An Ideal Husband - Oscar Wilde
In the play an Ideal Husband by Oscar Wilde the reader examines a close relationship between political power and social acceptability. Through the interaction of a small group of characters the play embodies broad social and political issues that were occurring during the late 19th century in an English Victorian society. Lord Goring, Sir Robert Chiltern, Lady Chiltern and Mrs Chevely use their wealth to attain political and social respectability in a British aristocracy during the 1890's. Towards the end of the 19th century was the growth of the Aesthetic movement, this is symbolized in Wilde's play An Ideal Husband through the use of Dandyism and Decadents using the character Lord Goring to display this. Wilde defined Dandyism as "the assertion of the absolute modernity of Beauty" and to relate this to Lord Goring it emasculates his character dramatically. The movement recognises individual freedom and modernity challenging society's rules and reforms. Throughout the play Lord Goring goes against the social norm in this patriarchal society. He isn't married nor engaged, doesn't work or represent any political proceedings, he lives an upper class life of wealth and parties and is more worried about his appearance and prefer
when one has the winning card" in her case the winning card she thinks is the letter she has telling of Sir Robert Chiltern's past. Lady Chiltern and her husband both being apart of the political world reinforces her power and influence in this patriarchal society. During the late 19th century during the Victorian times in England, the British were an aristocracy. Chiltern in the play conforms to these social ideals even though he is morally corrupt due to his devious past, in which he gained his wealth through corrupt means to give him the opportunity to become an upper class citizen and an influential party in the political game, "Wealth has given me enormous power". The patriarchy of and upper class English society in the 1890's places the power and control in the hands of the men. She raises the issue of Sir Robert Chiltern and Lady Chiltern's immoral lives. red button holes than the politics that are happening in the world around him. The reader knows Mrs Chevely is wealthy due to her dress and she has come from Vienna because in those days the chance to travel was merely for the upper class only, those who could afford it. For example the whole way through the play the working class is absented making the reader aware at the real patriarchy of the Victorian society during the 1890's. They were there to act like the "perfect gentlemen" taking care of their wives and families. Being part of the political world sets upon Chiltern a great masculine image, as it was thought at the time that politics was indeed a man's world. For this era the amount of power Lady Chiltern has is very uncommon, women were there to be seen but not heard. Lady Chiltern challenges this as she is the leader of the woman's Liberal Association which endeavors towards womens rights in society. Lady Chiltern also exerts power over her husband when she finds out about his scandalous past. Politics to Lady Cheveley is a game, thinking the winners are the most deceitful and conniving people even though she says "one should always play fairly.
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Acceptance Essays
