How badly can the soul be corrupted? Is my big question. The Picture Of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde, explains how badly the soul can be corrupted. Through the main Character Dorian Gray and the painting done by Basil Hallward. Dorian exchanges his soul for eternal youth and beauty. Influenced heavily by the painter Basil Hallward's long time friend Lord Henry Wotton. Dorian does very un-gentlemen like things but remains a gentlemen of sorts in the eyes of those around him, because he has hidden the picture away from people for fear that someone might see his soul. Almost 20 years go by and Lord Henry and Dorian become better friends and Henry draws and peaks Dorian's interest with a book which Dorian has copied and bonded with different colors. so whenever he tires of one color he can have another. His soul the picture is hideous and horrible by now. Some nights he just stares at it and thinks how he is still youthful and wonderful while it gets ugly and old. whispers start to float about Dorian and he ignores them. When Basil comes to ask him about it. Dorian shows him...his soul the picture. Basil doesn't believe it at first until he looks at the crush strokes and Dorian laughs in the way a corrupted soul would  Dorian ends up killing Basil and black mailing a man into getting rid of the body. Several days go by before Dorian gets some sense and kills himself...freeing his soul allowing the picture to return to normal and he dead.