Original artwork, not a still
The Picture of Dorian Gray · 1890
When a woman marries again it is because she detested her first husband. When a man marries again it is because he adored his first wife. Women try their luck; men risk theirs.
Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
It is Lord Henry's whole method in miniature: a shocking turn of phrase that sounds like cynicism and works as a compliment to the lady he is addressing. Wilde gave his characters epigrams that invert a proverb, and this one, with its gamble ending, is still passed around in wedding speeches and quote lists.
Context reviewed
In context
Spoilers for The Picture of Dorian GrayShow the scene
In Chapter XV of The Picture of Dorian Gray (1891 book edition), Dorian and Lord Henry Wotton dine at the house of the widowed Lady Narborough. The talk turns to Madame de Ferrol, a woman with four husbands, and Lady Narborough jokes that she may have to marry again to be in fashion. Lord Henry cuts in to tell her she never will, because she was far too happy with her husband, and delivers this epigram. She protests that Narborough was not perfect, and Lord Henry answers that women love men for their defects.
Sources (1)
- Project Gutenberg: The Picture of Dorian Gray (ebook 174)Chapter XV, dinner at Lady Narborough'sReference checked
Context reviewed
