For Love of the King: A Burmese Masque (eBook)

Oscar Wilde (1854–1900), an Irish playwright, novelist, essayist, and poet, remains an enduring literary figure, known for his sharp wit, flamboyant style, and infamously dramatic life. Educated at Trinity College, Dublin, and Magdalen College, Oxford, Wilde became a proponent of the aesthetic movement, advocating for art's intrinsic value apart from moral or social messages. He produced a wide range of work, including the novel 'The Picture of Dorian Gray' and plays such as 'The Importance of Being Earnest' and 'An Ideal Husband'. His contributions extended to fairy tales and short stories, exemplified in his lesser-known work, 'For Love of the King: A Burmese Masque', a play displaying his interest in exploring love and sacrifice within the constraints of duty and honor. Wilde's literary style combined elements of Romanticism, Neo-Classicism, and Decadence, often reflecting his personal paradoxes and societal critiques. Despite his eventual imprisonment for 'gross indecency' due to the societal norms of his time, Wilde's legacy as a master of wit, eloquence, and a critic of Victorian prudery endures. His works continue to be celebrated for their literary brilliance and their author's complex humanity.