Love For Beauty's Sake

The great Argentinean writer Jorge Luis Borges once said, "Oscar Wilde gave the world what it wanted: comedies that could make people cry for most people; arabesque language for some people. He was also a kind of writer who could write regardless of critics and readers' demanding, because he gave us an irresistible pleasure." The "irresistible pleasure" was due to his charm that blended all sides of his life with his personal distinction—his beautiful words, his preference to beautiful things, and even his love for beautiful boys.As a major representative of aestheticism, Wilde was always pursuing for the true beauty in his own understanding—Greek beauty. Taking a series of aesthetic theories from Plato to Foucault as the starting point, this thesis attributes what Wilde pursued for to Hellenism—love of beauty and rebellious spirit.The first chapter introduces two important tutors of Wilde, who led him to the Greek art world when he was young. Then it is followed by a series of relative theories: Plato's androgynous theory, Nietzsche's cult of Dionysus and Foucault's queer theory. From these theories we can find something in common—Hellenism. The love of beautiful young boy is called "Greek love".The second chapter discusses the love of beauty and rebellious spirit in Wilde life. Like a gorgeous dandy, he never concealed his preference to beautiful things, his contempt for outmoded social rules, and his passion for many beautiful young men. His later notorious prison life also covered a martyr-like tragic colour on his fate.The third chapter mainly analyzes Wilde's only novel The Picture of Dorian Gray. The three major characters in this novel represent three different sides of Wilde respectively, and we could also find some Greek features from them. This thesis also tries to comprehensively analyze Greek love in Wilde's other works.The conclusion of this thesis points out that Wilde was a man living in his own aesthetic world. He despised the mainstream of social moral rules, thus the society took revenge on him in return. It was the cause of his personal tragedy.