Influence of freemasonry in the works of Oscar Wilde

Jesse Sorenson *

Washington, USA.
 
Review Article
World Journal of Advanced Research and Reviews, 2024, 24(01), 1339–1343
Article DOI: 10.30574/wjarr.2024.24.1.3179
 
Publication history: 
Received on 05 September 2024; revised on 14 October 2024; accepted on 16 October 2024
 
Abstract: 
This paper seeks to demonstrate the extent of Freemasonry's impact on Oscar Wilde's penmanship and how it optimally impacted his paradigm, symbolism, and issues of concern. This research looks at the oeuvre, which includes The Picture of Dorian Gray and The Importance of Being Earnest, in illustrating the presence of materialist freemasonry embracing virtue, dualism, and search for knowledge. Their involvement in Freemasonry provided Wilde with the philosophy that encloses his ideas about personal freedom, moral dilemma, and individualism while writing. Thus, the paper shows that through exploring the manifestation of symbols and ethics in Wilde's works, his involvement enriched his work in the fraternity of Masons. Thus, this paper has the following objective: to present the further understanding of the relationship between the elements of the literary work of Wilde and the principles of the Freemasonry, and, thus, may add deeper insights into the moral and creative perspective of Wilde.
 
Keywords: 
Oscar Wilde; Freemasonry; Literary symbolism; Moral philosophy; The Picture of Dorian Gray
 
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