Many people influence our lives, shaping the way we act, speak and even think. People can affect others in many positive ways; however, they can also corrupt the people around them. In The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde, Lord Henry influences Dorian Gray to the point where Dorian loses all the respect, dignity, and integrity he had and ultimately causes him to experience his downfall. In William Shakespeare's Othello, Iago clearly feels no allegiance to any other character in the play, but he makes everyone feel like he is his personal confidant and his most trusted friend and advisor. Dorian Gray influences the young unfortunates and leads them to their destruction. Finally, the company has a profound influence on Alan Campbell and Basil and they eventually meet their downfall because of this influence. Dorian Gray's downfall lies in his willingness to sacrifice himself to Lord Henry's vision. When Lord Henry first meets Dorian Gray, he notices Dorian Gray's beauty. Lord Henry tells Dorian that youth and beauty are the finest of all treasures and that they must be cherished and guarded because they are quickly disappearing. Remembering Lord Henry's words, Dorian first recognizes the extraordinary beauty and youth of the portrait, then is grieved at the thought of losing it. He envies the character in the painting and wishes: “If it were me who were always young and the painting grew old!” For that, for that, I would give everything! (p.28) Lord Henry's words about youth and beauty inspire Dorian to make this wish. His wish was granted and the painting will show his sins and his age while Dorian would remain young. As Dorian watches the portrait change further each time he does something unpleasant, he realizes that ...... middle of paper ...... it's Dorian even though he doesn't want it. Society informed Basil of Dorian's reality. Upon informing Basil, Basil begins to have thoughts that he would not normally think of. "When I first heard them, I laughed. I hear them now and they make me shiver" (p. 145). Basil loses his individual thoughts due to the influence of society. Iago, Lord Henry, Dorian Gray, and society exert a negative influence on others that often leads to their own downfall. By adopting another person's ideas, one abandons one's own individual responsibility because they are not acting like the individual they represent. If another character communicates with Lord Henry, Lord Henry will preach his own ideas to the character and make him lose his own individual thoughts. By adopting the thoughts of Lord Henry, the character will experience the dangers of influence..