Oscar Wilde, a writer remembered for his sharp wit and biting social satire, was born in Dublin in 1854. His natural ease with language was further honed at Oxford, where he studied classics. At the height of his fame, following the London premiere of his play The Importance of Being Earnest, Wilde was charged with “gross indecency” for his homosexuality and imprisoned for two years. He then abandoned England for Paris, where he lived until his death in 1900.