Chapter 12 analysis of The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
Summary
TLDRIn this video lesson, viewers delve into Chapter 12 of 'The Picture of Dorian Gray,' where Dorian encounters Basil, who is troubled by rumors of Dorian's tarnished reputation. Despite Dorian's reluctance to engage, Basil confronts him about his questionable actions and their impact on others. As the tension escalates, Dorian, driven by a mix of anger and a twisted sense of joy, decides to reveal his secret to Basil, leading to a suspenseful cliffhanger that leaves viewers eager to discover the consequences of this fateful decision.
Takeaways
- ๐ The lesson focuses on Chapter 12 of 'The Picture of Dorian Gray', where Dorian encounters Basil before his departure to Paris.
- ๐ต๏ธโโ๏ธ Basil confronts Dorian about the rumors of his questionable reputation, which he has heard and is deeply concerned about.
- ๐ Dorian feels a strange sense of fear upon seeing Basil, indicating a possible guilty conscience or foreknowledge of Basil's intentions.
- ๐งณ Basil's plan to leave for Paris is revealed, which later helps Dorian create an alibi for the events following Basil's murder.
- ๐๏ธ Dorian feigns indifference when Basil wants to discuss serious matters, suggesting a desire to avoid confronting his actions.
- ๐ฃ๏ธ Basil emphasizes the importance of one's good name, challenging Dorian's disregard for the rumors circulating about him.
- ๐ Dorian's denial of the rumors is met with skepticism from Basil, who believes sin is visible on a person's face and actions.
- ๐ฅ The discussion touches on Dorian's negative influence on others, including the Duke of Berwick and various young men who have met unfortunate ends.
- ๐ค Dorian deflects blame, arguing that he cannot control the actions of others and that rumors are the product of hypocrisy.
- ๐ Basil's judgment of Dorian by the company he keeps and the outcomes of those relationships angers Dorian, escalating the tension.
- ๐ฎ The chapter ends on a cliffhanger with Dorian deciding to show Basil his 'diary of life', a decision fraught with potential consequences.
Q & A
What is the main event that occurs in Chapter 12 of 'The Picture of Dorian Gray'?
-In Chapter 12, Dorian Gray encounters Basil, who confronts him about his questionable reputation and the rumors surrounding his name.
Why does Basil feel the need to confront Dorian before leaving for Paris?
-Basil confronts Dorian because he is concerned about the rumors he has heard regarding Dorian's behavior and wants to address them before leaving for Paris.
What is Dorian's initial reaction when he spots Basil?
-Dorian experiences a strange sense of fear and does not acknowledge Basil, quickly continuing on to his own house.
Why does Dorian not want to have a conversation with Basil?
-Dorian likely avoids Basil because he knows Basil will call him out on his actions and possibly discuss his reaction to Sybil's death, which Basil had previously found horrifying.
What information does Basil reveal about his departure to Paris that helps Dorian create an alibi?
-Basil reveals that he has already sent his heavy luggage ahead and only has a small bag with him, allowing him to reach Victoria Station in 20 minutes, which later helps Dorian create an alibi.
What does Dorian express when Basil wants to discuss his reputation?
-Dorian expresses indifference, stating that he loves scandals about other people but not about himself, and tries to avoid the discussion.
Why does Basil believe Dorian's good name should be of interest to him?
-Basil believes that every gentleman is interested in his good name and that Dorian should not want to be spoken of as vile and degraded.
What is the significance of Basil's statement that 'sin is a thing that writes itself across a man's face'?
-This statement suggests that Basil believes one's actions and sins are visible in their physical appearance, and he uses this to argue that Dorian's innocence is evident in his untroubled youth and pure face.
What examples does Basil provide to illustrate the negative impact Dorian has had on others?
-Basil cites several examples, including the Duke of Berwick leaving a room when Dorian enters, the ruined reputation of a young man in the Guards who committed suicide, and the tarnished reputation of Sir Henry's brother, who had to leave England.
How does Dorian defend himself against the accusations of causing harm to others?
-Dorian defends himself by arguing that people's actions are their own responsibility and that he cannot force them to do anything. He also accuses others of hypocrisy, suggesting that they are quick to judge but do not hold themselves to the same standards.
What is the turning point for Dorian in his interaction with Basil?
-The turning point occurs when Dorian, in anger and resentment, decides to show Basil his portrait, which he believes is the origin of his shame and the evidence of his sins.
What does Dorian mean when he says he will show Basil his 'diary of life'?
-Dorian refers to his portrait as his 'diary of life,' implying that it records all his sins and changes over time, which he is willing to reveal to Basil.
How does Basil respond to Dorian's offer to show him his 'diary of life'?
-Basil is reluctant and insists that he does not want to read anything, only seeking a plain answer from Dorian about the rumors.
