Inner and Outer Beauty in Dorian Gray

The term 'beauty' may have very relative significance. Something can be beautiful for us, but ugly for other people. The external beauty of a person is often the first thing that we pay attention to. This is the result of the association of beauty with good and ugliness with evil. Through the outer appearance we make a general opinion about a given person. Such a way of thinking may be very misleading. In order to get to know the person we need to look to the inside - into the soul. This is the place where the real beauty and ugliness are hidden.

The notion of inner and outer beauty is perfectly presented in the novel 'The Picture of Dorian Gray' by Oscar Wilde. The story described in this book shows how the external attractiveness influences people's behavior and corrupts the inner beauty. The plot situated in the XIX England perfectly describes the higher class of this period. Shallow and two-faced society is concentrated only on the esthetical values of the surrounding. Youth and beauty are the most precious and cultivated things. Even the worst deeds are forgotten if your beauty is extraordinary. The main character, Dorian Gray is an example of a person from a higher class. This twenty-year old and extremely handsome young man is regarded among society as an ideal of beauty. His Physical attractiveness draws the attention of a very talented painter Basil Hallward. He decides to immortalize Dorian's beauty and paints his portrait. In the meantime Dorian meets cynical nobleman, Lord Henry Wotton. Just like everyone else, Lord Henry is astonished by the prettiness and innocence of Dorian. Henry is a charming talker, and his views concerning beauty are the same as the views of other members of aristocracy. He cherishes it above all considering it as the most important thing in life. The talk with Lord Henry makes Dorian to think about the elapsing of the physical attractiveness. He realizes that some day his charm and youth will disappear and he will not be able to live a careless life anymore. This thought scares him very much especially when he sees the finished portrait, painted by Basil. He makes a whish, which will change his life forever: 'If it were I who was to be always young and the picture that was to grow old! For that I would give anything! Yes, there is nothing in the world I would not give! I would give my soul for that' (Chapter 2). Dorian is not aware of he fact that this wish will come true. From now on the slow corruption of his soul begins. Under the influence of Lord Henry, Dorian is more and more eager for seeking pleasure in life. This becomes his priority. Realizing his astonishing look, Dorian's deeds become more and more cruel and his inside starts changing irreversibly. The first significant change in his inner beauty occurs after meeting an actress, Sybil Vane. At the beginning we may think that his affection to her is true, but soon after it is obvious that he fell in love only with her acting. Therefore, when Lord Henry criticizes Sybil's acting Dorian finds no other reasons for being with her:' I loved you because you were marvelous, because you had genius and intellect, because you realized the dreams of great poets and gave shape and substance to the shadows of art. You have thrown it all away. You are shallow and stupid. My God! How mad I was to love you! What a fool I have been!'(Chapter 7).

The cruel break up becomes the first step to Dorian's downfall. The first change appears in the picture, reflecting the corruption of his soul. The face in the picture changes its expression. It is no longer beautiful and innocent but rather cruel and incalculable. It represents the same emotions, which accompanied Dorian while breaking up with Sybil. He realizes that the wish made in front of the painting became true. His outer beauty did not change at all, but his inner beauty began to fade away. For a short time remorse and fear occur inside Dorian, especially when he learns of Sybil's suicide. Nevertheless, Lord Henry convinces him about the artistic values of her death:' There is something to me quite beautiful about her death. I am glad I am living in a century when such wonders happen. They make one believe in the reality of the things we all play with, such as romance, passion, and love' (Chapter 7).

The fear that other people could see the portrait forces Dorian to hide it. When he is sure no one will discover his secret he starts to live a life full of pleasure and sensation. His love to his own beauty makes his deeds more and more repulsive. It all happens by the consent of the society, which judges Dorian on the basis of his look. In the belief that good look comes together with good character people do not pay attention to the evil stories about him. After eighteen years Dorian's beauty is still perfect and untouched. The fear of someone seeing the picture starts to plunge him into madness. His love to aestheticism is seen in every aspect of life. He studies music and art and fills his house with beautiful objects from all around the world. The art has also other significance for him. He uses it as an excuse for his evil deeds. He commits the sins for the sake of the beauty and art. That is how he excuses