There are several references that pinpoint the place, but there is no specific reference to time period. The two leading characters are the Happy Prince (a beautiful statue that was once a real human prince) and a Swallow (a small bird traveling towards Egypt to meet up with his friends). In the very beginning we are told the story takes place in a city, and a little later on, through the conversation between the statue...
There are several references that pinpoint the place, but there is no specific reference to time period. The two leading characters are the Happy Prince (a beautiful statue that was once a real human prince) and a Swallow (a small bird traveling towards Egypt to meet up with his friends). In the very beginning we are told the story takes place in a city, and a little later on, through the conversation between the statue and the swallow, we learn that they are in Northern Europe, near the Sans-Souci Palace, which is near Berlin.
Time period is much more difficult to determine. Since Wilde references poorhouses, a ghetto, titles such as "Mathematical Master" and "Town Councilor", and recovering jewels from India a thousand years before, it is safe to assume that this story takes place some time after the 16th century but most likely no later than the 18th. Generally, when specific time periods are not referenced in fictional works, it allows the author more freedom of expression in his or her writing and therefore it is not necessary to the story.
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