Playwright, The Importance of Being Earnest
Oscar Wilde was an Irish poet and playwright known for his satirical writing style and acerbic wit. Born in Dublin and educated at Trinity and Magdalen Colleges, Wilde lived most of his adult life in London, where he became a lecturer, magazine editor, and cultural critic, as well as the author of one novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray. In 1882, he toured North America for several months on a lecture circuit, widening his renown, and by the early 1890s his string of successful comedies, including The Importance of Being Earnest, An Ideal Husband, and Lady Windermere’s Fan, made him one of London’s most celebrated playwrights. Also famous for his flamboyant wardrobe and lifestyle, he sued an English nobleman in 1895 for libel, a suit that backfired when Wilde’s secret gay relationships were revealed and he was convicted of gross indecency. The trial bankrupted him, and he was imprisoned at hard labor from 1895 to 1897, an experience that severely damaged his health. After prison he left London, living in poverty in Paris until his death from meningitis in 1900.