Oscar Wilde overshadows the German reception of <I>Salome</I> (1891), yet his text is a problematic one. Wilde's one-act drama is a mosaic text, influenced by the abundance of literary and artistic treatments of the Salome figure during the <I>fin de siècle</I>. Moreover, Wilde did not write <I>Salome</I> in his native tongue, but rather in French, and allowed it to be edited by a number of French poets. Furthermore, the translation of the text proved problematic, resulting in a flawed English rendering dubiously ascribed to Lord Alfred Douglas. <br /><br /> However, there is a German mediator whose translation of Wilde's play is less problematic than the original. Hedwig Lachmann produced a translation of <I>Salome</I> in 1900 that found success despite having to compete with other German translations. Lachmann's translation alters, expands, and improves on Wilde's French original. In contrast to Wilde's underlexicalised original, Lachmann's translation displays an impressive lexical diversity. <br /><br /> In 1903 Insel Verlag published her translation accompanied by ten illustrations by Marcus Behmer. Behmer's illustrations have been dismissed as being derivative of the works of Aubrey Beardsley, but they speak to Lachmann's version of <I>Salome</I> rather than to Beardsley's or Wilde's. Indeed, the illustrations create their own vision of <I>Salome</I>, recasting the story of a <I>femme fatale</I> into a redemption narrative. <br /><br /> In Germany the play proved quite successful, and Lachmann's translation was staged at Max Reinhardt's Kleines Theater in Berlin. It was here that Richard Strauss saw Lachmann's version of the play performed and adapted it for use as a libretto for his music drama <I>Salome</I>. Despite being adapted from Lachmann's translation, Strauss' music drama is often cited as being based directly on Wilde's play, without mentioning the important role of Lachmann's mediation. Moreover, the libretto is often praised as an exact replica of the play put to music. Neither of these assertions is, indeed, the case. Strauss excised forty percent of the text, altered lines, and changed the gender of one of the characters. <br /><br /> I employ Gérard Genette's theory of transtextuality as it is delineated in <I>Palimpsests</I> (1982) to discuss the interrelatedness of texts and the substantial shift that can occur from subtle changes, or transpositions, of a text. Translation, shift in media, excision, the inclusion of extra-textual features including illustrations, and regendering of characters are all means by which a text can be transformed as Lachmann, Behmer, and Strauss transform <I>Salome</I>. Additionally, I will be using Lorraine Janzen Kooistra's term bitextuality, as described in <I>The Artist as Critic: Bitextuality in Fin de Siècle Illustrated Books</I> (1995) to reinforce Genette's notion that extra-textual elements are also significant to a text as a whole. Finally, I employ Jacques Lacan's theory of gaze as outlined in "Seminar on 'The Purloined Letter'" (1956) and "The Mirror Stage as Formative of the <I>I</I> Function as Revealed in Psychoanalytic Experience" (1949) to discuss the function of gaze within the three texts. <br /><br /> In this thesis, I will be addressing these three German intermedial re-envisionings of <I>Salome</I> and arguing for their uniqueness as three distinct representations of <I>Salome</I>. In this thesis, I will argue that Wilde's text is a problematic precursor and that Hedwig Lachmann's text not only alters, but also improves on the original. Additionally, I will argue that Marcus Behmer's images, while influenced by Beardsley, focus more closely on the text they are illustrating and thus provide a less problematic visual rendering of the play. Finally, I will argue that Strauss' libretto for <I>Salome</I> is mediated through Lachmann's translation and that it is further substantially altered. <br /><br /> In order to show the ways in which the texts differ from one another, I have chosen to focus predominantly on the motifs of the moon and gaze. By analysing the way in which each text represents these motifs it is possible to track changes in characterisation, motivation, and various other salient features of the text.

