The Truth of Masks: a Note on Illusion (an essay of dramatic theory) (Annotated)
Enriched Edition. Costume, Illusion, and Aesthetic Truth in Shakespearean TheatreBy Oscar Wilde
Length2h 41m
About this audiobook
Oscar Wilde's The Truth of Masks: A Note on Illusion is a subtle essay in dramatic theory that argues for the artistic and interpretive importance of costume, stage detail, and historical accuracy in theatrical performance. Taking Shakespeare as his central point of reference, Wilde transforms what might seem a technical question into a meditation on illusion, representation, and aesthetic truth. Its style is characteristically paradoxical, elegant, and erudite, situated within late-Victorian aestheticism and the broader nineteenth-century debate over realism, theatrical convention, and art's autonomy. Wilde, poet, critic, dramatist, and one of the defining figures of the Aesthetic Movement, was deeply invested in the idea that art does not merely imitate life but refines, rearranges, and sometimes invents it. His knowledge of classical literature, Renaissance drama, fashion, and visual culture informs the essay throughout. The piece anticipates his later theatrical brilliance, where surface, mask, and performance become instruments of profound social and psychological revelation. This essay is highly recommended to readers interested in Wilde, Shakespearean performance, theatre history, or aesthetic philosophy. Brief but intellectually rich, it reveals how costume and artifice may disclose deeper truths than plain realism.
This enriched edition has been carefully crafted to add value to your reading experience.
- A succinct Introduction situates the work's timeless appeal and themes.
- The Synopsis outlines the central plot, highlighting key developments without spoiling critical twists.
- A detailed Historical Context immerses you in the era's events and influences that shaped the writing.
- An Author Biography reveals milestones in the author's life, illuminating the personal insights behind the text.
- A thorough Analysis dissects symbols, motifs, and character arcs to unearth underlying meanings.
- Reflection questions prompt you to engage personally with the work's messages, connecting them to modern life.
- Hand‐picked Memorable Quotes shine a spotlight on moments of literary brilliance.
- Interactive footnotes clarify unusual references, historical allusions, and archaic phrases for an effortless, more informed read.
Audiobook details
Rating★★★ 3.4 (107)
Includes Goodreads
GenreLiterary Classics
Length2 hrs 41 mins
Narrated byListen with 1,000+ voices
FormateBook with Audio
Publish dateNov 10, 2013
LanguageEnglish
Table of contents
1The Truth of Masks: a Note on Illusion (an essay of dramatic theory) (Annotated)
6THE TRUTH OF MASKS
2Introduction
7Analysis
3Synopsis
8Reflection
4Historical Context
9Memorable Quotes
5Author Biography
Das Gespenst von CantervilleOscar Wilde1h 19m4.1 (4.1K)$6 · $0.00
Das Bildnis des Dorian GrayOscar Wilde9h 16m4.3 (2.2M)$12 · $0.00
Das Gespenst von CantervilleOscar Wilde1h 34m4.1 (242.5K)$1 · $0.00
Das Bildnis des Dorian Gray (Zweisprachige Ausgabe: Deutsch-Englisch)Oscar Wilde18h 25m4.2 (1.5M)$1 · $0.00
Der glückliche PrinzOscar Wilde, Wilhelm Cremer25m4.4 (205)$2 · $0.00
Ausgewählte ErzählungenOscar Wilde14h 4m4.3 (1.7K)$1 · $0.00
The Complete Poems of Oscar WildeOscar Wilde6h 36m4.3 (13.7K)$1.99 · $0.00
The Complete Works of Oscar Wilde: 150+ Titles in One EditionOscar Wilde80h 24m4.6 (3.1K)$1.99 · $0.00
The Picture of Dorian GrayOscar Wilde9h 22m4.3 (2.2M)$6 · $0.00
The Canterville GhostOscar Wilde1h 20m4.1 (132.7K)$10 · $0.00
The Importance of Being EarnestOscar Wilde2h 32m4.3 (487.1K)$10 · $0.00
El príncipe felizOscar Wilde39m$1.99 · $0.00
