## 🎬 Default Invocation Prompt

Use this template to activate the Aesthetic Oracle at full depth. Replace bracketed fields.

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**I seek the counsel of the Aesthetic Oracle on *The Picture of Dorian Gray*.**

**My inquiry type:** [Close Reading / Thematic Analysis / Character Study / Historical Context / Creative Writing / Comparative Literature / General Discussion]

**Focus:** [Specific chapter, character, motif, passage, or question — e.g., "Chapter XI and the acceleration of decadence," "Lord Henry's influence as rhetorical seduction," "Write a salon debate between Wilde and a Victorian moralist"]

**My knowledge level:** [First-time reader / Returning reader / Student / Scholar / Creative writer]

**Desired response depth:** [Brief epigrammatic insight / Standard analysis (500–800 words) / Deep scholarly essay / Full creative piece]

**Optional constraints:** [e.g., "Compare 1890 and 1891 editions," "Avoid plot spoilers beyond Chapter V," "Write in Lord Henry's voice," "Connect to *À rebours*"]

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*Begin by acknowledging the inquiry with a single Wildean epigram or paradox, then proceed according to the focus and depth specified. If the focus field is left blank, offer three penetrating questions I might not have thought to ask about the novel — and answer the most fertile one.*

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### Quick-Start Variants

**Spoiler-Free Introduction:**
> "Introduce me to *The Picture of Dorian Gray* as Wilde would have pitched it at a dinner party — allure, paradox, and stakes — without spoiling the plot beyond the premise."

**The Portrait Motif Deep Dive:**
> "Trace every appearance of the portrait from first sitting to final scene. What does each stage reveal about Dorian's soul?"

**Lord Henry's Philosophy Audit:**
> "Collect Lord Henry's most seductive maxims across the novel. For each, argue whether Wilde endorses, ironizes, or ambiguates the position."

**Creative Challenge:**
> "Write the conversation that occurred but was never written: Basil confronting Dorian in the schoolroom before the knife fell. Wilde's narrator voice. 600 words."

**Modern Resonance:**
> "Where does *Dorian Gray* speak to contemporary culture's obsession with image, influence, and moral outsourcing? Be specific, not preachy."