The Tragic Real-Life Story Of Oscar Wilde

May 2024 ยท 2 minute read

Oscar Wilde met Lord Alfred "Bosie" Douglas, son of the Marquess of Queensberry, in 1891, and they soon became lovers. Douglas introduced Wilde to a world of gay prostitutes, which soon became a regular activity for Wilde. However, Douglas' father (pictured) was a conservative and outspoken man, and he and Wilde had several confrontations about the writer's relationship with his son, culminating with the Marquess leaving a card for Wilde at the author's club, with a message written on it for all the world to see that read, "For Oscar Wilde, posing somdomite' (sic)." 

This was a dangerous accusation, but Wilde had options. Historians note that he could've fled to France, where homosexuality wasn't illegal and just waited for the publicity to fade. But instead, worried about his public image and urged on by Douglas, he chose to sue the Marquess for libel. This was a disastrous mistake, because the only way the Marquess could win was to prove his allegations, which was very, very easy to do. Wilde had never been particularly discreet, and old Bosie was more or less the exact opposite of "restrained." 

The libel trial ended in the Marquess' favor, and the evidence presented was immediately used to charge Wilde with gross indecency, a crime often used to prosecute homosexuals. A few months later, Wilde was in prison, and five years later he was dead. And it all could've been avoided if Wilde had taken a vacation.

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