De Profundis Readings

Readings from Oscar Wilde's 'De Profundis'

Whilst in Reading gaol Oscar wrote a painstakingly long letter to Lord Alfred Douglas.  In fact it resembles a book both in terms of its length and the unsurpassed beauty of its prose.  In it he poured out his guilt and sorrow, and naturally not a little self-pity, together with a mixture of love and fierce incrimination in Douglas's direction.  The main theme of the letter is bitter regret that he didn't break with Bosie on the occasions he had the chance.  Oscar tries in the letter to make Douglas face up to the seriously flawed aspects of his character, recounting various painful episodes where Douglas was at his worst.  Ultimately it is a redemptive work for Wilde, celebrating the things in life worth feeling - failure, love, injustice, strength, forgiveness, and Nature.

On his release Wilde gave Robbie Ross specific instructions on making copies of the letter and sending one to Douglas, but Douglas always denied having received it.  The letter then began a long history of its own, becoming cited in a court case, locked away in the British Library for fifty years, partially published and finally published in full in 1963.

Click on the carnation to hear each reading:

                                        First Extract              Second Extract             Third Extract             Fourth Extract             Fifth Extract

The full text of De Profundis can be read here.