Two years, two cruel years spent in hard labor, solitary confinement, constant public humiliation, separation from his lover, wife, and children, and poor mental and physical health – once the star of Victorian society, the author of The Picture of Dorian Gray, Oscar Wilde was now reduced to an absolute wreck. He had neither writing material, nor sufficient books – only two a week, and he perused them over and over again until the words lost all form and meaning. He died a few years after his release, suffering meningitis. His last words? Everlastingly iconic – “My wallpaper and I are fighting a duel to the death. Either it goes or I do.”

But how? But why? What reduced Wilde, the man whose every sentence penned was woven with wit and elegance, to this state? What horrendous crime, what terrible sin had he committed to be the receiver of such a harsh punishment?

The answer? Oscar Wilde was gay.

Born on the 16th of October, 1854, in Dublin, Ireland, as Oscar Fingal O’Flahertie Wills Wilde, he first studied Classics at Trinity College, Dublin, and then at Magdalen College, Oxford, where he spent his time in ‘extravagance, trivial talk, utter vacancy of employment.’ He then moved to London and published his first works – a collection of his poems, and a play, “Vera, or, The Nihilists”. He then went gallivanting through the States and Canada, his flamboyant style and aesthetic gaining him both admirers and critics – and Wilde, being wild, basked in this attention.

In 1890, he published his most famous work – The Picture of Dorian Gray, and in informal terms, it blew up. His writing was flamboyant and extravagant, like a peacock; forged with sarcasm, flair, charm, and pure wit. Wilde thrived in his newfound fame. And in the summer of 1891, he met Lord Alfred Douglas, whom he called ‘Bosie’ – a much younger man who would be his lover, his muse, and ultimately, his downfall.

In 1897, after being released from prison, Wilde quoted, ‘How can you keep on asking is Lord Alfred Douglas in Naples? You know quite well he is — we are together. He understands me and my art, and loves both. I hope never to be separated from him. He is a most delicate and exquisite poet, besides — far the finest of all the young poets in England. You have got to publish his next volume; it is full of lovely lyrics, flute-music and moon-music, and sonnets in ivory and gold. He is witty, graceful, lovely to look at, lovable to be with. He has also ruined my life, so I can’t help loving him — it is the only thing to do.’ And indeed, it was Bosie’s reckless behavior and Wilde’s infatuation that led the two to ruin.

Douglas was known for his “infantile complex”, which he fully embraced – he had a fiery temper, threw tantrums, flattered, he was vain and easily hurt, he begged to be loved and appreciated as much as he loved himself. He was positively obsessed with Wilde, studying at Magdalen College himself when The Picture of Dorian Gray was published and reading it 15 times. Wilde spent massive amounts of money to please him, often at the expense of his own family, whom he began to neglect. At the same time, Douglas’s father, the Marquess of Queenbury, was furious. He did not merely disapprove of the relationship, he was not merely a homophobe – he hounded Wilde across London when Wilde refused to stop seeing his son. He threatened restaurant and hotel managers with beatings if he ever discovered Wilde and his son together on their premises. He attempted to throw a bouquet of rotting vegetables at Wilde. And finally, he sent a note – the opening to the final act of the tragedy that is Oscar Wilde.

The note was penned in a terrible cursive, roughly interpreted as accusing Wilde of being a sodomite. Wilde, having had enough, then sued the Marquess for libel. At first, the trial seemed to be going in Wilde’s favor – he would quip witty remarks and was ever so charming. However, during the trial, evidence of Wilde’s homosexuality was unearthed. During the Victorian era, when all of this was taking place, male homosexuality was a crime, a scandal, a sin. And thus – Wilde was sentenced to two years of harsh labor.

Wilde lived a life of flamboyance, intellectual brilliance, silk-wrapped scandals, and ultimately, great misfortune. He is a reminder of society’s flaws, how an individual could be celebrated one moment and reduced to being mocked the next, how not even brilliance and beauty can shield a person from cruelty. And despite it all – Wilde’s works are still some of the most dazzling, gorgeously crafted in the world, embodying wit, and Wilde himself. Even today, we read his books, perform his plays, and are inspired by his courage to live our own lives, live the way we wish. But how many Wilde’s are there in the world, who are not as fortunate, who have been erased by history?

We are all in the gutter, yet some of us look at the stars…