The Importance of Being Earnest e De Profundis: il testamento letterario di Oscar Wilde

The aim of this dissertation is to analyse the life and works of Oscar Wilde, with particular emphasis on his last years. This work is the result of the analysis of his last play, The Importance of Being Earnest, and of his everlasting love letter to Lord Alfred Douglas, which was written during Wilde's imprisonment and was published posthumously with the title De Profundis. This study is divided in three chapters. The focus in the first sections is on the biographical profile of the author, on his interpersonal relationships, as well as on the voyages he took during his formation years. The focus on the year 1895, defined as a milestone for his career, is underlined by the first representation of the play The Importance of Being Earnest and by the trials which took place during this period. The second chapter is dedicated to the analysis of the play, which has been perceived as a valuable art piece and a meaningful representation of the life of Oscar Wilde. The analysis deals with the writing sessions and with the first public performance. The final section focuses on the 1895 trials, on a brief excursus of the love story between Wilde and Douglas and the poetry of Bosie and, in the end, on the analysis of De Profundis.

L'elaborato che segue ha lo scopo di analizzare la vita e le opere di Oscar Wilde, focalizzandosi sugli ultimi anni della sua esistenza per mezzo dell'ultima commedia teatrale da lui scritta, The Importance of Being Earnest, e la lettera d'amore redatta in carcere per Lord Alfred Douglas, pubblicata postuma con il titolo De Profundis. La tesi, articolata in tre distinti capitoli, si concentra inizialmente sulla biografia dell'autore, con particolare attenzione alle relazioni interpersonali, ai viaggi compiuti durante la formazione e al 1895, anno decisivo vista per la prima rappresentazione di The Importance of Being Earnest e i processi che condussero Wilde in carcere. Il secondo capitolo affronta l'analisi della commedia, sul fronte artistico e in relazione alle vicissitudini dell'autore durante la stesura e la prima rappresentazione. Il capitolo conclusivo prevede un'ulteriore analisi dei processi del 1895, una breve descrizione della storia d'amore fra Wilde e Douglas con un accenno all'abilità poetica del giovane Bosie e, infine, l'analisi dell'opera De Profundis.