THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY
Reading and comprehension test
Part 1: Reading Check
A. Indicate whether each statement is True (T) or False (F). If false, correct the
statement in full sentences.
1) Basil Hallward is the first person to introduce Dorian to Lord Henry.
2) Sibyl Vane falls in love with Dorian after meeting him at a society ball.
3) Dorian hides the portrait in the attic because he’s afraid someone might steal it.
4) The portrait becomes more beautiful as Dorian gains more social prestige.
5) Lord Henry believes that pleasure is more important than morality.
6) Dorian stabs the portrait in an attempt to destroy the evidence of his sins.
7) Alan Campbell willingly helps Dorian dispose of Basil’s body.
8) James Vane attempts to murder Dorian Gray after discovering Dorian's true identity and
realizing he is responsible for his sister's death.
9) Dorian Gray becomes addicted to opium as a means of escaping the guilt and moral decay
caused by his hedonistic lifestyle.
10) At the end of the novel, the portrait looks old and hideous, and Dorian looks young
and beautiful in death.
B. Choose the best answer (A, B, C, or D).
1. What is the primary function of the portrait in the novel?
A) To remind Dorian of his youth
B) To symbolize the passage of time
C) To reflect Dorian’s inner corruption
D) To act as a painting lesson from Basil
2. Lord Henry’s worldview can best be described as:
A) Cynical and hedonistic
B) Strictly religious
C) Socialist and radical
D) Romantic and idealistic
3. Dorian's wish to remain young forever is granted:
A) Through a scientific experiment
B) Through a supernatural change linked to the portrait
C) By a deal with Lord Henry
D) After Basil dies
4. What drives Dorian to kill Basil?
A) Jealousy of Basil's relationship with Lord Henry
B) Basil’s threat to expose Dorian to the public
C) Guilt and fear after Basil confronts him about the portrait
D) A hallucination induced by opium
5. Sibyl Vane’s poor performance occurs because:
A) She is sick
B) She wants to sabotage her career
C) Her love for Dorian makes acting seem false
D) She is distracted by James leaving for Australia
7. Why does James Vane not kill Dorian the first time they meet?
A) Dorian convinces him that he’s not responsible
B) Dorian's appearance convinces him he is too young
C) James is arrested before he can act
D) Sibyl's mother confesses the truth
8. Which item does Lord Henry give to Dorian that has a lasting influence?
A) A black velvet cloak
B) A copy of The Picture of Dorian Gray
C) A mysterious yellow book
D) A silver ring
9. What does Dorian tell himself when he decides not to seduce the village girl?
A) That he is no longer capable of love
B) That he is changing and becoming good
C) That she reminds him of Sibyl Vane
D) That Lord Henry would disapprove
6. What ultimately causes Dorian’s death?
A) Poison
B) Suicide by gunshot
C) A duel with James Vane
D) Stabbing the portrait
10. What moral lesson does Wilde seem to present in the novel’s ending?
A) Beauty is eternal
B) Morality is a construct of the upper class
C) Self-indulgence has no consequences
D) A life without conscience leads to destruction
Part 2: Comprehension Questions
1. In what ways does Lord Henry influence Dorian Gray, and how does that influence evolve
throughout the novel?
2. The portrait can be seen as a symbol of Dorian’s conscience. How does Wilde use this symbol
to explore the theme of duality?
3. Do you think Dorian is a victim of influence or responsible for his own downfall? Justify your
answer with examples from the novel.
Part 3: Interpretation Questions
Quote 1: “Behind every exquisite thing that existed, there was something tragic.” CHAPTER 3
P.29 LINE 3
4. What does this idea connect to Dorian’s external beauty and internal corruption? What does it
suggest about the relationship between appearance and true identity?
Quote 2: “Every portrait that is painted with feeling is a portrait of the artist, not of the sitter.”
CHAPTER 1 P.6 LINE 8-9
5. How does this idea apply to Basil’s relationship with Dorian and the symbolic function of the
portrait? In what way does the quote blur the lines between the artist’s identity and the
subject’s?
Quote 3: “You will always be fond of me. I represent to you all the sins you never had the
courage to commit.” CHPT 6 P.62 LINE3-4
6. What does this reveal about how Lord Henry sees his own identity in relation to others? How
does this shape Dorian’s self-perception and moral choices?
Part 4: Personal Questions
7. How do you think a person’s identity is shaped by the people around them? Do you believe
that, like Dorian Gray, we can be influenced by others to the point of changing who we are?
8. Do you think a person’s identity is fixed, or does it change over time due to experiences and
relationships, like how Dorian’s identity evolves throughout the novel?
