The picture of dorian grey

The Picture of Dorian Gray
Opposites:
beauty ugliness
evil good
loved hated
ugly beautiful

BEFORE READING ACTIVITIES (PAGE 60)
ACTIVITY 1 BEFORE READING

1N 2Y 3N 4Y 5N 6N

dangerous safe
good-looking ugly
terrible wonderful
young old

ACTIVITIES ANSWERS

Before Reading

STAGE 3

CHAPTERS 12 AND 13 WHILE READING

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2
3
4
5
6
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8
9

Where . . .? To Paris.
What. . .? Terrible stories.
Where . . .? To the locked room.
How . . .? He felt sick. / He gave a cry of horror.
Why . . .? Because Basil knew his secret.
How . . .? Dorian dug a knife into his neck.
How . . .? He hated and was afraid of him.
What . . .? To destroy the dead body.
Why . . .? Because Dorian had written a letter to
someone and Alan didn’t want him to send it. (The
letterprobably had something bad and secret about
Alan in it.)
10 What . . .? One of the hands was red with blood.

ACTIVITY 2 BEFORE READING

Encourage students to speculate and to make
guesses but do not tell them the answers. They will
find out as they read that the ‘yes’ answers are 1, 2,
4 and 8.

While Reading
CHAPTERS 1 AND 2 WHILE READING

1 Because he had put too much of himself in it.2 Because he thought it was dangerous.
4 Because he was afraid that Lord Henry would take
Dorian away from him. / Because Dorian was young
and he was afraid that Lord Henry would change him.

BEFORE READING CHAPTERS 14 AND 15

Encourage students to speculate and to make
guesses but do not tell them the answers. The ‘yes’
answers are 1 and 2.

CHAPTERS 3 TO 5 WHILE READING

1 BasilHallward to Lord Henry

CHAPTERS 16 AND 17 WHILE READING

1 He refused to destroy a young country girl.
2 Because he was frightened of death.
3 Lord Henry looked like an old man but Dorian still
looked young.
4 A face without a heart.
5 Because he hated his own beauty.
6 He hoped that the picture had begun to look better.
7 Because he wanted to kill the past and be free.
8 By the ringson his fingers.

4 Lord Henry to Basil Hallward

CHAPTERS 6 TO 8 WHILE READING

T
F
F
F
F
T

Sybil Vane’s family was poor.
James Vane worried about his sister and Dorian.
Lord Henry thought that Sybil was a bad actress.
Dorian loved Sybil for her art.

After Reading

BEFORE READING CHAPTERS 9 AND 10

ACTIVITY 1 AFTER READING

Encourage students to guess. The best answer is4, but do not tell them yet. Let them check their
guesses as they read the chapter.

Possible answers:
J AM ES V AN E : What really happened to Sybil, mother?
M R S V AN E : I told you in my letter. She killed herself.
J AM ES V AN E : But why did she kill herself? It was
because of that man, wasn’t it?
M R S V AN E : Yes, I’m afraid you’re right.
J AM ES V AN E : But when did thishappen?
M R S V AN E : On the day that you left England.
J AM ES V AN E : So soon! What did he do to her? Do you
know?
M R S V AN E : Yes, I do. She left me a note. He told her
that he didn’t want to see her again.

CHAPTER 11 WHILE READING

beauty of his face.
Strange stories were told about his secret, dangerous
life. But people did not believe the evil stories because
Dorian’s face wasyoung and good-looking. The
portrait was the only thing that showed the real
Dorian. It became more and more ugly and terrible,
and Dorian grew more and more afraid of it, but he
loved it too.

OXFORD BOOKWORMS LIBRARY STAGE 3

59

THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY

© Oxford University Press

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Open answers. Here are some possible sentences:
1 I feel sorry for Sybil Vanebecause Dorian Gray
didn’t love her.
2 I think Alan Campbell was wrong to destroy the
body for Dorian.
3 I think Dorian did a very bad thing when he killed
Basil Hallward.
4 I think Basil Hallward did a very stupid thing when
he introduced Dorian to Lord Henry.
5 I think Lord Henry was nastier than Dorian Gray
because he was older and he taught Dorian to be
cruel.

ACTIVITY 2 AFTER...