The Decay of Lying

In the library of a country house in Nottinghamshire, Vivian is writing an article about the importance to lying, when he is interrupted by Cyril, who tries to tempt him away, but instead is plunged into a discussion about art, nature, literature and imagination.Set in the form of a witty dialogue between two speakers, "The Decay of Lying" sees Wilde explore his deepest preoccupations about the relationship between life and art, and examine the work of such writers as Shakespeare and Balzac.