Oscar Fingal O’Flahertie Wills Wilde (1854-1900) was an Irish playwright, novelist, poet, and author of short stories. Known for his barbed wit, he was one of the most successful playwrights of late Victorian London, and one of the greatest celebrities of his day. Wilde made his reputation in the theatre world with a series of highly popular plays. Lady Windermere’s Fan (1893) like many of Wilde’s comedies is a biting satire on the morals of Victorian society, particularly marriage. A Woman of No Importance (1893) is a testimony of Wilde’s wit and his brand of dark comedy. An Ideal Husband (1895) revolves around blackmail and political corruption, and touches on the themes of public and private honour. The Importance of Being Earnest (1895) is one of his best loved plays, a comedy of manners. The Picture of Dorian Gray (1890) is his only published novel. Other works include: The Canterville Ghost (1887), The Happy Prince and Other Stories (1888), Lord Arthur Savile’s Crime and Other Stories (1891), A House of Pomegranates (1891), The Ballad of Reading Gaol (1898) and De Profundis (1905).