1. Influence and Interaction (Comment on Dorian’s influence on Basil’s art and the role of the portrait in Dorian’s life).

The action begins in the studio of the artist Basil Hallward. There we get acquainted with the artist himself and with his friends - the young Lord Henry Wotton and the young Dorian Gray, who has been posing for Basil for a long time. And as the artist himself enthusiastically admits in a conversation with Harry, he is the ideal that every creator is looking for almost his entire life, which occurs only once and, having lost one, it is no longer possible to find someone like him.

And in fact, as Lord Watton notes, when meeting Dorian, he is simply angelically handsome. And it would be a pity if such beauty, after some few years, withered, like this irrevocably, to nowhere. However, Hallward is not very happy that he had to introduce them. He is afraid that Henry will spoil the young man, and then completely take him away, taking him under his influence.

The portrait of a young man Dorian is a kind of ideal of beauty. Dorian was struck by his portrait, and the thought that in a few years his beauty would begin to fade caused horror. He became cowardly that the years would carry away his red lips and golden luxurious hair, and he himself would become disgusting, pitiful and terrible. This thought disturbed him, then Dorian thought that it would be wonderful if only the portrait grew old, and he himself remained forever young.

What follows is the whole path of the fall and decay of the soul of Dorian Gray. With each of his offenses, which he committed on the occasion of his own whim, the portrait is more and more distorted, and Dorian is no longer able to see him or keep him in a place open to prying eyes. He becomes paranoid, who every hour, every step he thinks about how no one would see his portrait. As if no one knew about what was happening in the soul of a still young aristocrat. The portrait became a mirror of his soul. He no longer trusts anyone, and when Basil tells him that he is going to exhibit a portrait in his exhibition of paintings, he almost goes berserk. Hallward was forced to confess to Dorian his love for him - which really surprised the young man himself.

Basil Hallward became a victim of Dorian, who painted his portrait, truly considering the young man his ideal. He not only admired him, but loved him and believed in all his words until his death. His own feeling blinded the artist, building in his imagination an imaginary image of the same Dorian with whom he had once met. The more the young man moves away from him, choosing the company of the cynical Henry Wotton, whose advice he follows, Basil loses inspiration, and the lack of former friendship weighs on him.

2. Influence and a turn for the better [or for the worse] (The changes that took place in Dorian under Lord Henry’s influence)

3. Basil Hallward – character analysis (Comment on his life and backgrounds, his behavior, his attitude towards Lord Henry Wotton and Dorian Gray).

4. Dorian Gray – character analysis (Comment on his life and backgrounds, his behavior, his attitude towards Lord Henry Wotton and Basil Hallward).

5. Lord Henry Wotton – character analysis (Comment on his attitude towards Dorian Gray and Basil Hallward and his attitude to the people around him).

Lord Henry Wotton is a static character of novel. He is a representative of London’s high society and immoral views on life. He is a charming proficient talker, a famous wit and a brilliant intellectual. He is a convinced hedonist determined having a joyful time constantly.

Henry's attitude towards people around him is like the attitude of the viewer towards the actors of the stage in spectacles to whom he is in principle indifferent. He chooses friends and enemies based on considerations, he observes people finding on them a particular interest or an intellectual pleasure. He costly values high importance of art and beauty. His attitude towards miserable neighbors is peculiar: human grief is appalling and ugly. Harry Wotton refuses people sympathy precisely for this reason leaving the solution of problem without emotions to Science but leading the philosophical contemplation behind himself. This hedonism dominates his character making him estimate the things and inhabitants by their physical beauty and the level of pleasure they can bring to him. Henry doesn’t have an importance even towards his friends. That is why we recognize him being tired of one of his best friends Basil Hallward and realize that he doesn’t matter of him because he didn’t bring any pleasure to him.

Lord Henry arises in novel as a guidance counsellor to Dorian. He does genuinely care about Dorian and encourages him to seek new sensations – to feel the fullness of life but this attitude to Dorian is consistent and pursues a specific goal. He intends doing everything just to preserve the beauty of Dorian’s self – image. But this only leads to entirely negative way. His theories are striking and poisonous at the same time. They charm Dorian a lot. That is why Dorian has dedicated himself to the pursuit of pleasure and sin. Henry’s considerable interactions with Dorian is prove to bring positive benefits for Dorian and those who around him – Basil completes his portrait of Dorian, Dorian feels reinvigorated and curious, and Sibyl even finds herself mutually in love with Dorian but sooner these things are leading to downfall. Lord Henry is to blame for Dorian’s decline in mental stability and morality.