Oscar Wilde and Alfred Douglas: The Scandalous Affair that Inflamed the Marquess

This chapter highlights the period that began with Oscar Wilde's intense intimacy with John Sholto Douglas. It draws attention to Wilde and Douglas's mutual interest in an evolving homophile literary subculture, probing an account of the circumstances that resulted in Douglas's insulting visiting card accusing Wilde of posing as a sodomite. It also examines the reasons that brought about the withdrawal of Wilde's libel suit on 5 April 1895, his discreet departure from the Old Bailey, and his subsequent arrest at the Cadogan Hotel, Sloane Street. The chapter reveals materials that Douglas's solicitor amassed in order to support his lengthy plea of justification. This was a demoralizing outcome that made Wilde responsible for hefty legal costs that compounded the prospect of bankruptcy.