One evening, Lord Henry received a visit from Dorian. The young man's eyes were bright with excitement. 'Harry, I have discovered something wonderful,' said Dorian. 'I am in love.' Lord Henry raised an eyebrow with interest. 'Who is the lucky woman?' 'Her name is Sibyl Vane. She is an actress.' 'An actress?' Lord Henry smiled. 'How romantic.' Dorian sat down and began to tell his story. 'I was walking through a poor part of London one night.' 'I passed a small, ugly theater with bright lights.' 'A man at the door invited me inside.' 'They were performing Romeo and Juliet.' 'The theater was dirty and the audience was rough.' 'But then Juliet came on stage.' Dorian's voice became soft with memory. 'Harry, she was the loveliest thing I have ever seen.' 'She had dark brown hair and eyes like violets.' 'Her lips were like rose petals.' 'And her voice was pure music.' 'She made everyone else on that stage disappear.' Lord Henry listened with amusement. 'And what did you do after the play?' 'I went backstage to meet her.' 'The manager thought I was mad, but he let me in.' 'When I saw her up close, I fell to my knees.' 'I told her she was the greatest artist I had ever seen.' 'She looked at me with wonder in her eyes.' 'She is only seventeen, Harry.' 'She knows nothing about life.' 'She lives with her mother in a small room near the theater.' 'They are very poor.' 'How touching,' said Lord Henry dryly. 'Have you seen her since that first night?' 'Every night for the past three weeks.' 'I have watched her play Juliet, Rosalind, Imogen.' 'She becomes a different person in each role.' 'When she dies as Juliet, I weep every time.' 'She does not know who I really am.' 'I have told her my name is Prince Charming.' Lord Henry burst out laughing. 'Prince Charming! How delightfully absurd.' 'She called me that first,' said Dorian defensively. 'She said I looked like a prince from a fairy tale.' 'And does this wonderful actress love you back?' 'Yes! She loves me completely.' 'We are going to be married, Harry.' Lord Henry's smile faded slightly. 'Married? That is rather serious.' 'I thought you wanted to live, to experience everything.' 'This is living,' said Dorian passionately. 'I have never felt so alive.' 'You must come and see her perform tomorrow night.' 'Then you will understand.' 'I shall be happy to come,' said Lord Henry. 'But I warn you, Dorian. Marriage is not an experience.' 'Marriage is the end of experience.' Dorian shook his head with a smile. 'You do not understand, Harry.' 'Sibyl is different from other women.' 'She is not just a woman. She is all women.' 'When she is Juliet, she is Juliet.' 'When she is Rosalind, she is Rosalind.' 'I am not in love with one woman, but with a hundred.' Lord Henry poured himself a glass of wine. 'When are you going to tell Basil about this?' 'I have written to him. He will come tomorrow as well.' 'Then we shall all see this wonder together.' Dorian stood up to leave, his heart full of joy. He did not see the doubt in Lord Henry's eyes.
B1Chapter 4 / 20539 words70 sentences
Chapter 4: Sibyl Vane
Chapter 4 · 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 falls madly in love with Sibyl Vane, a young actress who performs Shakespeare at a small theater. He tells Lord Henry about her.
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Comprehension Questions
4 questions
1
How did Dorian first discover Sibyl Vane?
2
What nickname does Sibyl use for Dorian?
3
What is Lord Henry's opinion about Dorian's plan to marry Sibyl?
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