Outlines
๐ถ Dorian Gray's Encounter with Basil
In this segment, the video script discusses Chapter 12 of 'The Picture of Dorian Gray,' focusing on Dorian's chance encounter with Basil before the latter's departure for Paris. Basil, concerned about Dorian's tainted reputation, confronts him despite Dorian's initial reluctance to engage. The chapter reveals Dorian's fear and guilt, as well as his attempt to avoid an uncomfortable conversation about his past actions and the rumors surrounding him. Basil's concern is deepened by Dorian's reaction to Sybil's death, and he is determined to address the issue, setting the stage for a tense and pivotal moment in their relationship.
๐จ Basil's Accusations and Dorian's Defense
This paragraph delves into the accusations Basil levels against Dorian, detailing the rumors of his ruinous influence on others, including the Duke of Berwick and various young men whose lives have taken a turn for the worse in Dorian's company. Basil's concerns are underscored by specific incidents and the societal repercussions Dorian faces as a result. Dorian counters by dismissing the blame and attributing the actions of others to their own volition, highlighting the hypocrisy of those who judge him. The discussion reveals the complex dynamics of their friendship and Dorian's growing resentment towards Basil's persistent moral judgment.
๐ค The Climactic Showdown: Basil's Ultimatum and Dorian's Reckless Retort
The final paragraph of the script builds to a dramatic climax where Basil makes a heartfelt plea for Dorian to change his ways, expressing his desire for Dorian to live a life of integrity and to disassociate from the corrupting influences around him. Basil's confrontation reaches its peak when he questions whether he truly knows Dorian at all. In response, Dorian, fueled by anger and a perverse sense of satisfaction, decides to reveal his secret to Basil, the portrait that bears the burden of his soul's corruption. The chapter concludes with a cliffhanger, leaving the audience in suspense about the consequences of this fateful decision and the impact it will have on both characters.
Mindmap
Keywords
๐กDorian Gray
๐กBasil
๐กReputation
๐กGuilt
๐กRumors
๐กLord Henry
๐กHypocrisy
๐กCorruption
๐กSin
๐กAlibi
๐กConfrontation
Highlights
Dorian Gray encounters Basil before Basil's departure to Paris, with Basil feeling compelled to address rumors about Dorian's questionable reputation.
Dorian experiences an unexplained fear upon seeing Basil, suggesting a subconscious awareness of Basil's knowledge of his deeds.
Basil confronts Dorian about the rumors, indicating a concern for Dorian's deteriorating reputation and actions.
Dorian's defensive reaction to the rumors, including his indifference to his own scandal, reflects his detachment from societal norms.
Basil's belief in Dorian's better nature is challenged by the mounting evidence of Dorian's moral decline.
Dorian's alibi is inadvertently established through Basil's information about his travel plans to Paris.
Basil's observation of Dorian's unchanged appearance despite his alleged misdeeds raises questions about the relationship between sin and physical appearance.
The list of Dorian's negative influences on others, including the Duke of Berwick and various young men, underscores the extent of his corrupting presence.
Dorian's denial of responsibility for the actions of others and his accusations of hypocrisy highlight his self-deception and refusal to acknowledge his impact.
Basil's argument that one can judge a person by the company they keep and the effects they have on others presents a moral dilemma for Dorian.
Dorian's anger towards Basil's accusations reveals his defensiveness and unwillingness to accept blame for his actions.
Basil's plea for Dorian to live a life of purity and to rid himself of negative influences shows his deep concern for Dorian's soul.
Dorian's decision to show Basil his portrait, a symbol of his hidden sins, marks a turning point in the narrative and a moment of high tension.
The cliffhanger ending of the chapter leaves readers in suspense about the consequences of Dorian revealing his secret to Basil.
Dorian's anticipation of Basil's suffering upon seeing the portrait and his own perverse pleasure in causing it reveal the depths of his moral decay.
The chapter's exploration of themes such as reputation, hypocrisy, and the visible signs of sin provides a critical commentary on Victorian society.
