Oscar Wilde
Oscar Wilde, born on October 16, 1854, in Dublin, Ireland, was a renowned playwright, poet, and author known for his sharp wit and flamboyant style. Wilde was the second of three children born to Sir William Wilde, a successful eye surgeon, and Jane Wilde, a poet and nationalist. He excelled academically, attending Trinity College in Dublin and later Magdalen College, Oxford, where he became known for his involvement in the aesthetic movement, which promoted "art for art's sake."
Wilde's career took off with his successful play "Lady Windermere's Fan" in 1892. He followed this with several other popular plays, including "A Woman of No Importance" (1893), "An Ideal Husband" (1895), and his masterpiece, "The Importance of Being Earnest" (1895). His only novel, "The Picture of Dorian Gray" (1890), explores themes of aestheticism and moral duplicity.
Wilde's life took a tragic turn when he was imprisoned in 1895 for "gross indecency" due to his homosexual relationships, at a time when homosexuality was illegal in Britain. He was sentenced to two years of hard labor. After his release, Wilde lived in exile in France, where he wrote "The Ballad of Reading Gaol" (1898), a poignant reflection on his prison experience. He died destitute in Paris on November 30, 1900, at the age of 46. His legacy endures through his brilliant works and his advocacy for individualism and artistic freedom.