The Zenith and the Nadir of the Wilde Brand

Oscar Wilde demonstrated great dexterity in managing these conflicting needs for change and predictability. The harsh reviews in turn led Wilde to make a spirited defense of his work. Patterns of changes in his public persona were integral to Wilde&s;s efforts to establish him. For most of his adult life, his branding had been successful because of his unique approach to self-promotion. Wilde&s;s conviction and imprisonment proved to be a personal, financial, and public disaster. It brought about the dissolution of his marriage. It provoked theater managers to cancel his plays, booksellers to drop his published works, and, through the malevolence of the Marquis of Queensberry, it led creditors to force him into bankruptcy. Recovery from this devastating loss was slow and painful. The two years that he spent in prison produced for Wilde experiences unlike any he had previously encountered, and by his own testimony, they left enduring psychological scars.