Allusions in The Picture of Dorian
Gray
By Mariana Malky
What is an allusion?
• An allusion is a direct reference to persons,
places, & things from history, myths, &
legends
• It helps to reveal more about the characters &
the actions that take place in the novel
• Dorian: this term refers to
people of ancient Greece,
thought to have originated
in a region known as Doris,
who developed Doric style
of architecture
• Grace was his, & the white
purity of boyhood, &
beauty such as the old
Greek marbles kept for us
• Imogen: Protagonist of
Shakespeare's Cymbeline.
She defies her father,
Cymbeline, & marries the
man she chooses
• Adonis: An exceptionally
handsome young man
favored by the goddess of
love, Aphrodite
• Shakespeare's Venus and
Adonis tells the story
• Dante Aleghieri: Author of
the great epic poem The
Divine Comedy.
• Acquaintances of Dorian
Gray think that he seemed
to be of the company of
those whom Dante
describes as having sought
to make themselves perfect
by the worship of beauty
• Miranda: Beautiful
young daughter of
Prospero, the
protagonist of
Shakespeare's play The
Tempest
• Franz Schubert:
Austrian composer of
symphonic & piano
works
• Robert Schumann: German
romantic composer of
symphonies & piano works
• Narcissus: A young man of
extraordinary good looks.
• One day, while gazing into a pool
of water, he fell in love with his
reflected image. He was so in
love with what he saw that he
was unable to turn his gaze
away. Consequently, he wasted
away as he stared at the image
The End 