories.
His solid classical education is seen in his poetry.
He shows his empathy with the poor and underclasses in
De Profundis and The Ballad from Reading Gaol.
Wilde died in 1900 in Paris and it has taken until
today for society to honour him as a
writer who dared to show criticism in an age that was uncritical.
By naming the association after Oscar Wilde we raise
our hats to this gentle giant. Many of us who have read his works would
like to have been the stranger who did just that, the one man among the crowd
of people who raised his hat, as Wilde was being escorted to court from the
prison cell handcuffed between two policemen, his head bowed.
From De Profundis:
‘I store it in the treasure house of my heart. I keep
it there as a secret debt that I can never possibly repay. That lovely, little
silent act of love.’
This association is for all those interested in the
English language, for English speakers and English learners.
Asociación Educativa Oscar Wilde welcomes you to join us, wherever you come from, whoever you may be.
Asociación Educativa Oscar Wilde welcomes you to join us, wherever you come from, whoever you may be.
Merry Christmas and to all peace and happiness in the New Year!
