The End of Dorian Grey

The last few chapters of Dorian Grey were expected and satisfying. They start with Dorian at a dinner party, thinking it tedious until Henry joins. The party-goers notice that Dorian is not acting normal, and when asked about it, he just states he is tired. After the party, Henry asks Dorian where he was the night before to which Dorian becomes flustered, trying to think of his alibi. When he went home he realized his nerves were a wreck and, taking the advice of Henry ("To cure the soul by means of the senses, and the senses by means of the soul!") he goes to an opium den. At the den he runs into an acquaintance and while he is conversing with him, he has an altercation with a woman who was drinking at the bar. The woman calls him Prince Charming, which perks the attention of a nearby sailor. As Dorian leaves the den, the sailor, who turns out to be Sibyl Vane's brother James, attacks him, intent on making his earlier threats true. Dorian ends up fooling him, stating it couldn't have been him who hurt Sibyl because his face was so young, and James backs down terrified that he almost killed an innocent young man. Once Dorian left however, the woman from earlier told James of Dorian's curse, and that he is indeed the same Prince Charming from eighteen years ago.

A week later, Dorian, after sitting with Henry and his cousin the Duchess, goes to pick orchids for the Duchess. While picking the flowers he faints because he thinks he sees James Vane through the glass. He spends the next few days terrified and locked in his room, trying to delude himself that James has left on his boat and the face that he saw was only an apparition. After a few days, Dorian joins the Duchess's brother on a hunt, who accidentally shoots a man while trying to kill a hare. Dorian feels this is a bad omen and that the same thing will happen to him, but later when his servant comes to tell him about the body, he finds out the man who was shot was James Vane and he instantly becomes relieved. Later he recounts to Harry how he going to be good, and though Harry goes on another tirade, Dorian refuses him, and begs him not to mock his good will and intentions. The story ends with Dorian thinking upon what drove him to this point, how he hated the youth and beauty that became his motivation and tainted his soul. He decision to be good lead him back to the picture to see if it had changed, but alas it was the same, if not worse. Dorian felt the only way to atone was to confess, but soon realized he cared little of what he did to Basil. Instead he decided to destroy the painting, to rid himself of his past once and for all. He stabbed the painting a let out a cry. Later, when the servants found his body, it was revealed that the painting was unmarred and beautiful, just as Basil had originally painted it and on the floor was Dorian Grey, body wrinkled and withered and a knife in his heart.

My questions are: What do you think of the ending? Was it satisfying for you? Why or why not? What do you think it means that Dorian died by his own hand, killing his own image?

What do you think of Dorian's character? He seems to fluctuate significantly when we are introduced to his deep thoughts. At some point it seems he has changed. He died wanting to do good yet still with the horrid, emotionless disposition that he grew to have. Do you think in any way he changed?