Denna uppsats undersöker Oscar Wildes sagosamling A House of Pomegranates sagor: The Young King, The Birthday of the Infanta, The Fisherman and his Soul och The Star-Child. Med en modifierad form av den tematiska kritiken analyseras hur makt tar sig uttryck i sagorna –hur makten utövas, vilka som har tillgång till den, vilka som drabbas av den och vilka konsekvenser den har. En slutsats som dras är att samtliga sagor påvisar att makt innehåller något ont eller negativt i sin natur, på samma gång som godhet är relativt inkompetent. Då någon av de grymma makthavarna omvänds i sagorna slutar det ofta med deras död, som The Star-Child är ett exempel på. Begreppet makt definieras med hjälp av handboken Vad är makt? av Fredrik Engelstad, som också erbjuder utblickar mot olika både nutida och äldre maktteorier, och därmed sätter in analysen i en maktteoretisk kontext. Det är tydligt att A House of Pomegranates inte är ämnet för forskares och kritikers ögon lika ofta som andra av Wildes verk, varför denna uppsats har förhoppningar om att fylla en viss del av det tomrummet i forskningen.

This thesis examines the sexual development and characterization of the title character in Richard Strauss’s Salome (1905). It contends that Salome experiences a sexual evolution—a "maturing"—that Strauss derives from Oscar Wilde's play and further emphasizes through Salome's musical language and character development. Three structural phases in Salome's sexual development are proposed: a pre-pubescent phase, a phase of sexual awakening, and a phase of dangerous sexuality. The characterization of Salome is also explored through the lens of performance theory, in an examination of the film versions of Götz Friedrich (1974), Jürgen Flimm (2004), and David McVicar (2008). In addition, the thesis applies Wildean literature on aestheticism and spirituality to Strauss’s opera to show that Salome’s sexual transformation presents an alternative path to self-fulfillment apart from religious salvation. Strauss’s setting reveals a secular, or temporal, aestheticism that leads to an earthly spirituality.

<p>My twofold aim with this essay is, firstly, to examine the ideas about art expressed in the novel The Picture of Dorian Gray by the Victorian author Oscar Wilde. Secondly, I analyse how Oscar Wilde has implemented the philosophy of aestheticism throughout his novel. I achieve this by discussing the novel from the perspectives of the arts of painting, acting and literature. I examine the ideas expressed through the three main characters Dorian Gray, Basil Hallward and Lord Henry Wotton. I give occurrences of alliteration, epigrams and theatrical traits of the novel as examples of how the novel in itself is a beautiful work of art. With this essay I wish to highlight the need for all types of art mentioned in The Picture of Dorian Gray to be included in any discussion about art in the novel. My thesis statement is that the philosophy of aestheticism is promoted throughout the novel. This philosophy states that art should only be seen as something beautiful. Art should not be expected to teach its audience any moral lessons. The over-all conclusion is that it is indeed the philosophy of aestheticism that is promoted in The Picture of Dorian Gray, and the ideal of male beauty in particular.</p>

Based on the author's dissertation. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 265-279) and index.

"Of That Transfigured World" identifies a generally unremarked upon mode of nineteenth-century literature that intermingles realism and fantasy in order to address epistemological problems. I contend that works of Charles Dickens, Charlotte and Emily Brontë, Walter Pater, and Oscar Wilde maintain a realist core overlaid by fantastic elements that come from the language used to characterize the core narrative or from metatexts or paratexts (such as stories that characters tell). The fantastic in this way becomes a mode of interpretation in texts concerned with the problems of representation and the ability of literature to produce knowledge. Paradoxically, each of these authors relies on the fantastic in order to reach the kinds of meaning nineteenth-century realism strives for. My critical framework is derived from the two interrelated discourses of sacred space theology and cultural geography, focusing primarily on the terms topos and chora which I figure as parallel to realism and fantasy. These terms, gleaned from Aristotle and Plato, function to express two interweaving concepts of space that together construct our sense of place. Topos, as defined by Belden C. Lane, refers to "a mere location, a measurable, quantifiable point, neutral and indifferent" whereas chora refers to place as "an energizing force, suggestive to the imagination, drawing intimate connections to everything else in our lives." In the narratives I examine, meaning is constructed via the fantastic interpretations (chora) of realistically portrayed events (topos). The writers I engage with use this dynamic to strategically address pressing epistemological concerns relating to the purpose of art and its relationship to truth. My dissertation examines the works of Dickens, the Brontës, Pater, and Wilde through the lens of this conceptual framework, focusing on how the language that each of these writers uses overlays chora on top of topos. In essence each of these writers uses imaginative language to transfigure the worlds they describe for specific purposes. For Dickens these fantastic hermeneutics allow him to transfigure world into one where the "familiar" becomes "romantic," where moral connections are clear, and which encourages the moral imagination necessary for empathy to take root. Charlotte and Emily Brontës's transfigurations highlight the subjectivity inherent in representation. For Pater, that transfigured world is aesthetic experience and the way our understanding of the "actual world" of topos is shaped by it. Oscar Wilde's transfigured world is by far the most radical, for in the end that transfigured world ceases to be artificial, as Wilde disrupts the separation between reality and artifice. "Of That Transfigured World" argues for a closer understanding of the hermeneutic and epistemological workings of several major British authors. My dissertation offers a paradigm through which to view these writers that connects them to the on-going Victorian discourses of realism while also pointing to the critical sophistication of their positions in seeking to relate truth to art. My identification of the tensions between what I term topos and chora in these works illuminates the relationship between the creation of meaning and the hermeneutics used to direct the reader to that particular meaning. It further points to the important, yet sometimes troubling, role that imagination plays in the epistemologies at the center of that crowning Victorian achievement, the Realist novel.

