The Picture of Dorian Gray
Structure and Plot
In this video, you will hear a clear explanation of the structure and plot in The Picture of Dorian Gray. The story is told in three parts: the beginning, the middle and the end, so you can follow the plot step-by-step. This will help you understand what happens to Dorian, his portrait and the people around him. The video also helps you practice English listening skills with simple, slow speech. You can also use this video to model your own English oral text.
Please watch the video first and then use the vocabulary list below. Watch the video again and then use the mind maps to study or review the analysis.
In this video, you will hear a clear explanation of the structure and plot in The Picture of Dorian Gray. The story is told in three parts: the beginning, the middle and the end, so you can follow the plot step-by-step. This will help you understand what happens to Dorian, his portrait and the people around him. The video also helps you practice English listening skills with simple, slow speech. You can also use this video to model your own English oral text.
Please watch the video first and then use the vocabulary list below. Watch the video again and then use the mind maps to study or review the analysis.
Mind Maps for Studying
The Picture of Dorian Gray
1) Simplified Mind Map of the Structure and Plot
For B1 and B2 learners, this simplified map focuses on the essential "Symmetry vs. Plot" relationship, making the complex narrative easier to navigate.
2) Detailed Mind Map of the Structure
Explore the technical evolution of the text, including the addition of the Preface and the development of the symmetrical structure.
3) Detailed Mind Map of the Plot
Follow the specific plot milestones: from Basil's studio to the locked room.
4) Comprehensive Concept Map
Use this comprehensive map to see how the novel's symmetrical structure aligns with key narrative milestones, from the portrait's creation to the final resolution in the locked room.
5) Blank Mind Map
Screenshot or copy/print this blank template to practise active recall. Can you fill in the structural gaps and connect the plot points yourself? Can you expand the mind map? A perfect exercise for exam preparation.
Word List for Talking About the Plot of
The Picture of Dorian Gray
The following word list was made with our Interactive Word List. Feel free to fill it out with other words, definitions and useful expressions.
INTERACTIVE WORD LIST |
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Words |
Meanings |
Translations |
| Expansion | The action of becoming larger or extensive | |
| Censorship | The suppression of speech or public communication | |
| Tone down | To make something less intense | |
| Temp shift | A change or jump in the passage of time | |
| Faustian bargain | A deal with one trait morals for success/power | |
| Hedonistic | Engaged in the pursuit of pleasure above all else | |
| Conceal | To keep from sight, to hide | |
| Restoration | The action of returning something to its former condition | |
Useful Expressions |
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Divided into: the novel is divided into two symmetrical sections; the book is divided into three main chapters.
Represents the idea of: the locked room represents the idea of a hidden guilty conscience; a white flag represents the idea of surrender. A chain of cause and effect: you have to see the plot as a chain of cause and effect; climate change is a chain of cause an effect. Descends into: over 18 years, Dorian descends into moral corruption; the conversation quickly descended into an argument. Unable to bear: unable to bear the portrait's hideous reality, Dorian stabs the canvas; she was unable to bear the heat so she went inside. |
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Grammar | ||
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The passive voice:
Formation: [Subject/Object] + [be] + [Past participle] Example: the novel is divided into two symmetrical sections (structural focus); the subtext was toned down due to censorship (historical focus). |
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Resources
Ellmann, Richard. "Oscar Wilde". Hamish Hamilton, 1987.
Frankel, Nicholas, editor. "The Picture of Dorian Gray: An Annotated, Uncensored Edition". Harvard UP, 2011.
Gagnier, Regenia. "The Picture of Dorian Gray." "The Cambridge Companion to Oscar Wilde", edited by Peter Raby, Cambridge UP, 1997, pp. 149–67.
Literature No Trouble: "The Picture of Dorian Gray: Analysis*". 9 Oct. 2024, www.literature-no-trouble.com/the-picture-of-dorian-gray-the-novel/. Accessed 17 Mar. 2026.
Norton Critical Edition Editors. "The Picture of Dorian Gray: Authoritative Texts, Backgrounds, Reviews and Reactions, Criticism". 3rd ed., W. W. Norton, 2020.
"The Picture of Dorian Gray". Penguin Readers Level 3, Penguin, 2020.
Raby, Peter, editor. "The Cambridge Companion to Oscar Wilde". Cambridge UP, 1997.
"The Picture of Dorian Gray." "Oxford World's Classics: Study Resources", Oxford University Press, www.oxfordworldsclassics.com. Accessed 17 Mar. 2026.
"The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde." BBC Bitesize: GCSE English Literature, BBC, www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/z3s7tyc/revision/1. Accessed 17 Mar. 2026.
Tearle, Oliver. "A Summary and Analysis of Oscar Wilde's "The Picture of Dorian Gray". Interesting Literature, 8 Apr. 2021, interestingliterature.com/2021/02/oscar-wilde-picture-of-dorian-gray-summary-analysis/. Accessed 17 Mar. 2026.
Wilde, Oscar. "The Picture of Dorian Gray". 1891. Edited by Joseph Bristow, Oxford World's Classics, Oxford UP, 2006.