The Mind Creative March 2014
While Wilde was being established as one of the most successful
playwright ever, Bosie’s father, the eccentric Earl of Queensberry
having being very resentful of Bosie’s relationship decided to take
action. Reportedly, in 1895, a few days after the launch of Wilde’s
most acclaimed play “The Importance of Being Earnest”, the Earl
walked into The Albermerle club and in the absence of Wilde, left
a written message with the concierge addressed to “Oscar Wilde:
Posing Sodomite...”; with an obvious spelling error in the insult. At
the behest of Lord Douglas, Wilde sued the Earl for libel. It was a
mistake that Wilde would rue till the end of his days.
The trial began in March and the
lawyers for the Earl were able to
present evidence that included
“homoerotic passages” from his
works, letters to Lord Douglas
and verifications from “rent boys”
who were able to describe Wilde’s
sexual encounters in the open
court. Oscar Wilde was convicted
on May 25, 1985 and sentenced
to two years in prison.
While the conviction broke the
very spirit of this literary giant,
his wife, Constance fled the
country with her children. The
sadness that engulfed Wilde’s
soul can best be summarized by
his own writing: “On November
Oscar Wilde with his family
13th, 1895, I was brought down
here from London. From two
o’clock till half-past two on that day I had to stand on the center
platform of Clapham Junction in convict dress, and handcuffed, for
the world to look at. I had been taken out of the hospital ward
without a moment’s notice being given to me. When people saw
me they laughed. Each train as it came up swelled the audience.
Nothing could exceed their amusement. That was, of course, before
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