Transcripts
hi and welcome to mrs long's video
lesson on chapter 12 of the picture of
dorian gray
so today the chapter we're looking at is
the evening
where dorian comes across basil
and basil is about to leave for paris
but feels that he needs to speak to
dorian
um he's very concerned about the rumors
that he's heard about dorian's
questionable reputation that has
developed
and so as dorian is walking home
he spots lord henry sorry he spots basil
and a strange sense of fear for which he
could not account came over him he made
no sign of recognition
and went on quickly in the direction of
his own house
but basil had seen him and then goes
back and
confronts him now
i think the reason that dorian didn't
want to speak to basil is probably he
had an inkling
that he knew what basil once talked
about but also perhaps
because of his guilty conscience he
knows that basil is the person
up to this point has been the person
who's the only one to kind of call him
out
on his actions on his reactions
specifically we've even though it was
many years
before this incident in the book at
least we see
basil being the one who's horrified of
dorian's reaction to sybil's death
and so perhaps he just doesn't want to
have an awkward conversation about
something else
uh luckily for basil he he'd been
waiting for dorian and he was just about
to leave when daryn came home
now we get information about basil's to
plan departure
which helps uh us understand how dorian
is able to create an alibi for himself
at the end of the for the next chapter
coming
after basil's murder so he says i'm off
on the
paris train but i wanted to see you
before i left
and of course dorian tries to say well
don't you need to go and he says no i've
got heaps of time i shan't have any
delay because i've already sent my heavy
things on all i have with me is this bag
and i can easily get to victoria in 20
minutes so convenient later as well for
for dorian that basil's luggage is going
to arrive in paris anyway and then all
that
kind of his leftist evidence is his coat
and his carry-on luggage
right so basil sits dorian down and says
i need to speak to you seriously and
dorian
flings himself patiently on the sofa as
he's want to do
kind of a bit like a disney princess
when he's upset
and um he says i hope it's not about
myself i'm tired of myself tonight and
should like to be somebody else
this speaks to a little bit of wariness
on dorian's part
perhaps he's having one of his moments
where he's feeling
a bit haunted by the painting as was
described in chapter 11.
basil says there's not much to ask if
you diary and it's entirely for your own
sake that i'm
speaking i think it's right that you
should know that the most dreadful
things are being said against you in
london
now we've had hints of that in the
previous chapter as well that there are
stories circulating
about dorian but mostly stories that
people don't believe
because they can't think he could
possibly be responsible for those sorts
of things
however basil's explanations in this
chapter give
more credence to the
probable truthfulness of these so-called
rumors
the dorian says i love scandals about
other people but scandals about myself
don't interest me
another aphorism lord henry like but
obviously
he's trying to avoid having that awkward
discussion with basil
but basil says why doesn't your good
name
interest you every gentleman is
interested in his good name you don't
want people to talk of you as something
vile and degraded
um of course you have your position and
wealth but those are not everything
mind you i don't believe these rumors at
all
at least i can't believe them when i see
you sin is a thing that writes itself
across a man's face
it cannot be concealed if a wretched man
has a vast it shows itself in the lines
of his mouth
the droop of his eyelids and the molding
of his hands even
and so even basil has fallen into this
trap of superficiality and looking at
dorian
and thinking how can somebody who still
looks so perfect and unstained be
capable of such horrors he says you
dorian with your pure bright innocent
face and your marvelous untroubled youth
i can't believe anything against you
also i think basil is
more inclined to believe in dorian's
better nature because of his
initial obsession than he met dorian
when he was pure and unstained
even though he's admitted that dorian is
quite changed
when he talks about darwin's reaction to
sybil's death perhaps he still has a
little
hope that the dorian he once knew was in
there somewhere
right now we get some information via
basil and the khans of things that
dorian seems to have been up to
he says why is it that a man like the
duke of berwick leaves a room when you
enter it
that reminds us of chapter three
when henry fans asked that lord
sulby dorian's grandfather after he
arranged for the murder of his
of his um
his daughter's husband the the soldier
um for a while when the rumors were
taking place people didn't want to sit
with him at the club
people sort of voting with their feet if
they disapprove of something
why is it that so many gentlemen in
london will neither go to your house or
invite you to theirs
lord stavely curved his lip when asked
when you came up in conversation
and he said you were a man who no
pure-minded girl would be allowed to
know and whom no chaste woman would sit
in the same room with
he told me right before everybody it was
horrible
so here are rumors that dorian perhaps
ruins a woman's reputation
why is your friendship so fatal to young
men there was a wretched boy in the gods
who committed suicide
there was sir henry here to leave ashton
here to leave england with the tarnish
name
what about adrian singleton and his
dreadful end what about dawd kent's only
son
in his career what about the young duke
of perth
well this list is getting rather long
dorian's exploits
stop basil says dorian you're talking
about things which of which you know
nothing
now dorian's defense uh and it comes up
again
when he commits um different atrocities
is always that it's not his fault
so what he says now he says you ask me
why berwick leaves a room it's because i
know everything about his life not
because he knows everything about mind
with such blood as he has in his veins
how could he his record be clean
did i teach the one his vases and he's
talking about the other young men
and the other is debauchery if ken's
silly son takes his wife from the
streets what is that to me
if adrian singleton writes his friend's
name across a bull am i his keeper in
