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 preferred button holes than the politics that are happening in the world around him. Throughout London Lord Goring is known for his elegance, refusal to take anything seriously and for being the most determined man to stay single. These social traits of Lord Goring give the reader reason to believe that Lord Goring could be a homosexual, being repressed by the society he lives in. The movement known as Uranism which described the social phenomenon of homosexuality was at the time of Wilde's writing being largely rejected by the English Victorian society. Although by the end of the play after all Lord Caversham's conceited efforts to convince his son to get engaged to be m...