Oscar Wilde’s fairytales have been read to children for more than a century. Nevertheless, since the time of their publication in 1888 and 1891, the target audience of The Happy Prince and Other Tales and A House of Pomegranates have been the concern of critics. Delving into the context behind the rich and colourful imagery, one can find implications of homosexuality, the Paterian aesthetic and religious connotations. According to Carol Tattersall, The Happy Prince and Other Tales successfully mislead the public that it is innocent of any intention to undermine established standards of living or writing. Tattersall’s argument is based on comparing the first collection to Wilde’s second, A House of Pomegranates, which was perceived as “offensive and immoral” (136). On the other hand, William Butler Yeats states in his introduction to The Complete Works of Oscar Wilde that overall the reviewers of The Happy Prince and Other Tales were hostile because of Wilde’s aesthetic views (ixxvi). But Yeats overlooks the fact that Wilde was very pleased and proud, dashing notes to friends and reviewers and signing copies to many people (Tattersall 129). In general, the reception of Wilde’s first collection was more positive than that of the second because it was milder and more subtle in its controversial themes.

Inaug.-Diss.--Greifswald. / Lebenslauf. "Literatur-verzeichnis": p. [205]-209.

Submitted by Thaís de Souza Almeida null (thaisalmeida_unesp@yahoo.com.br) on 2017-07-13T04:17:28Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertação - Thais de Souza Almeida.pdf: 1574627 bytes, checksum: 40886a2966bfc7063f0acaa5646cc8a2 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Monique Sasaki (sayumi_sasaki@hotmail.com) on 2017-07-14T17:51:52Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 almeida_ts_me_arafcl.pdf: 1574627 bytes, checksum: 40886a2966bfc7063f0acaa5646cc8a2 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-07-14T17:51:52Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 almeida_ts_me_arafcl.pdf: 1574627 bytes, checksum: 40886a2966bfc7063f0acaa5646cc8a2 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-05-29 / Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) / A retomada do mito bíblico de Salomé, retratado primeiramente nos evangelhos de S. Marcos e S. Mateus, fez escola no movimento simbolista francês. Salomé, que até então havia sido apresentada como mero apêndice de sua mãe, Herodíade, aparece, no final do século XIX, como a grande personificação da anima perversa, assumindo o papel que outrora pertencera a Cleópatra e Helena. O mito trata da história de Salomé, princesa da Judeia, que, sob a influência de sua mãe, realiza a dança dos sete véus para seu padrasto e, como prêmio pelo espetáculo voluptuoso, recebe a cabeça do profeta João Batista. Retratada pelos artistas de diversas vertentes da arte, essa Salomé remodelada vem representar a essência própria do movimento simbolista – a transgressão da linguagem, da temática e da atitude do poeta com relação à produção artística –, bem como a de seus poetas (e artistas) malditos, que se vêem marginalizados por uma sociedade opressora e utilitarista, e que, fazendo justiça à princesa, fazem justiça à própria classe. Assim, com a princesa-odalisca Salomé, o simbolismo afirma sua postura combativa, de luta pela libertação da poesia e da arte. Neste trabalho, pretende-se analisar e comparar as obras Salomé (1891), drama de Oscar Wilde (1854 – 1900), e Hérodiade (1864 – 1898), poema de Stéphane Mallarmé (1842 – 1898), com a finalidade de verificar se existem e quais seriam as confluências – e mesmo influências – entre as duas produções, visto que ambas foram idealizadas na mesma época e cenário – o simbolismo francês, no final do século XIX. A importância das duas obras para a arte moderna é incontestável: com Hérodiade – que, embora carregue em seu título o nome da mãe por questões sonoras, trata, na verdade, de Salomé –, vemos surgir em uma obra que transcende o episódio sanguinário da decapitação do profeta João Batista, para se debruçar sobre a imagem da princesa virginal submersa em ennui, que, em suas próprias palavras, “não quer nada de humano” e que almeja até o último e imaculado fio de seus cabelos a sua “desconcretização” enquanto ser desse mundo, na busca incessante pela Pureza. Já em Salomé, deparamo-nos com aquela que se tornou a versão “eleita” do mito, e que povoou o imaginário de diversos artistas do século XX, desde compositores até diretores cinematográficos. Em Wilde, à dança dos sete véus e à decapitação do profeta, segue-se uma dose fatal de loucura, que conduz a princesa a uma morte sanguinária. O fio condutor de ambas as produções parece culminar naquilo que Balakian (2000, p. 65) classificou como “narcisismo obsessivo, não-recompensador, porque não tem saída” ao tratar da obra mallarmeana: em Hérodiade, a autocontemplação leva a princesa à solidão, ao ennui e ao desejo de evasão do mundo; em Wilde, a autocontemplação conduz ao caminho da