An ideal husband analysis. An Ideal Husband 2022-12-15

An ideal husband analysis Rating: 7,5/10 1984 reviews

"An Ideal Husband" is a play written by Oscar Wilde in 1895. It is a comedy of manners that centers around the themes of honesty, morality, and marriage. At its core, "An Ideal Husband" is a commentary on the expectations placed on men and women in Victorian society, and the ways in which those expectations can conflict with personal desires and values.

The main character of the play, Sir Robert Chiltern, is a successful politician and the epitome of an "ideal husband" according to societal standards. He is handsome, intelligent, and well-respected in his community. However, his perfect image is threatened when a woman named Mrs. Cheveley arrives on the scene with a damning secret from Sir Robert's past. Mrs. Cheveley reveals that Sir Robert made his fortune by selling a government secret, and she threatens to expose him unless he supports a fraudulent scheme she is backing.

Sir Robert is faced with a moral dilemma: he can either betray his principles and support Mrs. Cheveley's scheme, or he can risk ruining his reputation and career by telling the truth. Ultimately, he decides to come clean and confess his wrongdoing to his wife, Gertrude. Sir Robert's decision to be honest with his wife and take responsibility for his actions is a key moment in the play, as it showcases his growth and development as a character.

One of the central themes of "An Ideal Husband" is the idea that honesty and integrity are essential qualities for a truly "ideal" husband. Sir Robert's initial decision to keep his secret demonstrates his willingness to prioritize his reputation and career over his personal values. However, through the course of the play, he comes to understand the importance of honesty and confesses his mistake to his wife. This decision ultimately strengthens their marriage and allows them to rebuild trust in each other.

Another theme of the play is the role of gender expectations in Victorian society. Mrs. Cheveley is a scheming and manipulative character who uses her femininity and sexual appeal to try and get what she wants. On the other hand, Gertrude is a more traditional and supportive wife who stands by her husband even when he makes mistakes. These portrayals of women highlight the ways in which gender roles were rigidly defined in Victorian society, and the pressure placed on women to conform to certain expectations.

Overall, "An Ideal Husband" is a thought-provoking and entertaining exploration of the complexities of marriage and morality. Its themes of honesty, integrity, and gender expectations are still relevant today, making it a timeless classic that continues to captivate audiences.

An Ideal Husband Act I

an ideal husband analysis

On the whole, life offers chances to qualify, change, or confirm the truths and beliefs men hold. To put this another way, Wilde insisted that people should approach themselves as "works of art," as wholly "artificial" and made-up thingsā€”as nothing but bundles of "artiface. Some characters are compared to works of art. Lady Basildon claims to talk politics ceaselessly. The only really Fine Art we have produced in modern times. When she does, she declares that their love is dead. One feels that he is conscious of the success he has made in life.


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An Ideal Husband Study Guide

an ideal husband analysis

Sir Robert vehemently says that his decision to sell government secrets to the Baron was an act of courage and not weakness. He thanks Lord Goring for enabling him to tell the truth, but in reality he only tells it because he knows Lord Goring will not judge him for it. Homosexuality was, at the time of Wilde's writing, largely rejected by the English Victorian society. People are either hunting for husbands, or hiding from them. I feel as if you had soiled me forever. Chiltern writes a letter to alert an acquaintance who buys a great deal of stock and pays Chiltern handsomely from the vast profits.

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An Ideal Husband by Oscar Wilde (Book Analysis) Ā» blog.sigma-systems.com

an ideal husband analysis

Someone appears to be honest and is revealed as false. He can be what he chooses. The woman delights in taunting him. Cheveley boasts that she knows Sir Robert's "real character" by virtue of his letter, Lord Goring replies: "What you know about him is not his real character. Cheveley who is in the room. Then as today, common wisdom has it that "artificial" persons are less admirable than persons who are somehow "just themselves.

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An Ideal Husband Analysis

an ideal husband analysis

Caversham bemoans the idleness of his son and the excesses of London Society. Upon discovering that it was the Lady Chiltern who made Sir Robert refuse her proposal, Mrs. Oscar Wilde effectively Theme Of Dishonesty In An Ideal Husband or play by your own set of rules. Lord Caversham informs his son that Sir Robert has denounced the Argentine canal scheme before the House. Cheveley, when Lady Markby argues that the House of Commons is the worst thing to happen to marriage since the higher education of women.

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An Ideal Husband Act 1, Part 1 Summary & Analysis

an ideal husband analysis

Mabel's complaints about Tommy Trafford, who insistently and secretly proposes to her, provide a comic interlude, but also again discuss the notion of marriage. His way of thinking shows that he is morally imperfect because he is willing to perform an illegal and disloyal task in order to gain wealth and status. As a colonial, Wilde would be interested in questioning the Victorian commitment to ameliorative work because what was motivating the empire was the notion that the world outside of England needed to be saved from itself. Hall, Peter, "A Warm, Impossible Love," in the Guardian, November 11, 1992, Features Page, p. What was the science of ears and eyes of the time? The first scene shows Lady Chiltern posed at the top of a large staircase greeting the guests.

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An Ideal Husband Plot Analysis

an ideal husband analysis

Cheveley may have changed since then. Cheveley arrives unexpectedly and, misrecognized by the butler as the woman Goring awaits, is ushered into Lord Goring's drawing room. We never get a soliloquy in which she bares her heart and motives to the audience. Melodrama Melodramas tell their stories through sensational and improbable characters and turns of event. If he won't pay me my price, he will have to pay the world a greater price. The women had to fill in the spots of males in society, transcending from the private sphere Stereotypes Of Women In The 1950s can have on both the female and male audiences.

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An Ideal Husband: Metaphor Analysis

an ideal husband analysis

But, luckily for Chiltern, Lord Goring, his faithful friend, is able to foil Mrs. The time after the war, being a housewife and mother was heavily implemented. It was the third of Wilde's four comedic plays to be staged, and it was as big a success with audiences as the previous two. As an impressionable young man, he took the Baron's advice about the importance of wealth and money to heart, and therefore took advantage of an opportunity to ensure his financial stability. Lady Chiltern begs her husband to deny these accusations, but he does not, and moves towards her to console her. Cheveley is not welcome in her house. Lord Goring, however, in An Ideal Husband represents a significant development in Wilde's treatment of the dandy.

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An Ideal Husband Act II Summary and Analysis

an ideal husband analysis

After all, as Lord Goring remarks, almost all private fortune in society has come from dubious "speculation. Phipps is self-effacing and discreet. As he prepares to receive her and urge her to stand by her husband, Lord Goring is interrupted by a visit from his father. Chiltern is horrified to learn that Mrs. Those seem to be the only two fashionable religions left to us nowadays. What so many of Wilde's stage notes humorously suggest to the contrary is that "life imitates art. Late-nineteenth-century prison conditions were harsh and hard labor as a punishment was common.

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