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丕賲乇兀丞 亘賱丕 兀賴賲賷丞
Oscar Wilde's audacious drama of social scandal centres around the revelation of Mrs Arbuthnot's long-concealed secret. A house party is in full swing at Lady Hunstanton's country home, when it is announced that Gerald Arbuthnot has been appointed secretary to the sophisticated, witty Lord Illingworth. Gerald's mother stands in the way of his appointment, but fears to tell him why, for who will believe Lord Illingworth to be a man of no importance?
177 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1893
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About the author
Oscar Wilde
5,652听books37.7k听followersOscar Fingal O'Fflahertie Wills Wilde was an Irish poet and playwright. After writing in different forms throughout the 1880s, he became one of the most popular playwrights in London in the early 1890s. He is best remembered for his epigrams and plays, his novel The Picture of Dorian Gray, and his criminal conviction for gross indecency for homosexual acts.
Wilde's parents were Anglo-Irish intellectuals in Dublin. In his youth, Wilde learned to speak fluent French and German. At university, he read Greats; he demonstrated himself to be an exceptional classicist, first at Trinity College Dublin, then at Magdalen College, Oxford. He became associated with the emerging philosophy of aestheticism, led by two of his tutors, Walter Pater and John Ruskin. After university, Wilde moved to London into fashionable cultural and social circles.
Wilde tried his hand at various literary activities: he wrote a play, published a book of poems, lectured in the United States and Canada on "The English Renaissance" in art and interior decoration, and then returned to London where he lectured on his American travels and wrote reviews for various periodicals. Known for his biting wit, flamboyant dress and glittering conversational skill, Wilde became one of the best-known personalities of his day. At the turn of the 1890s, he refined his ideas about the supremacy of art in a series of dialogues and essays, and incorporated themes of decadence, duplicity, and beauty into what would be his only novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray (1890). Wilde returned to drama, writing Salome (1891) in French while in Paris, but it was refused a licence for England due to an absolute prohibition on the portrayal of Biblical subjects on the English stage. Undiscouraged, Wilde produced four society comedies in the early 1890s, which made him one of the most successful playwrights of late-Victorian London.
At the height of his fame and success, while An Ideal Husband (1895) and The Importance of Being Earnest (1895) were still being performed in London, Wilde issued a civil writ against John Sholto Douglas, the 9th Marquess of Queensberry for criminal libel. The Marquess was the father of Wilde's lover, Lord Alfred Douglas. The libel hearings unearthed evidence that caused Wilde to drop his charges and led to his own arrest and criminal prosecution for gross indecency with other males. The jury was unable to reach a verdict and so a retrial was ordered. In the second trial Wilde was convicted and sentenced to two years' hard labour, the maximum penalty, and was jailed from 1895 to 1897. During his last year in prison he wrote De Profundis (published posthumously in abridged form in 1905), a long letter that discusses his spiritual journey through his trials and is a dark counterpoint to his earlier philosophy of pleasure. On the day of his release, he caught the overnight steamer to France, never to return to Britain or Ireland. In France and Italy, he wrote his last work, The Ballad of Reading Gaol (1898), a long poem commemorating the harsh rhythms of prison life.
Wilde's parents were Anglo-Irish intellectuals in Dublin. In his youth, Wilde learned to speak fluent French and German. At university, he read Greats; he demonstrated himself to be an exceptional classicist, first at Trinity College Dublin, then at Magdalen College, Oxford. He became associated with the emerging philosophy of aestheticism, led by two of his tutors, Walter Pater and John Ruskin. After university, Wilde moved to London into fashionable cultural and social circles.
Wilde tried his hand at various literary activities: he wrote a play, published a book of poems, lectured in the United States and Canada on "The English Renaissance" in art and interior decoration, and then returned to London where he lectured on his American travels and wrote reviews for various periodicals. Known for his biting wit, flamboyant dress and glittering conversational skill, Wilde became one of the best-known personalities of his day. At the turn of the 1890s, he refined his ideas about the supremacy of art in a series of dialogues and essays, and incorporated themes of decadence, duplicity, and beauty into what would be his only novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray (1890). Wilde returned to drama, writing Salome (1891) in French while in Paris, but it was refused a licence for England due to an absolute prohibition on the portrayal of Biblical subjects on the English stage. Undiscouraged, Wilde produced four society comedies in the early 1890s, which made him one of the most successful playwrights of late-Victorian London.
At the height of his fame and success, while An Ideal Husband (1895) and The Importance of Being Earnest (1895) were still being performed in London, Wilde issued a civil writ against John Sholto Douglas, the 9th Marquess of Queensberry for criminal libel. The Marquess was the father of Wilde's lover, Lord Alfred Douglas. The libel hearings unearthed evidence that caused Wilde to drop his charges and led to his own arrest and criminal prosecution for gross indecency with other males. The jury was unable to reach a verdict and so a retrial was ordered. In the second trial Wilde was convicted and sentenced to two years' hard labour, the maximum penalty, and was jailed from 1895 to 1897. During his last year in prison he wrote De Profundis (published posthumously in abridged form in 1905), a long letter that discusses his spiritual journey through his trials and is a dark counterpoint to his earlier philosophy of pleasure. On the day of his release, he caught the overnight steamer to France, never to return to Britain or Ireland. In France and Italy, he wrote his last work, The Ballad of Reading Gaol (1898), a long poem commemorating the harsh rhythms of prison life.
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August 19, 2024
鈥淥ne should never trust a woman who tells one her real age. A woman who would tell one that, would tell one anything.鈥�
鈥淎fter a good dinner one can forgive anybody, even one鈥檚 own relations.鈥�
鈥淭o get into the best society, nowadays, one has either to feed people, amuse people, or shock people - that is all!鈥�
鈥淲e in the House of Lords are never in touch with public opinion. That makes us a civilised body.鈥�
Even if you have never come across these particular quotations before, you might be likely to guess correctly at their author. Oscar Wilde excelled in writing light and witty, drawing room satires, plays containing line after line such as these. However, his 1893 play A Woman of No Importance, is a curious mix of this type he wrote so well, and a more serious and bitter condemnation of social mores, which we would more readily expect from his contemporary fellow Irish playwright, George Bernard Shaw. Both authors lived partly during the Victorian era, when women had very few rights compared with men, and this is often highlighted in the plays of George Bernard Shaw, but not so often in Oscar Wilde鈥檚. With this play, Oscar Wilde too has decided to explore some of the double standards of the end of the nineteenth century.
However at the start of A Woman of No Importance, this is not yet apparent. We are on familiar territory: the drawing rooms and gardens of the rich and powerful, where Lord, Ladies, and occasionally members of the clergy meet to socialise and gossip about their contemporaries.
We are ready for drolleries and sizzling satire; we are ready for Oscar Wilde鈥檚 wickedly unkind put-downs, and we are not disappointed:
鈥淭he happiness of a married man depends on the people he has not married.鈥�
鈥淢en marry because they are tired; women because they are curious. Both are disappointed.鈥�
鈥淭alk to every woman as if you loved her, and to every man as if he bored you, and at the end of your first season you will have the reputation of possessing the most perfect social tact.鈥�
鈥淢y dear young lady, there was a great deal of truth; I dare say, in what you said, and you looked very pretty while you said it, which is much more important.鈥�
The First Act is set on the terrace at Hunstanton Chase. As the play opens, we meet Lady Caroline Pontefract on the garden terrace. A party is being held, and the privileged upper class guests are exchanging social gossip and small talk. Lady Caroline Pontefract enthusiastically holds forth, giving her opinion on everyone and everything in her social milieu. We become aware very quickly, that not only is she wealthy and a member of the aristocracy, but that she holds everyone else in disdain, and enjoys holding court and displaying her power to her own advantage.
Lady Caroline Pontefract, along with Lady Jane Hunstanton, is ostensibly welcoming Hester Worsley, a wealthy young American who is visiting England for the first time, but in fact she is using all her effort to criticise and make those around her feel as small and worthless as possible. She is certainly providing many amusing lines for the audience to appreciate. However the play is not really about her.
One of the people Lady Caroline denigrates is a young clerk, called Gerald Arbuthnot, but young Hester Worsley objects, defending him. This young American woman is remarkably direct and confident, compared with the English young ladies of her time and class. The audience sits up. We believe her straightforwardness, and as a consequence are interested to see this young man for ourselves.
Right on cue, Gerald Arbuthnot eagerly bursts in to inform the party that he has been made Lord Illingworth鈥檚 secretary. Lord Illingworth, we learn, is a powerful politician. This is exciting news for Gerald, affording him many prospects, as being Lord Illingworth鈥檚 secretary would potentially be his first step to a financially and politically successful life. Lady Hunstanton, unlike Lady Caroline, is pleased for Gerald and sends a letter through her footman inviting his mother to join their party at the estate. Mrs. Arbuthnot is highly regarded and has a great reputation in the community. The two young people, Gerald and Hester, leave the scene to go for a walk.
