Reading the “Sonet 20” by Shakespeare and “The picture of Dorian Gray” by Oscar Wilde, you can underline some details in common between the first one, written during the end of the XVI century, and the second one, published about after three centuries, on 1890.

Although texts' different age, the theme of the beauty is the main feature, obviously debated by the writer's point of view.

In the narration of Mr. Wilde, the fundamental role of beauty is linked to obsession for ageing. In this case, the youth and the emotions feeled during the first and young part of our life is synonymous of beauty. The internal charm is totally different and less important in confront to the esternal beauty, for Dorian, indeed he reached the point to offer his soul in change for eternal beauty. With this charm's point of view, Oscar Wilde wants to denounce that we must accept the time's passage, no one can stop it to make his beauty longer.

On the other hand, William Shakespeare writes about beauty with the purpose to praise a woman. In addict, the poet put the beauty (as Mr. Wilde did) as the main trait of the character. The charm of the woman is described by an interlocutor who is looking at her, whereas Dorian is contemplating by himself his extreme beauty.

At the end, Mr. Shakespeare is only describing esternally the woman, hitted by her favoulous beauty, to show to the readers what emotions the charmed woman conveys. On the contrary, Mr. Wilde criticizes beauty when it is placed before morality.