Lord Henry Wotton is one of the leading characters of Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray. A nobleman who is a friend to Basil initially, but later becomes more intrigued with Dorian's beauty and naïveté. Extremely witty, Lord Henry is seen as a critique of late Victorian culture espousing a view of indulgent hedonism. He corrupts Dorian with his world view, as Dorian attempts to emulate him. Basil calls him "Harry".
Some critics consider Lord Henry to be responsible for Dorian Gray's mental awakening, which ultimately leads to the young man's downfall. Blame has also been given to Dorian himself as well as Basil for producing the picture. He forces the naïve boy to realize that he is beautiful and admires his youth, "the one thing worth having." Lord Henry, who meets Dorian through their mutual friend, the artist Basil Hallward, has paradoxical views on life, marriage, and the world in general and is known for his witty repartee, somewhat like Oscar Wilde himself.
There is also an unmistakable allusion to "old harry" (the devil) in the character's name. Dorian refers to him as Harry and he is continually tempting Dorian and talking him into a more immoral frame of mind.