Lady Hunstanton and Lady Stutfield have been prompted by events to discuss Lord Illingworth鈥檚 ambitions to be a foreign ambassador, and they go on to gossip and criticise his immorality towards women, when Lord Illingworth himself proceeds to enter the terrace. The ladies quickly switch their focus, thanking him for hiring Gerald Arbuthnot, but Lord Illingworth mysteriously says that he had had a personal interest in hiring the young man.
We quickly deduce from his behaviour, that Lord Illingworth is unscrupulous and unprincipled. He is exceedingly flirtatious and cruel, using his power much in the way that Lady Caroline uses hers. He excels at witty bon mots, and is one of Oscar Wilde鈥檚 most watchable anti-heroes. There is an enjoyable lengthy scene between Lord Illingworth and a Mrs. Allonby, an equally quick-witted woman, who defies his overwhelming vanity. In his outrageous arrogance and flirtatiousness, Lord Illingworth claims he has such power over women, that he has never met a woman who could resist his advances. Mrs. Allonby therefore challenges him to make Hester Worsley, whom we have learned by now is eighteen and a Puritan, fall in love with him.
The First Act ends with a letter being received from Mrs. Arbuthnot, to say that she will arrive at the party after dinner. Lord Illingworth sees the reply by letter from Mrs. Arbuthnot lying on the table, and clearly recognises the handwriting. Evidently appalled, his reaction prompts Mrs. Allonby to ask curiously who she is, whereupon he dismissively replies, 鈥淎 woman of no importance.鈥�
The Second Act is set in the drawing room of the Hunstanton estate. Hester Worsley has been holding her own against the opinionated ladies in the party. They clearly find her honesty amusing and na茂ve, and according to their personalities, are either trying to be kind and direct her towards the accepted English way to behave in society, or maliciously mocking her. Hester is gradually disliking these ladies more and more, and becoming very contemptuous of their dissembling. The play is changing in tone, and we are aware that it is becoming far more serious. We are rapidly losing the wit of the drawing room comedy.
When Gerald鈥檚 mother, Mrs. Arbuthnot, enters, we learn an extraordinary and unexpected fact.
The scene becomes even more emotionally charged when Mrs. Arbuthnot begs him to leave her son alone, saying that Gerald is all she has,
鈥淕eorge don鈥檛 take my son away from me. I have had twenty years of sorrow, and I have had only one thing to love me, only one thing to love. You have had a life of joy, and pleasure, and success.鈥�
Lord Illingworth callously refuses, saying that Gerald should be able to choose his own future. When Gerald enters, Lord Illingworth reiterates that he is immensely pleased with his choice, and that Gerald has the highest qualities that he had hoped for in a secretary. Mrs. Arbuthnot now begs her son not to take the advantageous position he has been offered, but refuses to reveal why. Gerald can see no reason to refuse this opportunity, and furthermore is very irritated with his mother鈥檚 seemingly inexplicable dislike of Lord Illingworth. Lord Illingworth pushes his advantage home, demanding that she explain to both of them, any possible reason she might have to protest against this golden opportunity for her son. Mrs. Arbuthnot is defeated. Mrs. Arbuthnot, greatly troubled, says that she has no other reason. The play has now become a savage indictment of the double standards of Victorian morality.
Act Three takes place in the Hall at Hunstanton Chase. Lord Illingworth is victorious. We watch as he maliciously uses Gerald鈥檚 confiding in him to his own despicable advantage. Gerald evidently trusts his future employer, and seeks his advice about his mother. He says how much he admires her and wishes to protect her. He expresses to Lord Illingworth what a great woman she is, and wonders aloud why she has never told him of his father. Lord Illingworth uses this as an opportunity to promote his cynical views that even 鈥済reat women鈥� have limitations which inhibit the natural desires of young men. Lord Illingworth boastfully points out that he has never been married, and holds forth about society and morality, promising that he will introduce Gerald to new opportunities, and by implication a promiscuous and exciting new life. We see, through his depiction, that Victorian men were forgiven for their moral indiscretions, whereas society would thoroughly condemn women for similar actions, which would inevitable be judged and condemned as moral failings.
When the other guests enter, Lord Illingworth capitalises on his success, entertaining them (and us) with his outrageous and shocking views on society. By now the audience loathes this man, yet in common with the company he is lecturing, we hold a secret admiration for his wit. Mrs. Arbuthnot says she would be sorry to hold such appalling views,
Gerald still clearly admires Lord Illingworth, and fully intends to go to India with him at the end of the month, despite his mother鈥檚 earlier pleas. Mrs. Arbuthnot, left alone with Hester, tries to rekindle the previous conversation about the position of women. It seems as though she is attempting to sound out Hester鈥檚 views. Indeed, Hester has very strong opinions about the double standards employed towards the men who unthinkingly impregnate women, and can then deny all knowledge, and the women who are then scorned and condemned by society. However, she does not believe that women are free of blame, roundly condemning both,
鈥淚t is right that they should be punished, but don鈥檛 let them be the only ones to suffer. If a man and woman have sinned, let them both go forth into the desert to love or loathe each other there. Let them both be branded. Set a mark, if you wish, on each, but don鈥檛 punish the one and let the other go free. Don鈥檛 have one law for men and another for women.鈥�
The scene ends inconclusively, with Gerald taking his mother home, and Hester leaving on her own.
Act Four, the Final Act, has a very subdued feel. Gone is the bright sparkle of the play鈥檚 witty opening scene; gone is the drama of unfolding events. It takes place in the sitting room in Mrs. Arbuthnot鈥檚 house in Wrockley. Gerald is writing a letter
A Woman of No Importance is a strange meld that does not quite work. It starts as a comedy of society: a social drawing room satire, with the familiar types of epigrams, such as,
鈥淭he youth of America is their oldest tradition鈥�
and aphorisms such as,
鈥淢en marry because they are tired; women because they are curious. Both are disappointed鈥�
鈥淒uty is what one expects from others, it is not what one does oneself鈥�
and paraprosdokians, such as,
鈥淚t is perfectly monstrous the way people go about, nowadays, saying things against one behind one鈥檚 back that are absolutely and entirely true.鈥�
This deliciously wicked type of disingenuous writing is what we associate most with Oscar Wilde. Increasingly however, this play becomes more about the dark side of the Victorian era: a time of great moral hypocrisy where double standards were the norm. The 鈥淧oor Law鈥� of the 19th century in Great Britain, included a 鈥淏astardy Clause鈥�, which made illegitimate children the sole responsibility of their mothers until they were 16 years old. If mothers of such children were unable to support themselves and their offspring, they would have to enter the workhouse. The fathers of such children had no responsibility in Law. The reasoning behind this, was the idea that this law would teach women to be more moral. Our modern sympathies are more inclined to rest with the abandoned women who have been left destitute.
Yet the most appealing characters by far are those who embody this hypocrisy: Lord Illingworth and, to a lesser extent, Lady Caroline. It is they who provide our most enjoyable entertainment. Sadly, the characters in the play with whom we have most sympathy, who are upstanding, truthful and just, come across as boring and dull. Hester Worsley is one of the strongest characters in the play, and it is her voice which echoes Oscar Wilde鈥檚 own opinions and indictments against some of the attitudes of his day.
鈥淵ou love the beauty that you can see and touch and handle, the beauty that you can destroy, and do destroy, but of the unseen beauty of life, of the unseen beauty of a higher life, you know nothing. You lost life鈥檚 secret.鈥�
鈥淵ou shut out from your society the gentle and the good. You laugh at the simple and the pure. living, as you all do, on other and by them, you need at self-sacrifice, and if you throw bread to the poor, it is merely to keep them quiet for a season.鈥�
鈥淵ou are unjust to women in England. And till you count what is a a shame in a woman to be an infamy in a man, you will always be unjust, and Right, that pillar of fire, and Wrong, that pillar of cloud, will be made dim to your eyes, or be not seen at all, or if seen, not regarded.鈥�
Worthy she may be, passionate she certainly is, but neither she nor Mrs. Arbuthnot are at all appealing. Neither is Gerald Arbuthnot; he is merely weak. Even the drollery and waspishness of the minor characters is more enjoyable to watch than Hester鈥檚 droning moral monologues.
In a play which is clearly intended to be persuasive, it is a mistake to make the immoral anti-hero quite so witty, intelligent and charming. Perhaps Oscar Wilde could not resist the temptation. But what this ends up as is a competition in dialogue between Lord Henry Wotton鈥檚 wit in 鈥淭he Picture of Dorian Gray鈥� and the earnest missionary zeal of Barbara Undershaft in George Bernard Shaw鈥檚 鈥淢ajor Barbara鈥�. Sadly it loses focus, and falls between the two.
