Wilde - Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde

English poet, novelist, and playwright. Born October 16, 1854 in Dublin, Ireland. He studied at Trinity College, Dublin, and at Oxford University, graduating with honors in classics. He was influenced by W. Pater, who advocated a new aesthetic view of art and life with his book The Renaissance (1873), which became his lifelong "golden book." At a young age, he attracted public attention with his brilliant talent and outrageous behavior, and reigned over the social circles of the fin de siècle as one of the archetypes of the dandy, whose style was showing signs of a revival at the time. As a result, he had to endure fierce criticism from the traditional Victorian side, but this was also part of his planned move to become famous in London. It is for this reason that it is said that he "devoted his talent to his work, but his genius to his life." His comedies, full of quick-witted puns and aphorisms, were successful, drawing large audiences, but even more so, he was a star in high society as a master of discussion and lecture. In 1895, he lost a lawsuit against the Marquess of Queensberry over his homosexual proclivities, and after serving two years in prison, he fled England and died in misery in Paris. It could be said that his life's life was a natural outcome of his attitude toward life and art.

Starting with "Poems" in 1881, he published a collection of fairy tales, "The Happy Prince, &c." in 1888. It is said that he wrote this for his sons, whom he married in 1884, and it is a masterpiece brimming with his kindness and satire of the society of the time. For better or worse, it was his gothic melodrama novel, "The Picture of Dorian Gray" (1891), that made him suddenly famous as a writer, and the assertion in the preface that "there is nothing moral or immoral in a book. The only thing that matters is whether it is well written or not" was the target of public criticism when it was published in a magazine. He published a series of works, including a collection of critiques, "Intentions" (1891), and a collection of stories, "The Pomegranate House" (1891), but it was his later plays, such as "Lady Windermere's Fan" (1892), "Salome" (1893, originally written in French and translated into English by Alfred Douglas in 1894), and "The Importance of Being Earnest" (1895), that showed his talent for discussion to the fullest. These are representative 19th century plays, belonging to the category of comedy of manners, and the light-hearted, witty, and paradoxical dialogue is unmatched. After serving his two-year sentence, he wrote anonymous poems, "The Ballad of Reading Gaol" (1898), and a book of apology, "A Book from the Prison" (1905), which he wrote to Alfred Douglas from prison. Some people highly value these works, but Wilde's true character lies not in his "overwhelmed" sentimentality, as expressed here, but in his haughty dandyism, and in this day and age when social taboos against homosexuality have been relaxed, it is only natural that he should be reevaluated without ethical criticism. After his release from prison, he moved to France, and died in Paris on November 30, 1900.

[Yuichi Maekawa]

"Lady Windermere's Fan, translated by Nishimura Koji (Shincho Bunko)" ▽ "Prison Diary, translated by Tabe Shigeharu (Kadokawa Bunko)" ▽ "Eureka -- Special Edition on Wilde (May 1976 issue, September 1980 issue, Seidosha)" ▽ "The Complete Works of Oscar Wilde, translated by Nishimura Koji, 6 volumes (1988-89, Seidosha)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

イギリスの詩人、小説家、劇作家。1854年10月16日、アイルランドのダブリンに生まれる。ダブリンのトリニティ学寮からオックスフォード大学に学び、古典に優秀な成績を得て卒業した。おりから『ルネサンス』（1873）によって新しい審美主義的芸術観・人生観を唱道したW・ペイターの影響を受け、この本は彼にとって生涯の「黄金の書(ゴールデン・ブック)」となった。若くして華々しい才気とはでなふるまいによって世間の注目を集め、当時復興の兆しのあったダンディの典型の1人として世紀末の社交界に君臨した。その結果、伝統的ビクトリア朝に属する側からの激しい指弾に耐えねばならなかったが、これはロンドンで有名になろうとする彼の計画的行動でもあった。彼が「作品には才能を注いだが人生には天才を捧(ささ)げた」といわれるのもこの点で、当意即妙の洒落(しゃれ)と警句にあふれる喜劇は多数の観客を集めて成功したが、それ以上に座談・講演の名手としての彼は社交界の花形であった。1895年、同性愛的性癖が原因でクインズベリ侯との訴訟に敗れ、2年の実刑ののちイギリスを逃れて悲惨のうちにパリに死んだその生涯は、人生と芸術に対する彼の姿勢の当然の帰結であったともいえよう。

　1881年の『詩集』を皮切りに88年には童話集『幸福な王子・その他』が出たが、これは84年に結婚した彼が息子たちのために書いたといわれ、彼の優しさと当時の社会に対する風刺とにあふれた傑作である。よきにつけ悪(あ)しきにつけ一躍彼の文名があがったのはゴシック風のメロドラマ小説『ドリアン・グレイの肖像』（1891）によってであって、「書物に道徳的も不道徳的もない。よく書けているか否かだけが問題なのだ」という序文の主張は、雑誌に発表当時世間の非難の的となった。以来、批評集『意向集』（1891）、小説集『柘榴(ざくろ)の家』（1891）など相次いで発表したが、彼の座談の才能が惜しみなく発揮されたのはむしろのちに書かれた『ウィンダミア夫人の扇子』（1892）、『サロメ』（1893。初めフランス語で書かれ、アルフレッド・ダグラスの英訳は1894年）、『真面目(まじめ)が大切』（1895）などの劇であった。これらは風習喜劇に属する19世紀の代表的作品で、軽妙洒脱で逆説を駆使する会話のおもしろさは、他の追随を許さぬ独壇場である。2年の刑期を終えたあとは、獄中で書いた匿名の詩『レディング監獄のバラード』（1898）、獄中からアルフレッド・ダグラスに書いた弁明の書『獄中記』（1905）などがある。これらを高く評価するむきもあるが、ここに表白された「打ちのめされた」ワイルドの感傷性よりも驕慢(きょうまん)に生きたダンディこそが彼の真骨頂であって、同性愛に対する社会的禁忌が緩んだ今日、倫理的批判を離れた再評価がなされて当然であろう。出獄後フランスへ移り、1900年11月30日パリで没。

［前川祐一］

『西村孝次訳『ウィンダミア卿夫人の扇』（新潮文庫）』▽『田部重治訳『獄中記』（角川文庫）』▽『『ユリイカ――ワイルド特集』（1976・5月号、1980・9月号・青土社）』▽『西村孝次訳『オスカー・ワイルド全集』全6巻（1988～89・青土社）』

出典　小学館　日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)について　情報 | 凡例