other words he's
um buying things and racking up debt for
his friends
what sort of lies do these people who
poses be moral
leave themselves my dear fellow you
forget we are on the native land of the
hypocrite
so his defense is that he can't force
people to do the things they do
if they're embarrassed to be around him
it's because he knows
what their sins are and also all these
people who chatter are hypocrites now
there's some truth in that especially
well in any society really people tend
to
have are very quick to establish the
moral high ground and
don't necessarily judge themselves at
the same
level of judgement they look on others
and of hypocrites
but it certainly speaks to the
elements of victorian society which
we've already seen
in our observation of the other
characters
basil's argument is that one has a right
to judge a man by the effect he has over
his friends
you all seem to lose all sense of honor
of goodness of purity you fooled them
with a madness for pleasure and they
have gone
into the depths where you led them i
know you and harry are inseparable
surely for that reason if one other you
should not
have made his sister's name a bar word
okay and at this point dorian it becomes
angry he says you've gone too far basil
take care
so basil's argument is that you can
judge a person by the effect that they
have so if everybody around you everyone
you
associate yourself with comes to rack
and ruin
there is an argument to be said for you
being the common denominator
and then when he talks about harry's
sister this has obviously hit a
a little bit of a sore spot with dorian
when you met lady gwendolyn not a breath
of scandal that ever touched her says
basil is there a single decent woman in
london now who would drive with her in
the park even if children are not to
live with her
and there are other stories that you've
seen creeping at dawn out of dreadful
houses
slinking into scars into the fowler
stems in london are they true can they
be true what about your country house
and the life that is led there
so there is this huge laundry list of
things that basil has had on his mind
that's been concerning him about dorian
and it's not just a one story
one isolated incident there seems to be
this
pattern of dorian's destruction and
his the different goings on in the
places
with the people he associates with and
so he says to dorian
i want you to leave a life as i'll make
the world respect you and have a clean
name
i want you to get rid of the dreadful
people you associate with don't shrug
your shoulders don't be indifferent
you have a wonderful influence let it be
for good not for evil
they say that you corrupt everyone with
whom you become intimate and that is
quite sufficient
for you to enter a house for shame of
some kind to follow
and then he references about a letter
that a woman wrote on her deathbed that
implicated him in the most terrible
confession
i wonder and then he says i told him
that was absurd but now i wonder if i
know you
so the reason basil is confronting
dorian
in this chapter is his concern for his
friend so he says i don't want you
to have all of these associations with
your name i want you to live a good and
stainless life
i wonder if i even know you at all he
asked them
before i could answer that i should have
to see your soul
now this is the sort of fatal thing that
basil says because it
sparks dorian to think well actually i
can show you my soul now dorian's anger
and resentment um for basil has been
balding
through arts this chapter of obviously
nobody likes to have their sins
put out in front of them nobody likes to
be challenged
in this way excuse that that's what's
all about
and so it's perhaps natural that dorian
is feeling defensive
but you almost then develop i'm sure you
know this if somebody accuses you of
something that
you're not proud of but it's true you
then also get a sense of righteous anger
so you can imagine that dorian is
becoming more and more incensed
so he says see my soul
and um he turns white from fear because
he knows that he actually has a visible
manifestation of his soul and basil says
yes but only god can do that
you shall see it yourself tonight is
dorian as he
laughs a bitter laugh of mockery come it
is your own handiwork why shouldn't you
look at it
you could tell the world about the
afterwards if you choose but nobody
would believe you
you've chatted enough about corruption
he says no you should look it in the
face
and so this is definitely a turning
point for dorian he's been saying
that there's no ways he's going to show
anybody's picture
but something in basil has sort of hit a
nerve with him and
you can see here he says it's your own
handiwork and he does
he's blamed basil before he says you
know you poor
you painted the portrait that made me
vain he seems to be transferring
blame again as is his want
on to somebody else and
it says that he felt a terrible joy at
the thought that someone else was to
share his secret and the man who painted
the portrait
that was the origin of all his shame was
to be burdened
for the rest of the life with the
hideous memory it's almost like he
thinks if he shows basil the portrait
then basil will bear the burden
and he can kind of maybe shoulder some
of it off onto somebody else
and interesting there that he refers to
the portrait as the origin of his shame
um basil
sorry again the bell it's break time
basil again says if you tell me that
they are true
just please like deny it i'll believe
you deny them
but the conversation has gone too far
now dorian gray says come upstairs basil
i keep a diary of my life
and it never leaves the room and which
is was written
and basil says no dorian i'm tired i
don't want to read anything all i want
is a plain answer
and lauren says well you don't need to
read anything
it won't take you long and so this
chapter ends
on a very uh tense note kind of
cliffhanger
we as if when you read the story for the
first time you shocked that dorian has
now decided to show somebody
his portrait is the source of all his
shame and the evidence of his sin
but of course we very soon find out that
he realizes he cannot do this without
very severe consequences and
so we left with this terrible fear of
what's going to happen this interest of
what is going to be basil's reaction
and dorian at this point almost taking a
sick pleasure
in what he's about to show his friend he
knows it's going to cause him suffering
but he's going to do it anyway
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