Interestingly Oscar Wilde reworked some of the dialogue from this one in his later plays. For instance, in one scene, Lord Illingworth and Mrs. Allonby share the line,
鈥淎ll women become like their mothers. That is their tragedy.鈥�
鈥淣o man does. That is his.鈥�
The character of Algernon was to make the same remark in the incomparable 鈥淭he Importance of Being Earnest鈥�. Perhaps, after all, Oscar Wilde himself thought of this as a lesser play, and one which had not quite succeeded as he would have wished.
鈥淎fter a good dinner one can forgive anybody, even one鈥檚 own relations.鈥�
鈥淭o get into the best society, nowadays, one has either to feed people, amuse people, or shock people - that is all!鈥�
鈥淲e in the House of Lords are never in touch with public opinion. That makes us a civilised body.鈥�
Even if you have never come across these particular quotations before, you might be likely to guess correctly at their author. Oscar Wilde excelled in writing light and witty, drawing room satires, plays containing line after line such as these. However, his 1893 play A Woman of No Importance, is a curious mix of this type he wrote so well, and a more serious and bitter condemnation of social mores, which we would more readily expect from his contemporary fellow Irish playwright, George Bernard Shaw. Both authors lived partly during the Victorian era, when women had very few rights compared with men, and this is often highlighted in the plays of George Bernard Shaw, but not so often in Oscar Wilde鈥檚. With this play, Oscar Wilde too has decided to explore some of the double standards of the end of the nineteenth century.
However at the start of A Woman of No Importance, this is not yet apparent. We are on familiar territory: the drawing rooms and gardens of the rich and powerful, where Lord, Ladies, and occasionally members of the clergy meet to socialise and gossip about their contemporaries.
We are ready for drolleries and sizzling satire; we are ready for Oscar Wilde鈥檚 wickedly unkind put-downs, and we are not disappointed:
鈥淭he happiness of a married man depends on the people he has not married.鈥�
鈥淢en marry because they are tired; women because they are curious. Both are disappointed.鈥�
鈥淭alk to every woman as if you loved her, and to every man as if he bored you, and at the end of your first season you will have the reputation of possessing the most perfect social tact.鈥�
鈥淢y dear young lady, there was a great deal of truth; I dare say, in what you said, and you looked very pretty while you said it, which is much more important.鈥�
The First Act is set on the terrace at Hunstanton Chase. As the play opens, we meet Lady Caroline Pontefract on the garden terrace. A party is being held, and the privileged upper class guests are exchanging social gossip and small talk. Lady Caroline Pontefract enthusiastically holds forth, giving her opinion on everyone and everything in her social milieu. We become aware very quickly, that not only is she wealthy and a member of the aristocracy, but that she holds everyone else in disdain, and enjoys holding court and displaying her power to her own advantage.
Lady Caroline Pontefract, along with Lady Jane Hunstanton, is ostensibly welcoming Hester Worsley, a wealthy young American who is visiting England for the first time, but in fact she is using all her effort to criticise and make those around her feel as small and worthless as possible. She is certainly providing many amusing lines for the audience to appreciate. However the play is not really about her.
One of the people Lady Caroline denigrates is a young clerk, called Gerald Arbuthnot, but young Hester Worsley objects, defending him. This young American woman is remarkably direct and confident, compared with the English young ladies of her time and class. The audience sits up. We believe her straightforwardness, and as a consequence are interested to see this young man for ourselves.
Right on cue, Gerald Arbuthnot eagerly bursts in to inform the party that he has been made Lord Illingworth鈥檚 secretary. Lord Illingworth, we learn, is a powerful politician. This is exciting news for Gerald, affording him many prospects, as being Lord Illingworth鈥檚 secretary would potentially be his first step to a financially and politically successful life. Lady Hunstanton, unlike Lady Caroline, is pleased for Gerald and sends a letter through her footman inviting his mother to join their party at the estate. Mrs. Arbuthnot is highly regarded and has a great reputation in the community. The two young people, Gerald and Hester, leave the scene to go for a walk.
Lady Hunstanton and Lady Stutfield have been prompted by events to discuss Lord Illingworth鈥檚 ambitions to be a foreign ambassador, and they go on to gossip and criticise his immorality towards women, when Lord Illingworth himself proceeds to enter the terrace. The ladies quickly switch their focus, thanking him for hiring Gerald Arbuthnot, but Lord Illingworth mysteriously says that he had had a personal interest in hiring the young man.
We quickly deduce from his behaviour, that Lord Illingworth is unscrupulous and unprincipled. He is exceedingly flirtatious and cruel, using his power much in the way that Lady Caroline uses hers. He excels at witty bon mots, and is one of Oscar Wilde鈥檚 most watchable anti-heroes. There is an enjoyable lengthy scene between Lord Illingworth and a Mrs. Allonby, an equally quick-witted woman, who defies his overwhelming vanity. In his outrageous arrogance and flirtatiousness, Lord Illingworth claims he has such power over women, that he has never met a woman who could resist his advances. Mrs. Allonby therefore challenges him to make Hester Worsley, whom we have learned by now is eighteen and a Puritan, fall in love with him.
The First Act ends with a letter being received from Mrs. Arbuthnot, to say that she will arrive at the party after dinner. Lord Illingworth sees the reply by letter from Mrs. Arbuthnot lying on the table, and clearly recognises the handwriting. Evidently appalled, his reaction prompts Mrs. Allonby to ask curiously who she is, whereupon he dismissively replies, 鈥淎 woman of no importance.鈥�
The Second Act is set in the drawing room of the Hunstanton estate. Hester Worsley has been holding her own against the opinionated ladies in the party. They clearly find her honesty amusing and na茂ve, and according to their personalities, are either trying to be kind and direct her towards the accepted English way to behave in society, or maliciously mocking her. Hester is gradually disliking these ladies more and more, and becoming very contemptuous of their dissembling. The play is changing in tone, and we are aware that it is becoming far more serious. We are rapidly losing the wit of the drawing room comedy.
When Gerald鈥檚 mother, Mrs. Arbuthnot, enters, we learn an extraordinary and unexpected fact.
The scene becomes even more emotionally charged when Mrs. Arbuthnot begs him to leave her son alone, saying that Gerald is all she has,
鈥淕eorge don鈥檛 take my son away from me. I have had twenty years of sorrow, and I have had only one thing to love me, only one thing to love. You have had a life of joy, and pleasure, and success.鈥�
Lord Illingworth callously refuses, saying that Gerald should be able to choose his own future. When Gerald enters, Lord Illingworth reiterates that he is immensely pleased with his choice, and that Gerald has the highest qualities that he had hoped for in a secretary. Mrs. Arbuthnot now begs her son not to take the advantageous position he has been offered, but refuses to reveal why. Gerald can see no reason to refuse this opportunity, and furthermore is very irritated with his mother鈥檚 seemingly inexplicable dislike of Lord Illingworth. Lord Illingworth pushes his advantage home, demanding that she explain to both of them, any possible reason she might have to protest against this golden opportunity for her son. Mrs. Arbuthnot is defeated. Mrs. Arbuthnot, greatly troubled, says that she has no other reason. The play has now become a savage indictment of the double standards of Victorian morality.
Act Three takes place in the Hall at Hunstanton Chase. Lord Illingworth is victorious. We watch as he maliciously uses Gerald鈥檚 confiding in him to his own despicable advantage. Gerald evidently trusts his future employer, and seeks his advice about his mother. He says how much he admires her and wishes to protect her. He expresses to Lord Illingworth what a great woman she is, and wonders aloud why she has never told him of his father. Lord Illingworth uses this as an opportunity to promote his cynical views that even 鈥済reat women鈥� have limitations which inhibit the natural desires of young men. Lord Illingworth boastfully points out that he has never been married, and holds forth about society and morality, promising that he will introduce Gerald to new opportunities, and by implication a promiscuous and exciting new life. We see, through his depiction, that Victorian men were forgiven for their moral indiscretions, whereas society would thoroughly condemn women for similar actions, which would inevitable be judged and condemned as moral failings.
When the other guests enter, Lord Illingworth capitalises on his success, entertaining them (and us) with his outrageous and shocking views on society. By now the audience loathes this man, yet in common with the company he is lecturing, we hold a secret admiration for his wit. Mrs. Arbuthnot says she would be sorry to hold such appalling views,
Gerald still clearly admires Lord Illingworth, and fully intends to go to India with him at the end of the month, despite his mother鈥檚 earlier pleas. Mrs. Arbuthnot, left alone with Hester, tries to rekindle the previous conversation about the position of women. It seems as though she is attempting to sound out Hester鈥檚 views. Indeed, Hester has very strong opinions about the double standards employed towards the men who unthinkingly impregnate women, and can then deny all knowledge, and the women who are then scorned and condemned by society. However, she does not believe that women are free of blame, roundly condemning both,
鈥淚t is right that they should be punished, but don鈥檛 let them be the only ones to suffer. If a man and woman have sinned, let them both go forth into the desert to love or loathe each other there. Let them both be branded. Set a mark, if you wish, on each, but don鈥檛 punish the one and let the other go free. Don鈥檛 have one law for men and another for women.鈥�
The scene ends inconclusively, with Gerald taking his mother home, and Hester leaving on her own.
