De Profundis does not resemble any of the other works that made Wilde famous; and it's a work that often seems to make critics uncomfortable. Perhaps justly so: in the end it's a response to Wilde's imprisonment for homosexuality. In our modern context, that makes the work easy to look away from -- but it also speaks to things that concern and disturb many people, even today. During its first half Wilde recounts their previous relationship and extravagant lifestyle which eventually led to Wilde's conviction and imprisonment for gross indecency. He indicts both Lord Alfred's vanity and his own weakness in acceding to those wishes. In the second half, Wilde charts his spiritual development in prison and identification with Jesus Christ, whom he characterises as a romantic, individualist artist.