Seminar paper from the year 2008 in the subject English Language and Literature Studies - Literature, grade: 2,0, University of Paderborn (Anglistik/Amerikanistik), course: Late Victorian Novels, language: English, abstract: In spring 1895, the three trials of Oscar Wilde took place at the Central Criminal Court, the so-called "Old Bailey". In the last two of them Wilde was accused of indecency with other males and the last trial ended with a sentence to two years of prison with hard labour for Wilde. The trials and the following imprisonment had a devastating effect on his personal and professional future life. In this paper I want to provide a brief outline of the events.