Act Four, the Final Act, has a very subdued feel. Gone is the bright sparkle of the play鈥檚 witty opening scene; gone is the drama of unfolding events. It takes place in the sitting room in Mrs. Arbuthnot鈥檚 house in Wrockley. Gerald is writing a letter
A Woman of No Importance is a strange meld that does not quite work. It starts as a comedy of society: a social drawing room satire, with the familiar types of epigrams, such as,
鈥淭he youth of America is their oldest tradition鈥�
and aphorisms such as,
鈥淢en marry because they are tired; women because they are curious. Both are disappointed鈥�
鈥淒uty is what one expects from others, it is not what one does oneself鈥�
and paraprosdokians, such as,
鈥淚t is perfectly monstrous the way people go about, nowadays, saying things against one behind one鈥檚 back that are absolutely and entirely true.鈥�
This deliciously wicked type of disingenuous writing is what we associate most with Oscar Wilde. Increasingly however, this play becomes more about the dark side of the Victorian era: a time of great moral hypocrisy where double standards were the norm. The 鈥淧oor Law鈥� of the 19th century in Great Britain, included a 鈥淏astardy Clause鈥�, which made illegitimate children the sole responsibility of their mothers until they were 16 years old. If mothers of such children were unable to support themselves and their offspring, they would have to enter the workhouse. The fathers of such children had no responsibility in Law. The reasoning behind this, was the idea that this law would teach women to be more moral. Our modern sympathies are more inclined to rest with the abandoned women who have been left destitute.
Yet the most appealing characters by far are those who embody this hypocrisy: Lord Illingworth and, to a lesser extent, Lady Caroline. It is they who provide our most enjoyable entertainment. Sadly, the characters in the play with whom we have most sympathy, who are upstanding, truthful and just, come across as boring and dull. Hester Worsley is one of the strongest characters in the play, and it is her voice which echoes Oscar Wilde鈥檚 own opinions and indictments against some of the attitudes of his day.
鈥淵ou love the beauty that you can see and touch and handle, the beauty that you can destroy, and do destroy, but of the unseen beauty of life, of the unseen beauty of a higher life, you know nothing. You lost life鈥檚 secret.鈥�
鈥淵ou shut out from your society the gentle and the good. You laugh at the simple and the pure. living, as you all do, on other and by them, you need at self-sacrifice, and if you throw bread to the poor, it is merely to keep them quiet for a season.鈥�
鈥淵ou are unjust to women in England. And till you count what is a a shame in a woman to be an infamy in a man, you will always be unjust, and Right, that pillar of fire, and Wrong, that pillar of cloud, will be made dim to your eyes, or be not seen at all, or if seen, not regarded.鈥�
Worthy she may be, passionate she certainly is, but neither she nor Mrs. Arbuthnot are at all appealing. Neither is Gerald Arbuthnot; he is merely weak. Even the drollery and waspishness of the minor characters is more enjoyable to watch than Hester鈥檚 droning moral monologues.
In a play which is clearly intended to be persuasive, it is a mistake to make the immoral anti-hero quite so witty, intelligent and charming. Perhaps Oscar Wilde could not resist the temptation. But what this ends up as is a competition in dialogue between Lord Henry Wotton鈥檚 wit in 鈥淭he Picture of Dorian Gray鈥� and the earnest missionary zeal of Barbara Undershaft in George Bernard Shaw鈥檚 鈥淢ajor Barbara鈥�. Sadly it loses focus, and falls between the two.
Interestingly Oscar Wilde reworked some of the dialogue from this one in his later plays. For instance, in one scene, Lord Illingworth and Mrs. Allonby share the line,
鈥淎ll women become like their mothers. That is their tragedy.鈥�
鈥淣o man does. That is his.鈥�
The character of Algernon was to make the same remark in the incomparable 鈥淭he Importance of Being Earnest鈥�. Perhaps, after all, Oscar Wilde himself thought of this as a lesser play, and one which had not quite succeeded as he would have wished.
July 6, 2022
賲爻乇丨賷丞 賱賱賰丕鬲亘 丕賱兀賷乇賱賳丿賷 丕賱卮賴賷乇 兀賵爻賰丕乇 賵丕賷賱丿 賳卮乇鬲 毓丕賲 1894
氐賵乇丞 賱賱胤亘賯丞 丕賱孬乇賷丞 賮賷 丕賱賲噩鬲賲毓 丕賱丕賳噩賱賷夭賷 賮賷 丕賱賯乇賳 丕賱鬲丕爻毓 毓卮乇
賷毓乇囟 賵丕賷賱丿 賲賳 禺賱丕賱賴丕 亘毓囟 馗賵丕賴乇, 賲丕 夭丕賱鬲 賲賵噩賵丿丞 賮賷 丕賱毓氐乇 丕賱丨丕賱賷
毓丕賱賲 丕賱賲丕賱 賵丕賱賲購鬲毓 賵丕賱丨賮賱丕鬲, 丕賱兀賮賰丕乇 丕賱賮丕乇睾丞 賵丕賱孬乇孬乇丞 毓賳 丕賱賮囟丕卅丨
賳馗乇丞 丕賱丕爻鬲毓賱丕亍 丕賱鬲賷 賷賳馗乇 亘賴丕 丕賱兀孬乇賷丕亍 丕賱賲購乇賮賴賷賳 賱賱胤亘賯丕鬲 丕賱賮賯賷乇丞
賵丕賱兀賴賲 丕賱賲毓丕賷賷乇 丕賱賲夭丿賵噩丞 賮賷 丕賱丨賰賲 毓賱賶 丕賱乇噩賱 賵丕賱賲乇兀丞 賮賷 丨丕賱丞 丕賱毓賱丕賯丞 睾賷乇 丕賱卮乇毓賷丞
賮鬲鬲丨賲賱 丕賱賲乇兀丞 賵丨丿賴丕 丕賱賲爻卅賵賱賷丞 丕賱兀禺賱丕賯賷丞 賵丕賱廿丿丕賳丞 丕賱賲噩鬲賲毓賷丞
氐賵乇丞 賱賱胤亘賯丞 丕賱孬乇賷丞 賮賷 丕賱賲噩鬲賲毓 丕賱丕賳噩賱賷夭賷 賮賷 丕賱賯乇賳 丕賱鬲丕爻毓 毓卮乇
賷毓乇囟 賵丕賷賱丿 賲賳 禺賱丕賱賴丕 亘毓囟 馗賵丕賴乇, 賲丕 夭丕賱鬲 賲賵噩賵丿丞 賮賷 丕賱毓氐乇 丕賱丨丕賱賷
毓丕賱賲 丕賱賲丕賱 賵丕賱賲購鬲毓 賵丕賱丨賮賱丕鬲, 丕賱兀賮賰丕乇 丕賱賮丕乇睾丞 賵丕賱孬乇孬乇丞 毓賳 丕賱賮囟丕卅丨
賳馗乇丞 丕賱丕爻鬲毓賱丕亍 丕賱鬲賷 賷賳馗乇 亘賴丕 丕賱兀孬乇賷丕亍 丕賱賲購乇賮賴賷賳 賱賱胤亘賯丕鬲 丕賱賮賯賷乇丞
賵丕賱兀賴賲 丕賱賲毓丕賷賷乇 丕賱賲夭丿賵噩丞 賮賷 丕賱丨賰賲 毓賱賶 丕賱乇噩賱 賵丕賱賲乇兀丞 賮賷 丨丕賱丞 丕賱毓賱丕賯丞 睾賷乇 丕賱卮乇毓賷丞
賮鬲鬲丨賲賱 丕賱賲乇兀丞 賵丨丿賴丕 丕賱賲爻卅賵賱賷丞 丕賱兀禺賱丕賯賷丞 賵丕賱廿丿丕賳丞 丕賱賲噩鬲賲毓賷丞
May 5, 2020
It was really hard for me to get into this play. Not sure if it's because of the pandemic but initially I found that there were too many "bit" characters to keep track of. Realized, after getting into the play and focusing more on the play, that the many characters weren't really "that" important. Oh, they did add to the play, to show how snobby they were but really the main characters, Miss Hestor Worsley, Mrs. Arbuthnot, Lord Illingworth and Gerald Arbuthnot are the play.
Very enjoyable! Four stars!
Very enjoyable! Four stars!
