“Basil Howard is what I think I am: Lord Henry is what the world thinks of me: Dorian is what I would like to be – in other ages, perhaps”

This is a quote by Oscar Wilde that is about his relationship with his characters from the book ‘The Picture of Dorian Grey’ and which one his personality is most like. This quote is about the way that he sees himself and how that differs from how others see him.

As in the quote he says that “Basil Howard is what I think I am.” Basil Howard is an artist who becomes friends with Dorian Grey. When Basil meet Dorian at a party he quickly became obsessed, he believed that a person as beautiful as Dorian was rare and showed a different form of beauty. Wilde sees himself as Basil possibly because literature is a form of art and he sees himself creating this book the way that Basil created his painting with love and care. He also could be referring to the fact that they are both gay and have an interest in men.

In the quote, Wilde says that most people see him as Lord Henry. Lord Henry is a nobleman that is a very close friend to Basil. Lord Henry is also the man that corrupted Dorian Grey by making Dorian realize that he wouldn’t be as beautiful as he was in the painting. Lord Henry is often seen as the devil as he had turned Dorian to see the ‘dark’ and ‘depressing’ part of growing old. I believe that he is seen as Lord Henry as at that time he was seen as someone who commits a sinful act as he was gay, this relates to Wilde as Lord Henry is most often seen as the devil.

Dorian Grey is a very young, handsome man that is liked by many people, he is the person that Basil is painting. In the quote Wilde says that ” Dorian is what I would like to be – in other ages, perhaps.” I believe he is talking about how he would have been as rich, carefree and even handsome in his next life. Dorian Grey is also seen as a person who enchants almost every person he meets.

Oscar Wilde is a person who could fit all three characters’ personalities as is a kind, believed to perform ‘sinful’ acts and is also quite handsome at least to my knowledge.