Vera; or, The Nihilists
Oscar Wilde
Vera; or, The Nihilists
Oscar Wilde's first play, a Russian political melodrama about a revolutionary torn between a planned assassination and love for the future ruler.
Read our takeThe Duchess of Padua
Oscar Wilde
The Duchess of Padua
by Oscar Wilde
An early five-act tragedy in which a young man seeking revenge in Renaissance Italy falls in love with the wife of the ruler he plans to kill.
- 1883
- Wry
- funny
- plot-driven
- voice-driven
About Oscar Wilde
The story, briefly
Spoiler-freeThe Duchess of Padua follows Guido Ferranti, who comes to Padua to avenge his father's death. He falls in love with Beatrice, the Duchess married to the man he has sworn to kill. The play uses murder, mistaken judgment, sacrifice, and courtroom revelation in the style of nineteenth-century verse tragedy.
The story, in more detail
Oscar Wilde wrote the play for the American actor Mary Anderson, who declined it. It was first produced in New York in 1891 under the title Guido Ferranti.
The language is more indebted to Shakespearean and Romantic tragedy than the social comedies that made Wilde famous. Its value is developmental: Wilde is testing how love and performance can upset a fixed moral plot.
The play
Guido arrives with a revenge plan and discovers that the Duke's abused wife, Beatrice, returns his love.
When revenge, escape, and self-sacrifice collide, each lover misunderstands what the other has done until the tragedy is irreversible.
Why we recommend it
Why it matters
It gives completists the bridge between Wilde's first political melodrama and his mature theatre.
Where it fits
Read Salome first for a far stronger Wilde tragedy.
What this book explores
Timeline
1883
Wilde completed the play in 1883. Its first production opened in New York in 1891 under the title Guido Ferranti.
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
- Privately printed
- 1883
Reader reviews
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Salome
Oscar Wilde
Salome
Oscar Wilde's one-act tragedy, written in French, in which Salome demands the head of the prophet Jokanaan after he rejects her.
Read our takeThe Duchess of Padua: frequently asked questions
What is The Duchess of Padua by Oscar Wilde about?
The Duchess of Padua follows Guido Ferranti, who comes to Padua to avenge his father's death. He falls in love with Beatrice, the Duchess married to the man he has sworn to kill. The play uses murder, mistaken judgment, sacrifice, and courtroom revelation in the style of nineteenth-century verse tragedy.
When was The Duchess of Padua published?
Wilde completed the play in 1883. Its first production opened in New York in 1891 under the title Guido Ferranti.
Should I read The Duchess of Padua 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 The Duchess of Padua.