May 16, 2024
- 賲爻乇丨賷丞 丕賳胤亘丕毓賷丞貙 爻丕禺乇丞 賵賳丕賯丿丞 亘卮賰賱 賱丕匕毓 賱賱胤亘賯丞 丕賱賲禺賲賱賷丞 賮賷 丕賳賰賱鬲乇丞 廿亘賾丕賳 丕賱賲乇丨賱丞 丕賱賮賰鬲賵乇賷丞.
- 丕賱賲爻乇丨賷丞 毓賱賶 丕乇亘毓丞 賮氐賵賱貙 鬲卮賰賱 24 爻丕毓丞 賲賳 丨賷丕丞 丕卮禺丕氐賴丕 賱賰賳賴丕 鬲爻鬲毓賷丿 賲賳 丕賱賲丕囟賷 丕賱賯氐丞 丕賵 丕賱毓賯丿丞 丕賱兀爻丕爻賷丞貙 鬲丨乇賾賰賴丕 賮賷 丕賱丨丕囟乇 賲丨丕賵賱丞賸 乇爻賲 丕賱賲爻鬲賯亘賱 亘賷賳 丕賳丕爻 賯丿賷爻賷賳 賵丕賳丕爻 丌孬賲賷賳!
- 丕賱賲爻乇丨賷丞 鬲毓賯丿 丕賱賰孬賷乇 賲賳 丕賱賲賯丕亘賱丕鬲: 丕賱毓賴丿 丕賱賯丿賷賲/丕賱毓賴丿 丕賱噩丿賷丿貙 丕賱睾賳賶/丕賱賮賯乇貙 丕賱毓亘賵丿賷丞/丕賱鬲丨乇乇貙 丕賱毓賲賯/丕賱爻胤丨賷丞貙 丕賱賯丿丕爻丞/丕賱廿孬賲貙 丕賱丨賯/丕賱亘丕胤賱貙... 賵毓賱賶 賴匕賴 丕賱鬲賳丕賯囟丕鬲 賷賳爻噩 丕賵爻賰丕乇 賵丕賷賱丿 爻禺乇賷鬲賴 賵賳賯丿賴 賱鬲賱賰 丕賱賲乇丨賱丞 丕賵 賱鬲賱賰 丕賱胤亘賯丞 丕賱賲爻胤丨丞 丕賱亘乇噩賵丕夭賷丞. 丕賱丨賵丕乇丕鬲 丕賱鬲賷 賳爻噩賴丕 賰丕賳鬲 噩賷丿丞 噩丿丕賸貙 睾賳賷丞貙 賵丕爻毓丞 賵賲囟丨賰丞 賮賷 丕賱毓丿賷丿 賲賳 丕賱兀賲丕賰賳!
- 丕賱賳賴丕賷丞 丕賮賱丕胤賵賳賷丞貙 賮丕賱賲爻乇丨賷丞 丕賳鬲氐乇鬲 賱賱丨賯貙 賱賱賲丨亘丞 賵賱賱毓夭丞. 賵丕賱丨丿賷孬 丕賱匕賷 丕亘鬲丿兀 亘賭 "丕賲乇兀丞 亘賱丕 丕賴賲賷丞" 丕賳鬲賴賶 亘賭 "乇噩賱 亘賱丕 丕賴賲賷丞".
丕賰孬乇 丕賱廿賯鬲亘丕爻丕鬲 毓賲賯丕賸貙 亘乇兀賷賷貙 賰丕賳:
"丕賱賮乇賯 丕賱賵丨賷丿 亘賷賳 丕賱賯丿賷爻 賵丕賱兀孬賷賲 賴賵 丕賳 賰賱 賯丿賷爻 賱丿賷賴 賲丕囟賺貙 丕賲丕 賰賱 兀孬賷賲 賮賱賴 賲爻鬲賯亘賱"
賲賱丕丨馗丞: 賱丕 鬲賯乇兀賵丕 賲賯丿賲丞 丕賱賲鬲乇噩賲 賱兀賳賴 賷賱禺賾氐 丕賱賲爻乇丨賷丞 賵賷丨乇賯 "丿賷賳" 丕賱兀丨丿丕孬 賱爻亘亘 賱丕 夭賱鬲 丕噩賴賱賴!!!!
- 丕賱賲爻乇丨賷丞 毓賱賶 丕乇亘毓丞 賮氐賵賱貙 鬲卮賰賱 24 爻丕毓丞 賲賳 丨賷丕丞 丕卮禺丕氐賴丕 賱賰賳賴丕 鬲爻鬲毓賷丿 賲賳 丕賱賲丕囟賷 丕賱賯氐丞 丕賵 丕賱毓賯丿丞 丕賱兀爻丕爻賷丞貙 鬲丨乇賾賰賴丕 賮賷 丕賱丨丕囟乇 賲丨丕賵賱丞賸 乇爻賲 丕賱賲爻鬲賯亘賱 亘賷賳 丕賳丕爻 賯丿賷爻賷賳 賵丕賳丕爻 丌孬賲賷賳!
- 丕賱賲爻乇丨賷丞 鬲毓賯丿 丕賱賰孬賷乇 賲賳 丕賱賲賯丕亘賱丕鬲: 丕賱毓賴丿 丕賱賯丿賷賲/丕賱毓賴丿 丕賱噩丿賷丿貙 丕賱睾賳賶/丕賱賮賯乇貙 丕賱毓亘賵丿賷丞/丕賱鬲丨乇乇貙 丕賱毓賲賯/丕賱爻胤丨賷丞貙 丕賱賯丿丕爻丞/丕賱廿孬賲貙 丕賱丨賯/丕賱亘丕胤賱貙... 賵毓賱賶 賴匕賴 丕賱鬲賳丕賯囟丕鬲 賷賳爻噩 丕賵爻賰丕乇 賵丕賷賱丿 爻禺乇賷鬲賴 賵賳賯丿賴 賱鬲賱賰 丕賱賲乇丨賱丞 丕賵 賱鬲賱賰 丕賱胤亘賯丞 丕賱賲爻胤丨丞 丕賱亘乇噩賵丕夭賷丞. 丕賱丨賵丕乇丕鬲 丕賱鬲賷 賳爻噩賴丕 賰丕賳鬲 噩賷丿丞 噩丿丕賸貙 睾賳賷丞貙 賵丕爻毓丞 賵賲囟丨賰丞 賮賷 丕賱毓丿賷丿 賲賳 丕賱兀賲丕賰賳!
- 丕賱賳賴丕賷丞 丕賮賱丕胤賵賳賷丞貙 賮丕賱賲爻乇丨賷丞 丕賳鬲氐乇鬲 賱賱丨賯貙 賱賱賲丨亘丞 賵賱賱毓夭丞. 賵丕賱丨丿賷孬 丕賱匕賷 丕亘鬲丿兀 亘賭 "丕賲乇兀丞 亘賱丕 丕賴賲賷丞" 丕賳鬲賴賶 亘賭 "乇噩賱 亘賱丕 丕賴賲賷丞".
丕賰孬乇 丕賱廿賯鬲亘丕爻丕鬲 毓賲賯丕賸貙 亘乇兀賷賷貙 賰丕賳:
"丕賱賮乇賯 丕賱賵丨賷丿 亘賷賳 丕賱賯丿賷爻 賵丕賱兀孬賷賲 賴賵 丕賳 賰賱 賯丿賷爻 賱丿賷賴 賲丕囟賺貙 丕賲丕 賰賱 兀孬賷賲 賮賱賴 賲爻鬲賯亘賱"
賲賱丕丨馗丞: 賱丕 鬲賯乇兀賵丕 賲賯丿賲丞 丕賱賲鬲乇噩賲 賱兀賳賴 賷賱禺賾氐 丕賱賲爻乇丨賷丞 賵賷丨乇賯 "丿賷賳" 丕賱兀丨丿丕孬 賱爻亘亘 賱丕 夭賱鬲 丕噩賴賱賴!!!!
June 1, 2022
Obra de teatro. Cr铆tica a la sociedad inglesa de la 茅poca. Con iron铆a, Wilde critica la falta de moralidad, la frivolidad y el aburguesamiento de las clases altas.
El inicio es un poco lento, pero hay un hecho que desencadena la situaci贸n y la lectura coge mucho ritmo.
Tiene pasajes verdaderamente brillantes, propios del genio de Oscar Wilde.
Play. Criticism of the English society of the time. With irony, Wilde criticizes the lack of morality, frivolity, and gentrification of the upper classes.
The beginning is a bit slow, but there is a fact that triggers the situation and the reading gets very fast.
It has truly brilliant passages, typical of the genius of Oscar Wilde.
El inicio es un poco lento, pero hay un hecho que desencadena la situaci贸n y la lectura coge mucho ritmo.
Tiene pasajes verdaderamente brillantes, propios del genio de Oscar Wilde.
Play. Criticism of the English society of the time. With irony, Wilde criticizes the lack of morality, frivolity, and gentrification of the upper classes.