loucura e, em seguida, da morte. Em ambas, portanto, e cada uma a seu modo, o leitor se depara com a estéril (auto)contemplação. Seja por meio da Salomé wildeana - sanguinária, apaixonada, delirante - ou mallarmeana – pura, virginal, ennuyée – essas duas representações da princesa-odalisca se debruçaram fatalmente sobre a estéril contemplação – contemplação vã de sua própria beleza ou da beleza do outro – e, de maneira magnânima, unem-se ao sem-número de obras dedicadas à musa absoluta, topus do fin-de-siècle. / The resumption of the biblical myth of Salome, first portrayed in the Gospels of St. Mark and St. Matthew, became a school in the French symbolist movement. Salome, who has been presented as a mere appendage of his mother, Herodias, appears, at the end of the nineteenth century, as a great personification of perverse anima, assuming the role that once belonged to Cleopatra and Helen. The myth deals with the story of Salome, Princess of Judea, who, under the influence of her mother, performs a dance of the seven veils for her stepfather, and, as a reward for the voluptuous spectacle, receives the head of the prophet John the Baptist. Portrayed by artists of all segments of art, this remodeled Salome represents the essence of the symbolist movement itself – with the transgression of the poetic language, theme and attitude of the contemporary artistic productions – as well as his maudits poets (and artists). They are marginalized by an oppressive and utilitarian society, and that, by doing justice to the princess, they do justice to their own class. Thus, with a Princess-Odalisque Salome, symbolism affirms its combative stance, of struggle for the liberation of poetry and art. In this work, we intend to analyze and compare the works Salomé, drama in one act by Oscar Wilde, and Hérodiade, dramatic poem by Stéphane Mallarmé, in order to verify if there are and which would be the confluences – and even influences – between the two productions, whereas they were both idealized at the same period and scenario: the French symbolism, at the end of the nineteenth century. The importance of these two works for the modern art is unquestionable: with Hérodiade – who is actually Salomé, although bears his title from the mother's name on account of the sonority – we see the ontological mallarmean scheme emerging, one of the most important precursors of modern poetry, in a work that transcends the epithet of the bloody beheading of the prophet John the Baptist, to dwell on the image of the virgin princess submerged in ennui, who, in her own words, “doesn't want anything human”, and who longs until the last and unblemished thread of his hair to unconcretize herself while a human being in the pursuit of Purity. Meanwhile in Salomé, we came across the one that became the "elected" version of the myth, and that populated the imaginary of several artists of the twentieth century, from composers to cinematographic directors. In Wilde, to the dance of the seven veils and to the beheading of the prophet, follows a fatal dose of madness, leading a princess to a bloodthirsty death. The leading thread of both productions seems to culminate in that Balakian (2000, p. 65) classified as "obsessive, non-rewarding narcissism, because it has no way out", in relation to the mallarmean work: in Hérodiade, the self-contemplation leads the princess to solitude, to the boredom and the desire to evasion the world ; In Wilde, (self) contemplation leads to the way of madness and death. In both, therefore, and in each in its own way, we are faced with sterile (self) contemplation. Be it trhough Wilde's bloody, passionate, delirious Salomé, or Mallarmé's pure, virginal, ennuyée Hérodiade, these two representations of the princess fatally leaned on a barren contemplation – vain contemplation of their own beauty, or of beauty of other – and, magnanimously, join the countless works dedicated to the absolute muse, topus of the fin-de-siècle.

This essay aims to examine how immortality and immoral behavior are represented in The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde. The claim in this essay is that an immortal life is not a desirable life and that it traps you in a paradoxical existence that cannot be desirable. The method used in this essay is close reading of the narrative focusing on the protagonist Dorian Gray examined through two theories, ‘The Makropulos case’ and the subsequent analysis regarding contingent and categorical desires introduced by Bernard Williams as well as a theory focusing on endless frustration by Aaron Smuts that evolved through critiquing Williams’ theory on contingent and categorical desires. By analyzing Dorian Gray’s behavior and comparing his choices to the theories presented by Williams and Smuts the results are unanimous and support the claim that an immortal life is undesirable. Dorian Gray ended up confined to a life without meaning as he left everything that held meaning to him behind in his pursuit of pleasure and youth.