The aim of this study has been to examine six books about Oscar Wilde’s homosexuality during the years 1906 – 2003. I have been analyzing their descriptions about his sexual orientation and compared them to each other to see the changes through time. In order to see some clear changes the main focus was to choose time differences between the books. It was clear that the earlier writers had negative opinions and thoughts about his sexual deviation the way they described it. The writers from the older books focus on Oscar Wilde’s achievements more than his sexual orientation. The analysis was made through two theories, Michel Foucault’s theories about sexuality, power and knowledge, and the second Raewyn Connell’s theory about hegemonic masculinity. The theories have been fundamental for this study on the basis of the changes through time and how societies viewed masculinity and sexual orientations. They have also been important for the descriptions of Oscar Wilde’s feminine attitude and his addiction to his looks. My method for the essay has been a conceptual analysis. The choice of this method was not hard because it has been important to the comparison and the analysis for the writers’ usage of word descriptions of Oscar Wilde’s homosexuality. The results showed a large amount of resemblances and differences between the books, which can be seen against the background of the society and its view on homosexuality.

294 pages / This study identifies and examines Moises Kaufinan's theoretical questions and rehearsal techniques from their development in initial works at New York University to their specific application during the creation of Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde and The Laramie Project by his Tectonic Theater Project. Kaufinan's upbringing and major artistic influences are investigated in order to trace the origins of his current theoretical language and approach to making theatre. This dissertation primarily focuses on Kaufi:nan's approach to the workshop space as discussed in relation to his search for new theatrical forms, and his style of communication with company members. Such focus offers new questions regarding the basis and range ofKaufinan's aesthetic. The two guiding questions of the study ask: What is Kaufinan's directorial role in Tectonic Theatre Project's creation of new work? How does he ensure the "copulation" of form and content in the workshop space when creating new works? Chapter II outlines Kaufman's biography through detailing his education in Venezuela and in the Experimental Theatre Wing at New York University, as well as traces his early production history. Chapter III investigates how Tectonic techniques led to the creation of Gross Indecency examining Kaufman's inciting hunch, the depth of his research, his organizing principle and expanding through-lines, and "moment work." Chapter IV continues to trace the development of these Tectonic techniques through the creation of The Laramie Project, highlighting the fact that no two Tectonic Theater Project productions have been created in the same manner. This chapter also raises the crucial question of Kaufman's role as Tectonic's workshop director in regards to the issues of authority and authoring. Chapter V arrives at concluding questions and thoughts on Kaufman's theoretical questions in traffic with his workshop techniques, and how these shape his directorial and authorial aesthetics. Chapter V concludes with questions for further study on Kaufman and historically based theatre.

The main objektive of the submitted thesis is a new artistic conception of the literary work entitled ?The Happy Prince? written by an Irish writer Oscar Wilde.The theoretical part focuses on the author's life, the kontent and currency of the selected topic, as well as on the employment of simile topics in the pedagogice practice. The thesis also introduces the existing illustrative interpretation of the aforesaid publication and revers to the works of several well ? known artists which inspired the author.The practical part defines the working procedure, creation of designs, application of graphic arts methods and creation of the concertina book.

My twofold aim with this essay is, firstly, to examine the ideas about art expressed in the novel The Picture of Dorian Gray by the Victorian author Oscar Wilde. Secondly, I analyse how Oscar Wilde has implemented the philosophy of aestheticism throughout his novel. I achieve this by discussing the novel from the perspectives of the arts of painting, acting and literature. I examine the ideas expressed through the three main characters Dorian Gray, Basil Hallward and Lord Henry Wotton. I give occurrences of alliteration, epigrams and theatrical traits of the novel as examples of how the novel in itself is a beautiful work of art. With this essay I wish to highlight the need for all types of art mentioned in The Picture of Dorian Gray to be included in any discussion about art in the novel. My thesis statement is that the philosophy of aestheticism is promoted throughout the novel. This philosophy states that art should only be seen as something beautiful. Art should not be expected to teach its audience any moral lessons. The over-all conclusion is that it is indeed the philosophy of aestheticism that is promoted in The Picture of Dorian Gray, and the ideal of male beauty in particular.

The thesis is devoted to the following two representatives of literal decadence, Oscar Wilde, British dramatist, prose writer, poet and essayist, and Arthur Breisky, Czech prose writer, literary critic and translator. The thesis opens with providing a basic insight into the life and work of both authors. They were both influenced by decadence, which was not only an artistic trend, but also a specific spirit of the time that was reflected in the psychological and social roots and opinions of both authors. The thesis works with the basic assumption that the Czech decadent Breisky was significantly influenced by Wilde in his opinions and activities. The thesis sets up three areas to explore that mingle and influence each other: criticism, masque and mystification. The main similarities between Wilde and Breisky are analyzed in the thesis. Based on the comparison of individual motives, it is possible to trace how Breisky builds on Wilde's ideas and what, on the other hand, he invents newly or differently. Apart from the comparison of both authors, the thesis also provides a comprehensive overview of Breisky's opinions on literature and art at the theoretical level. Key words: Arthur Breisky, Oscar Wilde, decadence, critique, art, masque, mystification, dandysm