The beginning is a bit slow, but there is a fact that triggers the situation and the reading gets very fast.
It has truly brilliant passages, typical of the genius of Oscar Wilde.
December 26, 2023
A Woman of No Importance is yet another drawing-room play by Oscar Wilde, where he satirizes the morals, hypocritical conventions, and general views and conduct of Victorian upper-class society. Oscar Wilde was fiercely critical of the hypocrisy of the upper-class social norms and created some celebrated drawing-room plays to show the shallowness of the noble and rich. In this play, however, while keeping to his general social satire, Wilde has based his theme on social and legal injustice regarding dishonoured women and illegitimate children. It is quite shocking how the law and society of his day put the blame on women for their dishonour while overlooking the fact that a man's deception also has contributed towards the act. While the trusting woman was punished and suffered, the man who deceived and forsook her was pardoned and free. It is said that this social and legal position was upheld to deter women from committing sin, but one can see its falsity right through. It is the men creating laws and social rules for their protection and to the detriment of women. And this sensitive theme is what Oscar Wilde exposes through the story of Mrs. Arbuthnot, "a woman of no importance".
The story was quite touching. And we can feel Wilde's sympathy for "fallen women". I greatly enjoyed how Wilde turned the tables to show that, after all, it is the notorious Lord Illingworth who is not the important one and not Mrs. Arbuthnot. However, the story, though very moving, had to be pulled out from the rest of the social commentary. The two went their separate ways although thinly connected by the characters. This lack of interconnection was felt strongly in the opening Acts, making them slow-moving. And the lackluster tone doesn't help either. The crucial turn at the end of the second Act got the story moving, yet the overall vibrancy, which is so characteristic of Wilde's drawing-room plays, was lacking here. There is enough wit and satire, of course, to keep the reader entertained. But the preachy undertone, which was quite uncharacteristic of him, was tedious. In most of his drawing-room plays, Wilde has maintained his characteristic exuberance even though the subject matter is grave. But in this play, it was to some extent replaced by a somber ambiance.
Nevertheless, this is Oscar Wilde we are talking about, one of the wittiest playwrights of classical literature. So, one cannot find too many faults in a work of art by such a genius. All remarks here are made comparatively. And in this comparative light, A Woman of No Importance is perhaps the weakest drawing-room play by Oscar Wilde.
The story was quite touching. And we can feel Wilde's sympathy for "fallen women". I greatly enjoyed how Wilde turned the tables to show that, after all, it is the notorious Lord Illingworth who is not the important one and not Mrs. Arbuthnot. However, the story, though very moving, had to be pulled out from the rest of the social commentary. The two went their separate ways although thinly connected by the characters. This lack of interconnection was felt strongly in the opening Acts, making them slow-moving. And the lackluster tone doesn't help either. The crucial turn at the end of the second Act got the story moving, yet the overall vibrancy, which is so characteristic of Wilde's drawing-room plays, was lacking here. There is enough wit and satire, of course, to keep the reader entertained. But the preachy undertone, which was quite uncharacteristic of him, was tedious. In most of his drawing-room plays, Wilde has maintained his characteristic exuberance even though the subject matter is grave. But in this play, it was to some extent replaced by a somber ambiance.
Nevertheless, this is Oscar Wilde we are talking about, one of the wittiest playwrights of classical literature. So, one cannot find too many faults in a work of art by such a genius. All remarks here are made comparatively. And in this comparative light, A Woman of No Importance is perhaps the weakest drawing-room play by Oscar Wilde.
October 19, 2019
I absolutely love this play. So compelling, witty and nuanced - I love the social criticism and the ending. Such a great play.
November 14, 2023
A Woman of No Importance is not Oscar Wilde's most renowned play, but it is potentially my favourite. This takes place in one location, in one dat at an upper-class dinner party. Oscar Wilde builds tension with the twists and turns, and explores the constraints of social behaviour in the 19th century with absolute genius to create humour and a feeling of high stakes by the end of the play.
April 1, 2022
I needed a laugh so of course one of the people I turn to is Oscar Wilde, one of the wittiest writers ever, in the caustic social critic tradition of Moliere. But I also read one of Raymond Chandler鈥檚 witty and funny Phillip Marlowe novels, and I would love to be a fly on the wall during a conversation between Chandler and Wilde. Both masterful at the clever bon mot, the caustic aphoristic social observation.
Our characters include Miss Hestor Worsley, Mrs. Arbuthnot, Lord Illingworth and Gerald Arbuthnot. Here鈥檚 some repartee for ya:
.
Lord Illingworth: The soul is born old but grows young. That is the comedy of life.
Mrs. Allonby: And the body is born young and grows old. That is life's tragedy.
鈥淚 don't know how to talk.鈥�
鈥淥h! talk to every woman as if you loved her, and to every man as if he bored you, and at the end of your first season you will have the reputation of possessing the most perfect social tact.鈥�
Lord Illingworth: What do you think she'd do if I kissed her?
Mrs. Allonby: Either marry you, or strike you across the face with her glove. What would you do if she struck you across the face with her glove?
Lord Illingworth: Fall in love with her, probably.
鈥�. . . an orchid there as beautiful as the seven deadly sins.鈥�
鈥淥ne should always be in love. That is the reason one should never marry.鈥�
鈥淒uty is what one expects from others, it is not what one does oneself.鈥�
鈥淚t is perfectly monstrous the way people go about, nowadays, saying things against one behind one's back that are absolutely and entirely true.鈥�
鈥淢en marry because they are tired; women because they are curious. Both are disappointed.鈥�
I am told that this earlier play of Wilde has historically been produced less than his later plays, and one reason for this may be that it is actually less fluffy than things like The Importance of Being Earnest (as delightful as that play is). As with Moliere, there is a kind of feminist turn in the play from a woman dismissed as one 鈥渙f not importance鈥� to conclude with the man who uttered that phrase about her, her ex, dismissed as 鈥渁 man of no importance.鈥� I liked it a lot.
Our characters include Miss Hestor Worsley, Mrs. Arbuthnot, Lord Illingworth and Gerald Arbuthnot. Here鈥檚 some repartee for ya:
.
Lord Illingworth: The soul is born old but grows young. That is the comedy of life.
Mrs. Allonby: And the body is born young and grows old. That is life's tragedy.
鈥淚 don't know how to talk.鈥�
鈥淥h! talk to every woman as if you loved her, and to every man as if he bored you, and at the end of your first season you will have the reputation of possessing the most perfect social tact.鈥�
Lord Illingworth: What do you think she'd do if I kissed her?
Mrs. Allonby: Either marry you, or strike you across the face with her glove. What would you do if she struck you across the face with her glove?
Lord Illingworth: Fall in love with her, probably.
鈥�. . . an orchid there as beautiful as the seven deadly sins.鈥�
鈥淥ne should always be in love. That is the reason one should never marry.鈥�
鈥淒uty is what one expects from others, it is not what one does oneself.鈥�
鈥淚t is perfectly monstrous the way people go about, nowadays, saying things against one behind one's back that are absolutely and entirely true.鈥�
鈥淢en marry because they are tired; women because they are curious. Both are disappointed.鈥�
I am told that this earlier play of Wilde has historically been produced less than his later plays, and one reason for this may be that it is actually less fluffy than things like The Importance of Being Earnest (as delightful as that play is). As with Moliere, there is a kind of feminist turn in the play from a woman dismissed as one 鈥渙f not importance鈥� to conclude with the man who uttered that phrase about her, her ex, dismissed as 鈥渁 man of no importance.鈥� I liked it a lot.
October 15, 2021
I am usually not really into plays but Wilde always manages to make theatre very entertaining for me. I hope that one day I will have the chance to see a live performance of some of his plays.
I highly recommend the Oscar Wilde鈥檚 BBC radio collection on Audible, the quality is great, I had a great time listening to Wilde鈥檚 works and I will listen to this Audiobook again which doesn鈥檛 happen very often.
Not much to say about the plot of this one, it鈥檚 Wilde, you know what you鈥檙e getting yourself into, but I am still amazed by how much I enjoy each of his writings. I wonder if he expected to be so successful so long after his tragic end.
I highly recommend the Oscar Wilde鈥檚 BBC radio collection on Audible, the quality is great, I had a great time listening to Wilde鈥檚 works and I will listen to this Audiobook again which doesn鈥檛 happen very often.
Not much to say about the plot of this one, it鈥檚 Wilde, you know what you鈥檙e getting yourself into, but I am still amazed by how much I enjoy each of his writings. I wonder if he expected to be so successful so long after his tragic end.
