Oscar's Tales #7

 My reading of the seventh of the children's stories in Oscar Wilde's collection, "The Birthday of the Infanta". A long tale, rich on sumptuous detail and Wilde's deep knowledge of and joy in evoking the glories of the natural realms. The tragedy turns somewhat on a revision of Caliban's bitter moment with the mirror as well as speaking to the utter vacuity of the supremely indulged.

As an incidental aside, when the naïve Dwarf describes his encounter with a church procession moving through the forest the figures in yellow bearing candles are the victims of the Inquisition who have been doomed to execution after being paraded in robes depicting the crimes of which they have been convicted.



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