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Oscar Wilde was a brilliant Irish playwright. By the mid 1890âs he was the toast of the literary world. Yet, in 1895 a scandal broke out that would, ultimately, see the man of letters become humiliated and imprisoned.
In early 1885 Wildeâs two funniest comedies were running simultaneously in London Theatres. In January, An Ideal Husband played at the Theatre Royal in Haymarket. Then, just a month later, perhaps his most famous work, The Importance of Being Earnest, was staged at the St. James Theatre. Both shows received rave reviews.
All of Wildeâs literary skill and wit were overshadowed, however, by his personal life. Wilde was involved in a homosexual relationship with Lord Alfred Douglas. Douglas was the son of the Marquess of Queensbury â the man who provided the rules for professional boxing. The Marquess was outraged that Wilde would lead his son âastrayâ and became determined to ruin the world famous playwright. He had originally planned to ruin the opening of The Importance of Being Earnest but Wilde got to hear of this and Queensbury was banned from attending. Instead he decided to leave a calling card on the notice board at Wildeâs gentlemanâs club. It read, â To Oscar Wilde, posing somdomite.â Even though he had spelled the word incorrectly, the Marquess note had the desired effect. Wilde knew that the Marquess was just getting warmed up, so he, at the urging of his lover, Lord Douglas, swore out a warrant for the arrest of the Marquess of Queensbury on the charge of libel.
The result of all of this was a trial. The Marquess of Queensbury was represented by Edward Carson. Carson set out to prove that Oscar Wilde was, in fact, a homosexual and therefore that his client was not guilty of libel. Carson soon came up with the names of ten boys who Wilde had allegedly solicited for sex. He also obtained letters that Wilde had written to Douglas, revealing his feelings towards the Marquessâ son.
On the first day of the trial, Wilde attempted to have the proceedings overshadowed by his quick wit. But, over time, the dogged attacks by Carson wore him down. His humor was wearing thin. At one point the forty year old Wilde remarked to Carson, âYou sting me and insult me and try to unnerve me; and at times one says things flippantly when one ought to speak more seriously.â When the trial concluded it was obvious that Queensbury had not committed an act of libel â Oscar Wilde was a homosexual. And so it was. The judge completely exonerated Queensbury, going further to actually state that he had been justified in calling Wilde a sodomite in public. Wildeâs friends urged him to get out of the country to avoid arrest on what was then the crime of homosexuality. Wildeâs pride, however, would not allow him to flee. He awaited arrest at the Cadogen hotel, confident that he could win. Yet, on the 5th of April the police did, indeed, arrive to arrest the worldâs most famous playwright.
Wilde now faced a second trial to prove the charge of homosexuality. Now the truly lurid stuff started to come out. Hotel cleaners were called in to testify about semen stains that were found on Wildeâs bed sheets. Clerks told about the different male bed partners Wilde had been seen sharing rooms with. Despite this evidence the jury could not reach a decision. A second trial was ordered. Wilde was released on 5000 pounds bail on May 7th.
The second trial began on May 22. This time the jury was unanimous. Oscar Wilde was found guilty and sentenced to two years of hard labor at Pentonville Prison. At Pentonville Wilde found the going tough, almost unbearable. He was required to walk a treadmill for six hours each day. He became increasingly morose and unkempt. Jail officials feared that he was suicidal. Finally he was moved to Reading Jail. On May 18, 1897 he was released. But he was a broken man. Two and a half years after his release, on November 30, 1900 Oscar Wilde died while exiled in France. He was 46 years of age.
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