August 8, 2019
乇丕卅毓丞 乇丕卅毓丞 乇丕卅毓丞 亘賰賱 賲丕 鬲丨鬲賵賷賴 丕賱賰賱賲丞 賲賳 賲毓賳賶
賱賲 兀賰賳 兀馗賳 賷賵賲丕賸 兀賳賷 爻兀丨亘 丕賱賲爻乇丨賷丕鬲 丨賷孬 囟賷賯 賲爻丕丨丞 丕賱禺賷丕賱, 賵賱賰賳 賴匕賴 丕賱賲爻乇丨賷丞 賰丕賳鬲 亘丿丕賷丞 賲賵賮賯丞 噩丿丕賸 賱賴賵丕賷鬲賴丕
亘丿丕賷丞 丕賯鬲亘爻 賲賳 賲賯丿賲丞 丕賱賰鬲丕亘 賵氐賮 賰鬲丕亘丕鬲 兀賵爻賰丕乇 賵丕賷賱丿 丕賱匕賷 亘丿丕 兀賰孬乇 廿賳氐丕賮丕賸 賲賲丕 賯丿 丕賰鬲亘賴 賷賵賲丕賸
"兀丿亘賴 乇賮賷毓 賵兀爻賱賵亘賴 賲孬丕賱賷 賲賳 丨賷孬 乇賵毓丞 丕賱丨亘賰丞, 賵丿賯丞 丕賱氐賳毓, 賵賲鬲丕賳丞 丕賱賱睾丞 賲毓 匕賰丕亍 賱丕賲毓 賵賯乇賷丨丞 賵賯丕丿丞".
賯氐丞 亘丿兀鬲 亘廿賲乇兀丞 亘賱丕 兀賴賲賷丞, 賵丕賳鬲賴鬲 亘乇噩賱 亘賱丕 兀賴賲賷丞, 賵亘賷賳 丕賱兀孬賳賷賳 賰賱 賲丕 賷丨賷胤 丕賱禺胤賷卅丞 賲賳 亘卮乇 賵賲毓丕賳賷. 賵丨賯賷賯丞 兀賳 亘毓囟 丕賱禺胤丕賷丕 賷鬲賵賱丿 賲賳 乇丨賲賴丕 丕賱兀賲賱 賵丕賱丨亘 賵丕賱胤賴丕乇丞.
鬲賳丕賵賱 賵丕賷賱丿 賮賷賴丕 爻胤丨賷丞丕賱胤亘賯丞 丕賱兀乇爻鬲賵賯乇丕胤賷丞 賱賱賲噩鬲賲毓 丕賱廿賳噩賱賷夭賷 賮賷 丕賱毓氐乇 丕賱賮賷賰鬲賵乇賷 賵賳賮丕賯賴, 丨賷孬 亘乇賷賯 丕賱丨賵丕賮 賵馗賱丕賲 丕賱兀毓賲丕賯. 賲噩鬲賲毓 賷噩賷丿 賮賷賴 丕賱賳丕爻 賮賯胤 丕賱廿丿毓丕亍 亘賲毓乇賮丞 丨賯賷賯丞 丕賱賮囟賷賱丞 賵丕賱禺賷乇 賵丕賱丨賷丕丞.
丕賱乇賵丕賷丞 賮賱爻賮賷丞 賲賳 丕賱丿乇噩丞 丕賱兀賵賱賶, 兀賰丕丿 兀賰賵賳 爻胤乇鬲 賲毓馗賲賴丕 賰廿賯鬲亘丕爻丕鬲, 丕賱鬲賷 賱賲 賷禺賱賵 亘毓囟賴丕 賲賳 丕賱賮賱爻賮丞 丕賱賮丕乇睾丞, 廿賱丕 廿賳賴丕 鬲亘毓孬 亘丿毓賵丞 賲賱丨丞 賱賱鬲賮賰賷乇 賵丕賱鬲丨賱賷賱, 丨賵丕乇賴丕 賰丕賳 兀卮亘賴 亘賲亘丕乇丕丞 賮賱爻賮賷丞 毓賱賶 賯丿乇 毓丕賱賷 噩丿丕賸 賲賳 丕賱廿丨鬲乇丕賮 賵丕賱賲鬲毓丞.
賰鬲亘 賴匕賴 丕賱乇賵丕賷丞 賯亘賱 賲丨丕賰賲鬲賴 亘爻賳鬲賷賳, 賱匕丕 睾賱亘 毓賱賷賴丕 鬲兀孬乇 賵丕賷賱丿 亘丨賷丕鬲賴 丕賱卮禺氐賷丞 丕賷囟丕賸 亘賵噩賵丿 丕賱亘胤賱 賰亘賷乇 丕賱爻賳 丕賱賲亘賴乇 亘賳馗乇賷丕鬲賴 丕賱廿亘賱賷爻賷丞 毓賳 丕賱丨賷丕丞 丕賱匕賷 賷亘賴乇 丕賱卮丕亘 氐睾賷乇 丕賱爻賳, 丨鬲賶 廿賳賴 鬲賲 鬲賰乇丕乇 爻胤乇 賰丕賳 賯丿 賰鬲亘賴 賮賷 氐賵乇丞 丿賵乇賷丕賳 噩乇丕賷 賵:"丕賱賳爻丕亍 賷賲孬賱賳 丕賳鬲氐丕乇 丕賱賲丕丿丞 毓賱賶 丕賱毓賯賱 賰賲丕 兀賳 丕賱乇噩丕賱 賷賲孬賱賵賳 丕賳鬲氐丕乇 丕賱毓賯賱 毓賱賶 丕賱賲亘丕丿卅 丕賱兀禺賱丕賯賷丞"
孬賲 丿賮丕毓賴 毓賳 丕賱廿孬賲 賵丕賱丨賷丕丞 丕賱毓亘孬賷丞, 賰賲丕 兀賳賴 胤賵乇 賳賯丿賴 丕賱賲賴賷賳 賱胤亘賷毓丞 丕賱賲乇兀丞 丨鬲賶 兀氐亘丨 毓賱賶 賱爻丕賳 丕賱卮禺氐賷丕鬲 丕賱賳爻丕卅賷丞 賱賱賲爻乇丨賷丞.
丕馗賳賳賷 賱賳 兀賲賱 兀丿亘 丕賱毓氐乇 丕賱賮賷賰鬲賵乇賷 亘毓丿 賯乇丕卅丕鬲賷 賱兀賵爻賰丕乇 賵丕賷賱丿,
毓氐乇 丕賱賲噩鬲賲毓 丕賱爻賷卅 賵丕賱兀丿亘 丕賱噩賷丿
賱賲 兀賰賳 兀馗賳 賷賵賲丕賸 兀賳賷 爻兀丨亘 丕賱賲爻乇丨賷丕鬲 丨賷孬 囟賷賯 賲爻丕丨丞 丕賱禺賷丕賱, 賵賱賰賳 賴匕賴 丕賱賲爻乇丨賷丞 賰丕賳鬲 亘丿丕賷丞 賲賵賮賯丞 噩丿丕賸 賱賴賵丕賷鬲賴丕
亘丿丕賷丞 丕賯鬲亘爻 賲賳 賲賯丿賲丞 丕賱賰鬲丕亘 賵氐賮 賰鬲丕亘丕鬲 兀賵爻賰丕乇 賵丕賷賱丿 丕賱匕賷 亘丿丕 兀賰孬乇 廿賳氐丕賮丕賸 賲賲丕 賯丿 丕賰鬲亘賴 賷賵賲丕賸
"兀丿亘賴 乇賮賷毓 賵兀爻賱賵亘賴 賲孬丕賱賷 賲賳 丨賷孬 乇賵毓丞 丕賱丨亘賰丞, 賵丿賯丞 丕賱氐賳毓, 賵賲鬲丕賳丞 丕賱賱睾丞 賲毓 匕賰丕亍 賱丕賲毓 賵賯乇賷丨丞 賵賯丕丿丞".
賯氐丞 亘丿兀鬲 亘廿賲乇兀丞 亘賱丕 兀賴賲賷丞, 賵丕賳鬲賴鬲 亘乇噩賱 亘賱丕 兀賴賲賷丞, 賵亘賷賳 丕賱兀孬賳賷賳 賰賱 賲丕 賷丨賷胤 丕賱禺胤賷卅丞 賲賳 亘卮乇 賵賲毓丕賳賷. 賵丨賯賷賯丞 兀賳 亘毓囟 丕賱禺胤丕賷丕 賷鬲賵賱丿 賲賳 乇丨賲賴丕 丕賱兀賲賱 賵丕賱丨亘 賵丕賱胤賴丕乇丞.
鬲賳丕賵賱 賵丕賷賱丿 賮賷賴丕 爻胤丨賷丞丕賱胤亘賯丞 丕賱兀乇爻鬲賵賯乇丕胤賷丞 賱賱賲噩鬲賲毓 丕賱廿賳噩賱賷夭賷 賮賷 丕賱毓氐乇 丕賱賮賷賰鬲賵乇賷 賵賳賮丕賯賴, 丨賷孬 亘乇賷賯 丕賱丨賵丕賮 賵馗賱丕賲 丕賱兀毓賲丕賯. 賲噩鬲賲毓 賷噩賷丿 賮賷賴 丕賱賳丕爻 賮賯胤 丕賱廿丿毓丕亍 亘賲毓乇賮丞 丨賯賷賯丞 丕賱賮囟賷賱丞 賵丕賱禺賷乇 賵丕賱丨賷丕丞.
