I'm Just Wilde About Oscar! Trivia Quiz

Answer: Dublin

Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde was born in Dublin on 16 October 1854 to Sir William Wilde, a renowned surgeon, and Lady Wilde. The house in which he was born is now the Oscar Wilde Centre at Trinity College, Dublin.

Wilde's parents wished him to be home educated before going into mainstream schooling. During this time he had French and German governesses, who each taught him their own language, at which he quickly became fluent, in addition to his other studies. He later attended the Portora Royal School in Enniskillen before going on to university.

Answer: Oxford

Wilde was a brilliant student at Trinity College, Dublin, where he developed a lasting interest in Greek literature and won the University's prestigious Berkeley Gold Medal in 1874, his final year. Following his studies in Dublin he won a scholarship to Magdalen College, Oxford, and moved to England to continue his education, graduating with a double first in 1878 and earning further success when his poem 'Ravenna' won the coveted Newdigate Prize.

It was at Oxford where he met Lord Alfred Douglas, son of the Marquess of Queensberry, a relationship which was to have a big impact on his later life.

Answer: Dorian Gray

'The Picture of Dorian Gray' was first published in 1890 in Lippincott's Monthly Magazine, and subsequently revised and expanded into a novel which was published in 1891. It tells the tale of a hedonistic and degenerate man of whom a portrait was painted, who wishes one day that his portrait will bear the signs of age whilst he himself keeps his handsome looks. He is later astonished to find that his idle wish has turned into reality, a reality that starts to haunt him until he tries to destroy the painting, only to end up destroying himself.

'The Picture of Dorian Gray' has been filmed many times, the 1945 version starring Hurd Hatfield in the title role has the twist that whilst the film itself is shot in black-and-white, the portrait is shown in colour, both before and after Dorian's sinful life has taken its toll on it, which adds greatly to the dramatic effect.

Answer: Florence Balcombe

After graduating from Oxford, Oscar Wilde returned briefly to Ireland where he hoped to be reunited with Florence Balcombe, his first love, only to be jilted by the lovely Florence because she had become engaged to fellow Irish writer Bram Stoker (1847-1912). Florence Balcombe was one of the great beauties of the time. Wilde was saddened by her decision and left Dublin for London a month later, settling in Chelsea. Bram Stoker and Florence Balcombe, who married in 1878, had a long marriage, ending only with his death in 1912. Florence survived him by 25 years and never remarried.

Answer: Constance Lloyd

Oscar Wilde married Constance Lloyd in 1884 and she bore him two sons. Although separated following his relationship with Lord Alfred Douglas and subsequent imprisonment for what was at the time termed 'gross indecency', they never divorced. Constance Wilde, who had changed her surname and that of her boys to Holland after Wilde's imprisonment, died in 1898 after surgery following a fall; she was only 39.

Answer: a handbag

'The Important of Being Earnest' was Wilde's third play and his most popular, having been performed regularly since its first showing in London's St James's Theatre in 1895, starring George Alexander and Allan Aynesworth as John and Algernon Moncrieff. Rose Leclerq played the part of Lady Bracknell, a part which has been played over the years on stage and in film by many notable actresses. Who can forget Dame Edith Evans's memorable delivery of 'the handbag' line in the 1952 film version, and did you know she had also played the role on stage in 1938-39?

Answer: To improve is to change; to be perfect is to change often

Oscar Wilde was one of the wittiest men of his generation and was responsible for many of the world's most remembered and best-loved quotations. Other oft-quoted gems include 'Consistency is the last refuge of the unimaginative'; 'Illusion is the first of all pleasures'; and 'One can survive everything, nowadays, except death, and live down everything except a good reputation'. Pithy, succinct and insightful, and with more than a vestige of truth, many of his remarks still ring true today.

The quotation 'To improve is to change; to be perfect is to change often' was said by Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965).

Answer: boxing

Lord Queensberry was a keen sportsman and patron, and sponsored the modern rules of boxing, known as the 'Marquess of Queensberry Rules'. Oscar Wilde met Lord Queensberry's son, Lord Alfred Douglas, known to one and all as 'Bosie', at Oxford and the two became lovers, much to the anger of Bosie's father. Following several altercations with Lord Queensberry, in 1885 Wilde took him to court claiming libel as he had publicly accused Wilde of sodomy. The case fell apart when Wilde dropped the case on legal advice and Lord Queensberry was acquitted, whereupon Wilde was immediately himself arrested on charges of 'gross indecency', meaning homosexuality, in those days an illegal practice.

The case of Regina v Wilde, which scandalised Victorian England and achieved worldwide notoriety, found Wilde guilty of gross indecency. He was sentenced to two years' imprisonment with hard labour along with his co-defendant Alfred Taylor, who had introduced him to several young male prostitutes.

Answer: France

Oscar Wilde's health suffered badly during his incarceration. He had spent some time in the harsh Pentonville and Wandsworth Prisons in London before intervention from MP Richard Haldane led to his transferral to Reading Gaol to complete his sentence. Released after serving his time, he left England for France, where he spent some time with long-time friend and lover Robert Ross and wrote 'The Ballad of Reading Gaol', which brought him in a little much-needed money.

He was later reunited with Bosie; for a time they lived in Naples, Italy, but this was short-lived due to the disapproval of friends and family and the threat of both their families to withdraw their financial support.

Answer: cerebral meningitis

Despite having reworked and published 'An Ideal Husband' and 'The Importance of Being Earnest' since his release, Wilde later declared himself to have 'lost the joy of writing', and lived out his final days in his plain room in the Paris 'Hôtel d'Alsace', remarking 'My wallpaper and I are fighting a duel to the death. One of us has got to go'. It was there that he succumbed to cerebral meningitis, perhaps brought on as a result of an earlier injury to his eardrum. He died on 30 November 1900 aged 46. His friends Reggie Turner and Robbie Ross (who became the executor of his estate) were with him when he died.

Oscar Wilde had led a brilliant, flamboyant and sometimes controversial life; his last three years and his eventual death in a dingy hotel room in Paris were in sad and stark contrast to the luxurious lifestyle he had enjoyed in his heyday. He left a lasting legacy in his contributions to literature which are still popular today, as is his memory.