Summary

The Picture of Dorian Gray begins in Basil Hallward's studio with Lord Henry, Basil's friend, and Basil himself. Basil is finishing his newest portrait, which, according to Lord Henry, is Basil's best creation and should be viewed by everyone. Basil rejects this and is determine to keep the subject and painting a secret from the world. The portrait is of a perfect, innocent, young boy named Dorian Gray. Due to Dorian's innocence, Basil refuses to let Lord Henry meet him for fear of corrupting Dorian's view of the world. However, Dorian visits, and Basil is unable to shield Dorian from falling under Lord Henry's influence. Lord Henry begins to treat Dorian like an experiment, and implants the idea of hedonism into Dorian's view of the world. Due to this perspective, Dorian trades his soul to stay forever young like the portrait of himself that Basil gifted him. This deal causes the portrait to become a doppelgänger of Dorian that ages with his corrupting soul, while the real Dorian stays young and beautiful to the rest of the world. 

While searching for pleasures in life, Dorian comes across a young and talented actress, Sybil Vane, that he instantly falls in love with. Soon after meeting Sybil, they become engaged, causing Sybil to no longer be able to act due to her new found knowledge of true love. Dorian is in disgust over Sybil's performance and that he ends the relationship. Later, Dorian notices his portrait has begun to morph with his cruelty, but Dorian himself has yet to change. Just as Dorian decides to take Sybil back to preserve his beauty, she commits suicide. At first Dorian feels as though it is his fault, but changes tunes as he focuses on the pleasures of the world and visits the opera that evening. 

For fear of visitors wanting to see his portrait, such as Basil, Dorian hides the painting behind a locked door, and diverts his attention to the "yellow book" Lord Henry sends him. For the next couple years, this book becomes a guide for Dorian's self centered and corrupted lifestyle. This change in Dorian's soul is viewable on the hideous aging portrait of Dorian that he keeps locked away from everyone but himself. To the rest of the world, Dorian's beauty has yet to faltered from its perfection, causing society to want to strive to be like him. However, due to the lives that he has ruined over the years, Dorian's reputation is no longer innocent like it once was. When Dorian is 38, Basil visits before leaving England to see if the rumors he has heard are true. Dorian decides to show Basil his secret, the hidden portrait of his true soul. Horrified, Basil asks Dorian to repent from his evils. Instead, Dorian embraces his evil, stabs Basil, killing him, and then blackmails his former friend Alan Campbell to get rid of the body. 
While going to buy opium, Dorian meets Sybil's brother James who is out for revenge on Dorian for causing the suicide of his sister. Due to his ability to not age, Dorian is able to escape James during their first encounter. James continues his mission, but gets killed in the crosshairs of a hunting accident. Free from death, Dorian is determined to be good again. In order to prove it he lets a girl he likes go in order to not corrupt her. While telling his plan of being good to Lord Henry, Dorian almost admits to killing Basil, yet Lord Henry does not believe him on both accounts. 

Upon seeing his beauty in the mirror, Dorian breaks the mirror and promises to start being good again. However, his soul purpose behind the good deeds is to cause he painting to be beautiful again. When this does not work, Dorian takes the same knife he used to kill Basil and slashes the painting. Due to the fact that the portrait is really Dorian's soul, as Dorian stabs the painting, he kills himself. After a loud crash, Dorian's servants break down the door, and see a hideous old man on the ground with a knife in his heart next to Basil's beautiful portrait of Dorian. The man is later identified as Dorian by the rings on his fingers.