Chapter 2

1. Explain the meaning of the word-combinations and set phrases from the list below. Quote the sentences in which they were used in the book. Consult the dictionary if necessary.

a life-sized (portrait), be in one’s black (bad) books, devoted, go in for sth, long for, bewilder, touch a secret chord, hit the mark, pay compliments.

2. State which characteristics and features from the box below refer to the main characters of the book:

• Lord Henry Wotton

• Basil Hallward

• Dorian Gray

doesn’t talk when he’s working and doesn’t listen either; was educated at Oxford. wonderfully handsome; finely-curved scarlet lips; frank blue eyes; crisp gold hair; something in his face makes trust him at once; kept himself unspotted from the world. has a very bad influence over all his friends with the single expression of himself; has a beautiful voice; was educated at Eton and Oxford; a tall, graceful young man; has a romantic olive-coloured face and a worn expression; cool, white, flower-like hands.

3. Give extensive answers to the following questions:

1. Why does Lord Henry think Basil Hallward worships Dorian Gray?

2. Why does Dorian Gray insist on Lord Henry’s staying in the studio?

3. Why does Lord Henry consider all influence immoral?

4. Why has Courage left our race?

5. What effect do Lord Henry’s words have on Dorian Gray?

6. Why is Dorian Gray so fascinated by Lord Henry?

7. What theory of Beauty and Youth does Lord Henry develop?

8. Why is Dorian Gray so inspired by Lord Henry’s panegyric of youth but remains unaffected by Basil’s compliments?

9. What would Dorian Gray have given away his soul for?

10. Why was Dorian Gray jealous of the portrait?

11. What triggers Basil Hallward’s impulse to destroy his masterpiece? Who stops him?

12. What does Basil Hallward mean when he says “I want to stay with the real Dorian”?

13. Why does ‘a look of pain’ come into the painter’s face once his friends left?

Chapter 3

1. Explain the meaning of the word-combinations and set phrases from the list below. Quote the sentences in which they were used in the book. Consult the dictionary if necessary.

go to the dogs, a mere nobody, make somebody frantic, brute, be well off, be of age, be after somebody, cut short, feel up to something.

2. State which characteristics and features from the box below refer to the characters of the book:

• Lord Henry Wotton

• Lord Fermor

• Dorian Gray

• Lady Margaret Devereux

• Lord Kelso

an extraordinarily beautiful girl; ran away with a penniless young fellow; never spoke with her father again. paid some rascally adventurer to insult his son-in-law in public; ate his chop alone at the club for some time; a mean dog; an old and loveless man. the son of Love and Death. brilliant, fantastic, irresponsible; too fond of reading books to care to write them; always likes to know everything about his old friends and nothing about the old ones. genial, if somewhat rough-mannered old bachelor; succeeded to the title; set himself to the serious study of the great aristocratic art of doing absolutely nothing; had two town houses but preferred to live in chambers; in politics he was a Tory, except when Tory were in office.