An Ideal Husband - Oscar Wilde

Lord Goring, Sir Robert Chiltern, Lady Chiltern and Mrs Chevely use their wealth to attain political and social respectability in a British aristocracy during the 1890’s.
Towards the end of the 19th century was the growth of the Aesthetic movement, this is symbolized in Wilde’s play An Ideal Husband through the use of Dandyism and Decadents using the character Lord Goring to display this. Wilde defined Dandyism as “the assertion of the absolute modernity of Beauty” and to relate this to Lord Goring it emasculates his character dramatically. The movement recognises individual freedom and modernity challenging society’s rules and reforms. He isn’t married nor engaged, doesn’t work or represent any political proceedings, he lives an upper class life of wealth and parties and is more worried about his appearance and prefer
The reader knows Mrs Chevely is wealthy due to her dress and she has come from Vienna because in those days the chance to travel was merely for the upper class only, those who could afford it. The idealistic lives of these characters are revealed and turned out to be corrupt and immoral. They use their wealth to gain power and respectability through out their social and political lives not worrying themselves about the real issues that are being raised in the society of the 1890’s. The patriarchy of and upper class English society in the 1890’s places the power and control in the hands of the men. This political party of women demonstrates the emergence of the Suffragette movement that was in place towards the end of the late 19th century, beginning of the 20th century. A life Sir Robert Chiltern had lived before he even married Lady Chiltern and now that Lady Chiltern knows about the secret she to must live an immoral life. For this era the amount of power Lady Chiltern has is very uncommon, women were there to be seen but not heard. Chiltern in the play conforms to these social ideals even though he is morally corrupt due to his devious past, in which he gained his wealth through corrupt means to give him the opportunity to become an upper class citizen and an influential party in the political game, “Wealth has given me enormous power”. Politics to Lady Cheveley is a game, thinking the winners are the most deceitful and conniving people even though she says “one should always play fairly… when one has the winning card” in her case the winning card she thinks is the letter she has telling of Sir Robert Chiltern’s past.

Have a good reading!!! You can read the book online here

PLOT

Robert Chiltern is the ideal husband. Or so his wife believes. But a dinner guest arrives with information about his past that could lead to either blackmail or scandal.

PEOPLE OF THE PLAY

THE EARL OF CAVERSHAM, K.G.
VISCOUNT GORING, his Son
SIR ROBERT CHILTERN, Bart., Under-Secretary for Foreign Affairs
VICOMTE DE NANJAC, Attache at the French Embassy in London
MR. MONTFORD
MASON, Butler to Sir Robert Chiltern
PHIPPS, Lord Goring's Servant
JAMES }
HAROLD } Footmen
LADY CHILTERN
LADY MARKBY
THE COUNTESS OF BASILDON
MRS. MARCHMONT
MISS MABEL CHILTERN, Sir Robert Chiltern's Sister
MRS. CHEVELEY
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THE FILM


Oscar Wilde's 1895 play, An Ideal Husband, was made into a movie in 1947 with a stellar cast. Then, a Russian language version was made in 1980 which we wonder if anyone saw. Now Oliver Parker has "adapted" the play for a new screen version which he also directed.
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At the theatre: click here

The official Web Site of Oscar Wilde includes biography: Click here