Hauptseminar The Writings of Oscar Wilde

The reputation of the Irish wit and playwright Oscar Wilde (1854-1900) has dramatically ascended since 1960. Once perceived as a literary lightweight, he is now recognized as an important philosophic and psychological thinker as well as a great wit. This contemporary of Freud had many of the same interests in investigating human nature--especially his own. Often seen alternatively as a dandy, a jester, a public-relations man advertising himself, and as the most famous gay man in the Western world, he had the quality of being -always right,- as Jorge Luis Borges has remarked. We will read a selection of Wilde's letters, early poetry, and stories before turning to his novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray , his four great comedies, his biblical play Salome as well as Richard Strauss's operatic rendition of it, and his lengthy prison letter known as De Profundis. We will examine classic and contemporary criticism of Wilde, and devote some attention to criticism about him written since 1990. A reader will be provided, but students are requested to purchase. The Collins Complete Works of Oscar Wilde . The book costs about 15 curos; should this be a financial hardship, all texts except for the complete De Profundis are online. Anglistik Universität Duisburg-Essen WS 2010/11 alle Lehrämter, alle Lehrämter Dr. Knox Raab Melissa