Portrait of Dorian Gray

The novel is set in London of the nineteenth century. Talk of Dorian Gray, a young man of extraordinary beauty, purity, simplicity, capable of transmitting unique feelings to those around him. The story begins in the studio of painter Basil Hallward, a man endowed with special sensitivity and test strong feelings for this guy, which is running the portrait. Along with him is Lord Henry Wotton, cynical and mentor with particular elegance.
Lord Henry will have a decision role in the life of Dorian,who know their Hallaward in fact, with his speeches very articulate, capture the attention of yhis guy,making him, little by little, almost the embodiment of his way of thinking.
Dorian in fact, after a long conversation with Lord Wotton, begins to look to youth as something really important, so try to be the envy of his portrait, beautiful and eternally young. This led him to conclude a "pact with the devil", by which remain eternally young and beautiful, while the picture will show signs of physical decline and moral character.
Will never reveal to anyone the existence of the painting, only to Hallward, then kill in a moment of madness fueled by criticism of the painter. Every so often, however, goes secretly in the attic to check and taunt his portrait that ages more and more every day, but that also creates many regrets and fears. Until, at the end of the novel, tired of the weight that the picture makes him feel, hoping to free himself from the wicked life he was leading, with a knife pierces the framework, the same with whom he had killed Hallward, considering it because of its evils as creator of the work.
His servants will find next to the pristine picture, an unrecognizable and prematurely withered Dorian Gray, who died at the foot of the painting with a knife stuck in his heart.