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.
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