My aim with this study has been to examine how the fashion is a leading component in the novel The Picture of Dorian Gray. I have studied the role fashion plays in the novel and in which way it can be seen as a way of letting the reader know the important role of fashion in 19tcentury England and the morals of Oscar Wilde. To prove my thesis I have used literature that shows how Oscar Wilde uses influences from his own life in his writing of The Picture of Dorian Gray. I have also used Judith Butler's theory of performativity in analyzing the characters in ordet to display their way of staging themselves and their lifestyles and their dependence of that performativity in their interactions. Even though the theory of performativity often is used to hold the importance of the sexes, I have concluded that it has an important role in the novel when Dorian Gray interacts with the character Sibyl Vane who is an actress. My results have shown that fashion in the novel is often a way of letting the reader know important elements of a character in the way that certain fabrics and items are mentioned when Wilde writes about his characters. I have also found that fashion is an important factor when the characters judge each when they speak about the way they dress. The way fashion is presented in the novel is important to my thesis and has shown me how fashion can be used in literature as symbolic elements guiding the narrative. Keywords: Oscar Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray, Fashion in literature, Performativity. Judith Butler

MA thesis - Daniela Cvachová - 2011 Abstract: This thesis compares two Czech translations of the drama The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde. The comparison is based on findings of currently recognised theoreticians of translation (Levý, Knittlová, Králová, Reiss). The translation of Jiří Zdeněk Novák is half a century older than the translation by a team of young beginning translators led by Stanislav Rubáš and Zuzana Šťastná. The thesis focuses on the comparison of those aspects that are characteristic for Wilde's works and difficult for translators: lexicological problems like puns, bon mots, allusions to realia. In spite of the fact that the drama is not of a large extent, it offers a wide range of "tough nuts to crack" like that.

En komparativ uppsats som illustrerar tavlans inverkan och betydelse i Oscar Wildes The Picture of Dorian Gray (1891) och Donna Tartts The Goldfinch (2013). Fyra huvudteman utröns: tavlan som tidlöst objekt, undangömd, människans spegelbild och moraliskt korrumperande.

Between 1880 and 1920, both urban England and essays published in urban England underwent seismic shifts and splits, as population grew, education and technology advanced, and periodical publishing expanded. The city grew both larger in size and smaller in units of comprehensibility, and many of its people were (or were perceived by certain thinkers to be) less free and more instrumental. The periodical essay too grew more common and, at the same time, smaller in size, less free, and more instrumental, as it developed closer ties with journalism, with the industrial city, and with readers of all classes. By an examination of various forms of essaying in the period, this thesis argues that the essay's transitions parallel modernity's transitions, not only because the essay reflects or enacts or follows trends in modernity, but also because modernity at the time was conditioned by the essay's way of thinking through its form and cannot be fully understood without reference to the activities of the urban periodical essay at the time. The essay between 1880 and 1920 was a highly social genre, and this sociability manifested in a number of ways this thesis will explore. Its periodical context allowed it a ritual, patterning relationship with its readers; its brevity and limitations pushed it into dialectical, double-glancing modes of thought that complemented its fragmented setting; its tendency to direct attention away from its own form gave it a unique, constitutive role in literary modernisms; its material connections to new technologies implicated it in new doubts concerning urban modernity, and its massed readership embroiled it in fears over anti- or a-intellectual over-simplification. This thesis tells the stories of the periodical essay, in London, as an actor in modernity's transitions, by examining four concepts central to both the essay and to emergent modernity: play, the trick, doubt, and wisdom. These concepts are treated, primarily, through the work of three writers-Oscar Wilde, G. K. Chesterton, and Virginia Woolf-all of whom, in their styling of the essay, embody different moments and essayistic registers in the transitions of modernity and reveal the cross-fertilising relationship between essaying and what is meant by 'the modern'.

<p>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.</p><p>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.</p><p>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.</p>