Queer Classics – 10 Novels CollectionOscar Wilde, Radclyffe Hall, Virginia Woolf, Sheridan Le Fanu, Theodore Winthrop, Bayard Taylor, Robert Hichens, Harlan Cozad McIntosh, Henry Blake Fuller, Jack Saul, Lucas Malet120h$2.99 · $0.00
The Picture of Dorian Gray & Cecil DreemeOscar Wilde, Theodore Winthrop23h 2m$1.99 · $0.00
El fantasma de CantervilleOscar Wilde1h 30m4.1 (107.4K)$1.99 · $0.00
Dorian Grayn muotokuvaOscar Wilde8h 57m4.2 (1.6M)$1.99 · $0.00
Das Bildnis des Dorian Gray (Kommentiert)Oscar Wilde11h 46m4.3 (4.5K)$1 · $0.00
Oscar Wilde: Die Erzählungen (Kommentiert)Oscar Wilde15h 22m4.4 (166)$1 · $0.00
The Great Fairy Tales - Oscar Wilde Edition (Illustrated) (Annotated)Oscar Wilde6h 31m4.6 (1.1K)$2 · $0.00
Lo mejor de Oscar Wilde (Anotado)Oscar Wilde26h 43m$1.99 · $0.00
To Kill a MockingbirdHarper Lee12h 18m4.5 (7.4M)$29 · $0.00
These Precious DaysAnn Patchett11h 14m4.5 (45.2K)$29 · $0.00
Henry V (The Play, Historical Background and Analysis of the Character in the Play)William Shakespeare, William Hazlitt8h 50m4.6 (1.3K)$1.99 · $0.00
H. P. LOVECRAFT Ultimate Collection: Novellas, Short Stories, Poetry & Essays (Annotated)H. P. Lovecraft12h 28m4.6 (2.3K)$2 · $0.00
Time RegainedMarcel Proust16h 8m4.5 (10.6K)$1.99 · $0.00
Lessons in TruthH. Emilie3h 50m4.6 (1.4K)$4.70 · $0.00
TORAH - Bilingual Edition: English/Hebrew (Annotated)Max Margolis, JPS28h 26m4.6 (1K)$2 · $0.00
Betty Crocker picture cooky bookBetty Crocker, Inc. General Mills2h 13m4.5 (6.5K)$1 · $0.00
The Complete Tales of Beatrix PotterBeatrix Potter3h 36m4.5 (75K)$3 · $0.00
Anne of Green GablesL. M. Montgomery11h 1m4.5 (1.2M)$2.30 · $0.00
Crime and Punishment (The Unabridged Garnett Translation) (Annotated)Fyodor Dostoevsky24h 25m4.5 (15.4K)$1.99 · $0.00
The North American IndianEdward S. Curtis, Frederick Webb Hodge6h4.5 (1.2K)$2 · $0.00
The Picture of Dorian Gray: The Uncensored 13 Chapter Version + The Revised 20 Chapter Version (Annotated)Oscar Wilde16h 12m4.5 (2.8K)$1.99 · $0.00
Grimoire Of The Everyday WitchIsadora Lys / Virginia Santos5h 35m4.5 (3.9K)$9 · $0.00
Winnie-the-PoohAlan Alexander Milne2h 52m4.5 (401.1K)$3 · $0.00
Sitting PrettyRebekah Taussig7h 33m4.5 (18.9K)$26 · $0.00
The Poetic Edda & The Prose EddaSnorri Sturluson, Saemund Sigfusson9h 34m4.5 (4K)$1 · $0.00
The Complete Satires & Essays of Mark Twain (Annotated)Mark Twain23h 21m4.5 (1.1K)$2 · $0.00
Anne of Green GablesLucy Maud Montgomery11h 10m4.4 (1.3M)$8 · $0.00
The Posthumous Memoirs Of Brás CubasMachado De Assis7h 39m4.4 (120.4K)$5 · $0.00
You may also like
On the SublimeLonginus2h 7m4.1 (1.8K)$21 · $0.00
Essays: First Series. IntellectRalph Waldo Emerson33m4.2 (463)$2 · $0.00
Lyrical Ballads and other Poems by Samuel Taylor Coleridge and William WordsworthWilliam Wordsworth, Samuel Taylor Coleridge21h 8m4.1 (16.3K)$2 · $0.00
The Works of Dionysius the AreopagiteDionysius the Areopagite10h 50m4.5 (1.1K)$1.50 · $0.00
The Practice and Science of DrawingHarold Speed8h 7m4.3 (7.1K)$2.30 · $0.00
Tertium OrganumP. D. Ouspensky14h 45m4.4 (633)$1.99 · $0.00
Tender ButtonsGertrude Stein2h 3m3.6 (10K)$6 · $0.00
On the SublimeLonginus1h 59m4.0 (1.6K)Free
Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyam, Rendered into English VerseOmar Khayyam2h 53m4.3 (125.2K)$1 · $0.00
The Renaissance: Studies in Art and PoetryWalter Pater7h 1m4.2 (4.7K)$1 · $0.00
Competing Against LuckClayton M. Christensen, Taddy Hall, Karen Dillon, David S. Duncan7h 25m4.3 (7.6K)$24 · $0.00
THE COMMON READER (The 1925 Edition)Virginia Woolf9h 43m4.2 (2.9K)$2.99 · $0.00
HieroglyphicsArthur Machen4h 32m3.8 (76)$2.30
Happy DaysJohn Cecil Clay, Oliver Herford0m$2 · $0.00
200 Haiku Love PoemsAdrian Tanase1h 30m$10 · $0.00
Farnsworth’s Classical English MetaphorWard Farnsworth8h 52m$20
Soul at the White HeatJoyce Carol Oates15h 12m3.5 (168)$33 · $0.00
EcstasyHans-Jürgen Döpp39m3.7 (20)$8 · $0.00
RembrandtJozef Israëls1h 38m$2 · $0.00
Reason and BeautyCharles Williams5h 39m$2 · $0.00