This is taken up by Wilde and his description of Lord Douglass's lips in the passage from the letter mentioned previously. This parallel that can be drawn between Basil's love for Dorian and Wilde's love for Douglass lends itself to being incriminating. The undertones of sexual desire and fascination with the young man's beauty are linked to the theme of love between boys, which would not have helped Wilde to proclaim his innocence. The defense's use of Wilde's novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray, attempted not only to deem the book immoral, but, more importantly, to help the defense draw parallels with Basil and Wilde. Using the novel in this way would help ensure Wilde's loss in the libel case and pave the way for further cases that would eventually lead to prison time (The Trials of Oscar Wilde). The theme of Greek love and boys' love is reflected by Basil in The Picture of Dorian Gray and by Wilde in real life. The parallel of Greek love in Basil and Wilde would only help society present Wilde as a homosexual and his possible