Lady Windermere's Fan
Oscar Wilde
Lady Windermere's Fan
A society comedy in which a young wife suspects her husband, an excluded woman returns, and a fan becomes evidence that tells the wrong story.
Read our takeAn Ideal Husband
Oscar Wilde
An Ideal Husband
by Oscar Wilde
A political comedy about blackmail, a fortune built on a secret, and the damage caused by demanding moral perfection from another person.
- 1899
- Wry
- funny
- plot-driven
- voice-driven
About Oscar Wilde
The story, briefly
Spoiler-freeAn Ideal Husband follows Sir Robert Chiltern, a respected British politician whose career began with the sale of a government secret. Mrs Cheveley has proof and tries to force him to support a dishonest financial scheme. His wife, Lady Chiltern, believes he has always been morally perfect, while their friend Lord Goring argues that love cannot survive that kind of worship.
The story, in more detail
The play opened at London's Haymarket Theatre in January 1895, while The Importance of Being Earnest was about to open nearby.
Wilde treats public corruption seriously while refusing a simple split between guilty and innocent people. The question is not whether Robert acted wrongly; it is whether one wrong act fixes a person's identity forever and who gains power from exposing it.
The play
Mrs Cheveley arrives with a letter proving that Sir Robert sold a Cabinet secret early in his career.
The blackmail moves between political offices, drawing rooms, and Lord Goring's house as each person tries to protect a reputation or force a confession.
Why we recommend it
Why it matters
It joins Wilde's social comedy to a direct plot about money, political power, and moral compromise.
Where it fits
Read it after Lady Windermere's Fan and before The Importance of Being Earnest.
What this book explores
Timeline
1899
An Ideal Husband premiered in London in 1895. Leonard Smithers published the first book edition in 1899.
Modern editions
Editors continue to publish the work alone and in collections; introductions and notes explain the relevant performance or textual history.
Book editions
Hardcover
- Hardcover
- Leonard Smithers and Company
- 1899
Reader reviews
Readers may also like
The Importance of Being Earnest
Oscar Wilde
The Importance of Being Earnest
Oscar Wilde's best-known comedy: two men invent useful false identities, two women insist on marrying someone named Ernest, and a handbag resolves the plot.
Read our takeAn Ideal Husband: frequently asked questions
What is An Ideal Husband by Oscar Wilde about?
An Ideal Husband follows Sir Robert Chiltern, a respected British politician whose career began with the sale of a government secret. Mrs Cheveley has proof and tries to force him to support a dishonest financial scheme. His wife, Lady Chiltern, believes he has always been morally perfect, while their friend Lord Goring argues that love cannot survive that kind of worship.
When was An Ideal Husband published?
An Ideal Husband premiered in London in 1895. Leonard Smithers published the first book edition in 1899.
Should I read An Ideal Husband first?
Usually not. Start with The Importance of Being Earnest for comedy, The Picture of Dorian Gray for fiction, or The Happy Prince and Other Tales for short stories, then return to An Ideal Husband.