The Character of Lord Henry Wotten from The Picture of Dorian GrayThe purpose of this essay is to explore the character of Lord Henry Wotten, from The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde. Oscar Wilde once said: I only know that Dorian Gray is a classic and deservedly so. With this in mind, this essay aims to observe how Lord Henry Wotton manipulates various conversations and how he influences the story with his challenging approach. speeches, which is why The Picture of Dorian Gray is a classic. Henry is such a memorable character, skillfully developed, that his influence on the text elevates the value of the novel. In the conversations of Lord Henry Wotton and the behavior of Dorian Gray [Wilde shows this]…. self-expression can be turned into an art. - Acroyd.Lord Henry's conversations are used to introduce humor and intelligence into a tragic story. Lord Henry has a cynical view of the opposite sex and also of marriage or any form of relationship involving both sexes. Henry says: Men marry because they are tired, women because they are curious: both are disappointed. Henry here analyzes marriage with irony, and summarizes it in one sentence, typical of his conversation. He says things quickly and decisively so that the story can move forward with the humor that comes from the conversation. In this example Henry gives a rather bleak view of marriage. This theme is explored further when he says: Young people want to be faithful and are not, old people want to be unfaithful and cannot. In this example, Henry explores the driving force between the nature of the old and the young and how they relate to the opposite sex. He uses irony to demonstrate his knowledge of how males relate to the...... middle of paper... parallel, as Henry's influence on Dorian Gray is evident, but Dorian Gray does not influence the character at all by Henry. The reader also notices a contrast with Basil's relationship with Henry. Basil appears to ignore the humorous speeches Henry gives, dismissing them as "non-serious" in nature. Because of this, Henry does not have a negative effect on Basil, as he does on Dorian. Dorian seems to hang on to every word Henry says, while Basil basically ignores what Henry says. Lord Henry's influence in the novel The Picture of Dorian Gray is that it gives a meaningful and ethical story an extra contextual layer. Dorian Gray is a superb story, but the character of Lord Henry Wotton is what elevates the novel to its classic status. Works Cited: Wilde, Oscar. The Picture of Dorian Gray; For the love of the king. London: Routledge/Thoemmes Press, 1993.