Curated set · answers marked
At the end of the novel, what happens when Dorian Gray stabs the portrait?
Rationale
When Dorian stabs the portrait in a frantic effort to erase the evidence of his sins, he ultimately ends up killing himself. His servants discover him dead on the floor — aged, withered, and unrecognizable — while the portrait is restored to its original image of youthful beauty, illustrating the true cost of his Faustian bargain.
At the end of the novel, what happens when Dorian Gray stabs the portrait?
Rationale
When Dorian tries to destroy the portrait—the physical embodiment of his moral decay—he ultimately destroys himself. Servants discover him dead on the floor, grotesque and aged, while the portrait reveals the handsome, innocent young man he once was. This outcome highlights Wilde's central theme that one cannot evade the repercussions of a corrupted soul.
At the end of the novel, what happens when Dorian Gray stabs the portrait?
Rationale
When Dorian stabs the portrait in a frantic effort to erase the evidence of his moral decay, he ultimately seals his own fate. His servants find a lifeless, aged man on the floor who is unrecognizable — identified only by his rings — while the portrait reverts to its original, youthful form.