Lord Henry Dying

Words: 891
Pages: 4

He started off as one of the most kindest, modest and innocent men ever, until he was

sucked into a world of sin. In The Picture of Dorian Gray, beauty reigns. It is a means to revitalize

the jaded senses, as indicated by the effects that Basil’s painting has on the cynical Lord Henry. To

innocent to understand that the mortality of beauty and youth is not everything in life. It brings Dorian

Gray too question himself, once he realizes his action and the effect of his sins that the portrait

portrays. Lord Henry takes advantage of him by using the influences of mortality of beauty and youth

throughout the novel leading Dorian to his demise.

Lord Henry is first introduced to the handsome Dorian while observing Basil paint him. He
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Influenced by Lord Henry's words on youth and beauty, he is frightened of aging fearing the loss of

everything if he loses his charming looks. Impetuously he vows to kill himself once he becomes old,

repeating his wish that the portrait age and he will stay young. “Dorian moves from the human (real

life) sphere and becomes living art while the picture assumes Dorian's human traits, taking on his sins

and his age and recording them as distortions in Hallward's full-length painting of him”.(Upchurch,

1991) Basil accuses Lord Henry of the disturbance he has started within the young man, in which he

responds he has merely brought fourth the true Dorian.

Lord Henry, who enjoys manipulating people, spots Dorian's vulnerability immediately and

goes to work. “Lord Henry is often pilored by critics as cynic who manipulates Dorian into doing the things that he advocates but is to withdrawn and frightened to do himself”. (Aubrey, 2005) Later on

in the novel Dorian visits Lord Henry to tell him that he has fallen in love with an young actress,