An Ideal Husband

                     O. WILDE'S AN IDEAL HUSBAND & VICTORIAN BRITAIN

Wilde wrote An Idea Husband during the decade known as the "Yellow" or "Naughty Nineties", the twilight years of England's Victorian era. This period was distinguished by England's growth as an industrial and imperial giant and an increasingly conservatism in social mores. The British were proud of their civilization and this is mirrored in Sir Robert's pride in his political position. Imperial expansion, foreign speculation, and the period's rigid system of mores--involving, for example, notions of familial devotion, propriety, and duty both public and personal--provide the backdrop for Wilde's play. As a primary propagator of aestheticism, Wilde rebelled against Victorian sensibilities, calling for a world judged by the beauty of its artifice rather than its moral value.

The play condemns the value of Victorian society- it can also be perceived as a social satire.

Watch a video about some Victorian etiquette rules:

Take a trivia quiz on Victorian etiquette HERE.

An Ideal Husband is a comedy of manners which is a genre that satirizes the manners of a social class. Lord Goring is the fop or dandy and Gertrude is the nagging wife. Mrs. Cheveley is the femme fatale. The plot often revolves around a scandal or secret, sometimes with hidden identities exposed. The dialogue is witty.

Wilde's social satire, 'An Ideal Husband' revolves around the lives of two men, successful political figure Sir Robert Chiltern and his friend the utterly charming Lord Arthur Goring. Chiltern's life is perfect thanks to the help of his loving and brilliant wife Gerturde. Goring's life is one of lounging, flirting with Mabel, and avoiding his father's instance that he should marry. The world of these men is turned upside down by the arrival of the old acquaintance Mrs. Laura Cheveley who has come with blackmail in mind. Sir Robert could lose everything including Gertrude. It is up to his wife and Goring to confront this dilemma, but it could risk Goring's chances to finally win over Mabel. As the comments and lies begin to fly about, it's revealed that the man thought to be perfect is flawed, the man with all the flaws must do something right, and the question remains: what makes an ideal husband?

   

You can answer the questions about the play HERE.

Just by holding this book in your hands, you've set yourself apart from the average teenager. I congratulate you upon having got to the end of it. 

Romeo and Juliet

QUESTIONS TO HELP GIVE FEEDBACK ON THE THEATRE PRODUCTION
OF WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE'S ROMEO AND JULIET, TOLMIN, 22 January 2018:

- How did you like the performance?
- What captured your attention during the play? was it the actors? The set? Music? Why? 
- Did the plot engage you? Did you care about the characters? Why?
- What do I think about the performance?
- How did the actors seem to interact with one another?
- How did the director, actors and designers (costume, lights and set) stage the action ? 
- How might I describe this work to a visually impaired person? 
- Do you have any questions about the production?
- What is the meaning of the play? 

The balcony scene         (Photo by Rovšček & Žnidar)

(Photo by Rovšček & Žnidar)

The ultimate London landmarks

                              THE ULTIMATE LONDON LANDMARKS &
                  THE ULTIMATE LONDON BUCKET LIST

The main attractions in London are well known: Buckingham Palace, the Tower of London, and the London Eye are iconic landmarks. Westminster Abbey and St Paul’s Cathedral dominate the city’s historic church scene, and Tower Bridge is the prime feat of Victorian engineering. Tate Modern and the British Museum are some of the most visited museums in London, which is to say nothing of the Natural History Museum and the National Gallery.

                                         Westminster Bridge and the Houses of Parliament:

Tower Bridge:

 The capital city of England is filled with fascinating spots that speak to the region's rich history and cultural diversity. Here is a video: 

How Well Do You Know Your London Landmarks? 

Take the 10-question quiz to see just how well you know the capital's top landmarks HERE.

Robert Frost, The Road Not Taken

Robert Frost, 

The Road Not Taken

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both

And be one traveler, long I stood

And looked down one as far as I could

To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,

And having perhaps the better claim,

Because it was grassy and wanted wear;

Though as for that the passing there

Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay

In leaves no step had trodden black.

Oh, I kept the first for another day!

Yet knowing how way leads on to way,

I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

See how well you know the poem and its message- take the quiz:

The Road not Taken in 20 questions