And so ends the story of Dorian Gray. A young man blessed with extraordinary beauty. Who traded his soul for eternal youth. And lost everything in the process. What lessons can we learn from his tragedy? Perhaps that beauty without virtue is nothing. Perhaps that influence can corrupt as well as inspire. Perhaps that some wishes should never come true. Lord Henry planted the seeds of destruction. He told Dorian that youth and beauty were everything. That pleasure was the only goal worth pursuing. That morality was for boring people. Dorian believed him completely. And built his life on those poisoned foundations. Basil Hallward tried to save him. He saw the goodness in Dorian's young face. He painted beauty and innocence. But he could not paint Dorian a conscience. The portrait showed everything Dorian hid. Every sin, every lie, every cruelty. It was a mirror of his soul. And in the end, it destroyed him. Sibyl Vane loved purely and completely. Her love was real, not pretend. And that is why she could no longer act. Real love made false love impossible. Dorian punished her for loving him too well. He wanted art, not truth. Performance, not genuine emotion. This was his first great cruelty. But not his last. The years that followed were filled with darkness. Dorian corrupted everyone he touched. He left a trail of ruined lives behind him. And all the while, his face stayed young. His smile stayed innocent. Only the portrait knew the truth. Locked away in that dusty room. Growing more horrible year by year. Recording every evil deed. In the end, Dorian tried to destroy his past. He stabbed the portrait with a knife. The same knife that had killed Basil. But you cannot destroy your soul. You cannot escape your conscience. When he attacked the portrait, he attacked himself. The magic broke. The portrait became beautiful again. And Dorian became what he truly was. An old, wicked, withered thing. This is the picture of Dorian Gray. Not the beautiful painting on the wall. But the ugly truth beneath the surface. The portrait showed what beauty costs. What pleasure takes from the soul. What we become when we live without conscience. We all have portraits of ourselves. Hidden away where no one sees. They show our true faces. Our real selves, without masks. What do our portraits look like? Are they beautiful or hideous? Only we know the answer. And perhaps that is the true horror. Not what others see. But what we know about ourselves. In the locked rooms of our hearts. Where our own portraits hang. Watching. Waiting. Recording everything. The end.
B1Chapter 20 / 20441 words70 sentences
Chapter 20: The End
Chapter 20 · The Picture of Dorian Gray · B1 English. Tip: Click on any word while reading to see its translation. Take your time with each chapter and review the vocabulary before moving on.
Chapter Summary
Dorian decides to destroy the portrait with the same knife he used to kill Basil. When servants break down the door, they find a horrible old man dead on the floor. The portrait is beautiful again.
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Comprehension Questions
4 questions
1
According to the chapter, what philosophy did Lord Henry teach Dorian?
2
What did the portrait represent according to this final chapter?
3
What happened when Dorian attacked the portrait with a knife?
4