"The Picture of Dorian Gray" (by Oscar Wilde) - brief plot outline - character analysis - critical evaluation

The Picture of Dorian Gray
(Oscar Wilde)
Plot Outline
The story is about a handsome and eloquent young man named Dorian Gray. He has a special friendship with the painter Basil Hallward, who, inspired by his extraordinary beauty, makes a portrait of him.
Basil, extremely fond of Dorian, does not want him to get in contact with his friend, Lord Henry Wotton, a sinister aristocrat, who has a certain influence to other people. His cynical outlook on life, his "mental poison" should not come into Dorian's mind. But Against Basil's wishes, the two meet, and Dorian is immediately taken by L…