--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Dorian, Dorian,\" she cried, \"before I…" description: "\"“Dorian, Dorian,\" she cried, \"before I knew you, acting was the one reality of my life. It was only in the theatre that I lived. I thought that it was ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef9/oscar-wilde-16_common-people_dorian-dorian-she-cried-before-i-knew-yo_1530683.jpg" --- # Dorian, Dorian," she cried, "before I knew you, acting was… ![“Dorian, Dorian," she cried, "before I knew you, acting was the one reality of my life. It was only in the theatre that I lived. I thought that it was all true. I was Rosalind one night and Portia the other. The joy of Beatrice was my joy, and the sorrows of Cordelia were mine also. I believed in…” quote by Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef9/oscar-wilde-16_common-people_dorian-dorian-she-cried-before-i-knew-yo_1530683.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef9/oscar-wilde-16_common-people_dorian-dorian-she-cried-before-i-knew-yo_1530683.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef9/oscar-wilde-16_common-people_dorian-dorian-she-cried-before-i-knew-yo_1530683.jpg) > ““Dorian, Dorian," she cried, "before I knew you, acting was the one reality of my life. It was only in the theatre that I lived. I thought that it was all true. I was Rosalind one night and Portia the other. The joy of Beatrice was my joy, and the sorrows of Cordelia were mine also. I believed in everything. The common people who acted with me seemed to me to be godlike. The painted scenes were my world. I knew nothing but shadows, and I thought them real. You came—oh, my beautiful love!—and you freed my soul from prison. You taught me what reality really is. To-night, for the first time in my life, I saw through the hollowness, the sham, the silliness of the empty pageant in which I had always played. To-night, for the first time, I became conscious that the Romeo was hideous, and old, and painted, that the moonlight in the orchard was false, that the scenery was vulgar, and that the words I had to speak were unreal, were not my words, were not what I wanted to say. You had brought me something higher, something of which all art is but a reflection. You had made me understand what love really is. My love! My love!”” [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The narrator describes a shift from theatrical illusion to genuine love, realizing art's limits and the deeper truth of love beyond performance. **In simple terms:** Real love reveals truth beyond illusion. Key Takeaway Seek authentic connections over performative roles. Themes love art self‑realization Mood romantic philosophical Type literary reflective When to use this quote - relationships - personal growth - creative expression - self‑awareness Key Concepts illusion authenticity transformation Questions to Reflect On - What does “real reality” mean to you? - How does love change your perception of art? A Different Perspective Art cannot replace the depth of lived love. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Acting Reality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acting-reality-3180620/) [Common people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/common-people/) [Dorian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dorian/) [Dorian Cried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dorian-cried-5679012/) [First time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/first-time/) [Knew Acting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knew-acting-1159243/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Reality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reality/) ## Related quotes > [I am a musician and am so thankful for that. I have no experience of war. 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'Before which Dorian?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/sin-is-the-only-real-colour-element-left-in-modern-life-you-really/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [“tone of colour in a room or a morning sky, a particular perfume that you had once loved and that brings subtle memories with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/tone-of-colour-in-a-room-or-a-morning-sky-a-particular-perfume-that/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [“Each of us has heaven and hell in him, Basil, cried Dorian with a wild gesture of despair.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/each-of-us-has-heaven-and-hell-in-him-basil-cried-dorian-with-a-wild/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [“Yes, Dorian, you will always be fond of me. I represent to you all the sins you have never had the courage to commit.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/yes-dorian-you-will-always-be-fond-of-me-i-represent-to-you-all-the/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [“Dorian Gray had been poisoned by a book.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/dorian-gray-had-been-poisoned-by-a-book/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [“Dorian Gray listened, open-eyed and wondering. The spray of lilac fell from his hand upon the gravel. A furry bee came and buzzed round…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/dorian-gray-listened-open-eyed-and-wondering-the-spray-of-lilac-fell/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [The longer I live, Dorian, the more keenly I feel that whatever was good enough for our fathers is not good enough for us.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/the-longer-i-live-dorian-the-more-keenly-i-feel-that-whatever-was/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [“Nicioadata nu aprob sau dezaprob un lucru, e o atitudine absurda fata de viata. Nu suntem trimisi in lume ca sa ne exibitionam prejudecatile…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/nicioadata-nu-aprob-sau-dezaprob-un-lucru-e-o-atitudine-absurda-fata/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [“By the way, Dorian, he (Lord Henry) said, after a pause, what does it profit a man if he gain the whole world and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/by-the-way-dorian-he-lord-henry-said-after-a-pause-what-does-it/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) ## More by Oscar Wilde > [How else but through a broken heart may Lord Christ enter in?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/how-else-but-through-a-broken-heart-may-lord-christ-enter-in/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [The books that the world calls immoral are the books that show the world its own shame.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/the-books-that-the-world-calls-immoral-are-the-books-that-show-the/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [Bachelors should be heavily taxed. 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For these there is hope.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/those-who-find-beautiful-meanings-in-beautiful-things-are-the/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [Men always want to be a womans first love. Women have a more subtle instinct: What they like is to be a mans last…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/men-always-want-to-be-a-womans-first-love-women-have-a-more-subtle/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [Why is it that at a bachelor's establishment the servants invariably drink the champagne.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/why-is-it-that-at-a-bachelor-s-establishment-the-servants-invariably/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [Moderation is a fatal thing. Enough is as bad as a meal. 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Shelley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-l-shelley/) [Browse all 297 Common people quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/common-people/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Dorian, Dorian,\" she cried, \"before I knew you, acting was the one reality of my life. It was only in the theatre that I lived. I thought that it was all true. I was Rosalind one night and Portia the other. The joy of Beatrice was my joy, and the sorrows of Cordelia were mine also. I believed in everything. The common people who acted with me seemed to me to be godlike. The painted scenes were my world. I knew nothing but shadows, and I thought them real. You came—oh, my beautiful love!—and you freed my soul from prison. You taught me what reality really is. To-night, for the first time in my life, I saw through the hollowness, the sham, the silliness of the empty pageant in which I had always played. To-night, for the first time, I became conscious that the Romeo was hideous, and old, and painted, that the moonlight in the orchard was false, that the scenery was vulgar, and that the words I had to speak were unreal, were not my words, were not what I wanted to say. You had brought me something higher, something of which all art is but a reflection. You had made me understand what love really is. My love! 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