丕賱乇賵丕賷丞 賮賱爻賮賷丞 賲賳 丕賱丿乇噩丞 丕賱兀賵賱賶, 兀賰丕丿 兀賰賵賳 爻胤乇鬲 賲毓馗賲賴丕 賰廿賯鬲亘丕爻丕鬲, 丕賱鬲賷 賱賲 賷禺賱賵 亘毓囟賴丕 賲賳 丕賱賮賱爻賮丞 丕賱賮丕乇睾丞, 廿賱丕 廿賳賴丕 鬲亘毓孬 亘丿毓賵丞 賲賱丨丞 賱賱鬲賮賰賷乇 賵丕賱鬲丨賱賷賱, 丨賵丕乇賴丕 賰丕賳 兀卮亘賴 亘賲亘丕乇丕丞 賮賱爻賮賷丞 毓賱賶 賯丿乇 毓丕賱賷 噩丿丕賸 賲賳 丕賱廿丨鬲乇丕賮 賵丕賱賲鬲毓丞.
賰鬲亘 賴匕賴 丕賱乇賵丕賷丞 賯亘賱 賲丨丕賰賲鬲賴 亘爻賳鬲賷賳, 賱匕丕 睾賱亘 毓賱賷賴丕 鬲兀孬乇 賵丕賷賱丿 亘丨賷丕鬲賴 丕賱卮禺氐賷丞 丕賷囟丕賸 亘賵噩賵丿 丕賱亘胤賱 賰亘賷乇 丕賱爻賳 丕賱賲亘賴乇 亘賳馗乇賷丕鬲賴 丕賱廿亘賱賷爻賷丞 毓賳 丕賱丨賷丕丞 丕賱匕賷 賷亘賴乇 丕賱卮丕亘 氐睾賷乇 丕賱爻賳, 丨鬲賶 廿賳賴 鬲賲 鬲賰乇丕乇 爻胤乇 賰丕賳 賯丿 賰鬲亘賴 賮賷 氐賵乇丞 丿賵乇賷丕賳 噩乇丕賷 賵:"丕賱賳爻丕亍 賷賲孬賱賳 丕賳鬲氐丕乇 丕賱賲丕丿丞 毓賱賶 丕賱毓賯賱 賰賲丕 兀賳 丕賱乇噩丕賱 賷賲孬賱賵賳 丕賳鬲氐丕乇 丕賱毓賯賱 毓賱賶 丕賱賲亘丕丿卅 丕賱兀禺賱丕賯賷丞"
孬賲 丿賮丕毓賴 毓賳 丕賱廿孬賲 賵丕賱丨賷丕丞 丕賱毓亘孬賷丞, 賰賲丕 兀賳賴 胤賵乇 賳賯丿賴 丕賱賲賴賷賳 賱胤亘賷毓丞 丕賱賲乇兀丞 丨鬲賶 兀氐亘丨 毓賱賶 賱爻丕賳 丕賱卮禺氐賷丕鬲 丕賱賳爻丕卅賷丞 賱賱賲爻乇丨賷丞.
丕馗賳賳賷 賱賳 兀賲賱 兀丿亘 丕賱毓氐乇 丕賱賮賷賰鬲賵乇賷 亘毓丿 賯乇丕卅丕鬲賷 賱兀賵爻賰丕乇 賵丕賷賱丿,
毓氐乇 丕賱賲噩鬲賲毓 丕賱爻賷卅 賵丕賱兀丿亘 丕賱噩賷丿
May 5, 2018
Men marry because they are tired; women because they are curious. Both are disappointed.
You听should听never听try to听understand听them. Women are听 pictures. Men are听problems. If you听want to听know听what a听woman really means 颅 which, by the听way, is always a听dangerous thing听to do听颅 look听at听her, don't listen to听her
Elaborated Review soon.
You听should听never听try to听understand听them. Women are听 pictures. Men are听problems. If you听want to听know听what a听woman really means 颅 which, by the听way, is always a听dangerous thing听to do听颅 look听at听her, don't listen to听her
Elaborated Review soon.
October 20, 2019
I loved this play, but my favourite is still The Importance Of Being Earnest.
This play had a wide cast of characters that allowed for social commentary. It created some witty conversations to include an American woman.
I loved the ending! Definitely recommend.
This play had a wide cast of characters that allowed for social commentary. It created some witty conversations to include an American woman.
I loved the ending! Definitely recommend.
November 16, 2019
Stabbing Toys
鈥� I believe he said her family was too large. Or was it her feet? I forget which. I regret it very much.鈥�
鈥淚 assure you, dear, that the country has not that effect at all. Why, it was from Melthorpe, which is only two miles from here, that Lady Belton eloped with Lord Fethersdale. I remember the occurrence perfectly. Poor Lord Belton died three days afterwards of joy, or gout. I forget which. We had a large party staying here at the time, so we were all very much interested in the whole affair.鈥�
鈥淥ne should never take sides in anything, Mr. Kelvil. Taking sides is the beginning of sincerity, and earnestness follows shortly afterwards, and the human being becomes a bore.鈥�
鈥淨uite so. It is the problem of slavery. And we are trying to solve it by amusing the slaves.鈥�
鈥溾€� Do you really, really think, Lady Caroline, that one should believe evil of every one?
鈥� I think it is much safer to do so, Lady Stutfield. Until, of course, people are found out to be good. But that requires a great deal of investigation nowadays.鈥�
鈥� 鈥� How very, very charming those gold-tipped cigarettes of yours are, Lord Alfred.
鈥� They are awfully expensive. I can only afford them when I鈥檓 in debt.
鈥� It must be terribly, terribly distressing to be in debt.
鈥� One must have some occupation nowadays. If I hadn鈥檛 my debts I shouldn鈥檛 have anything to think about. All the chaps I know are in debt.
鈥� But don鈥檛 the people to whom you owe the money give you a great, great deal of annoyance?
鈥� Oh, no, they write; I don鈥檛.鈥�
Words are toys by the pen of Oscar Wilde. Toys that he commonly uses to stab (stab?!... did I say stab?!... Sorry... I meant play, of course 馃槣) the English high society 馃槉
P.S.: Oscar Wilde is the one and only gay I marry in dreams. That of course is the best excuse I found for remaining single 馃槣
鈥� I believe he said her family was too large. Or was it her feet? I forget which. I regret it very much.鈥�
鈥淚 assure you, dear, that the country has not that effect at all. Why, it was from Melthorpe, which is only two miles from here, that Lady Belton eloped with Lord Fethersdale. I remember the occurrence perfectly. Poor Lord Belton died three days afterwards of joy, or gout. I forget which. We had a large party staying here at the time, so we were all very much interested in the whole affair.鈥�
鈥淥ne should never take sides in anything, Mr. Kelvil. Taking sides is the beginning of sincerity, and earnestness follows shortly afterwards, and the human being becomes a bore.鈥�
鈥淨uite so. It is the problem of slavery. And we are trying to solve it by amusing the slaves.鈥�
鈥溾€� Do you really, really think, Lady Caroline, that one should believe evil of every one?
鈥� I think it is much safer to do so, Lady Stutfield. Until, of course, people are found out to be good. But that requires a great deal of investigation nowadays.鈥�
鈥� 鈥� How very, very charming those gold-tipped cigarettes of yours are, Lord Alfred.
鈥� They are awfully expensive. I can only afford them when I鈥檓 in debt.
鈥� It must be terribly, terribly distressing to be in debt.
鈥� One must have some occupation nowadays. If I hadn鈥檛 my debts I shouldn鈥檛 have anything to think about. All the chaps I know are in debt.
鈥� But don鈥檛 the people to whom you owe the money give you a great, great deal of annoyance?
鈥� Oh, no, they write; I don鈥檛.鈥�
Words are toys by the pen of Oscar Wilde. Toys that he commonly uses to stab (stab?!... did I say stab?!... Sorry... I meant play, of course 馃槣) the English high society 馃槉
P.S.: Oscar Wilde is the one and only gay I marry in dreams. That of course is the best excuse I found for remaining single 馃槣
July 23, 2015
Mini-review:
I'll keep this review short because I have a really long list of quotes.
This one was a little sad, but it was, ironically, really hilarious too. It involves family drama, scandal, an arrogant jerk responsible for all the conflict in the play, etc. I enjoyed this play from beginning to end. As you may expect from Oscar Wilde, it was witty and cynical through and through.
However, I do have one complaint: Some repetitions of quotes. For example, there was one that made fun of marriage, and I'm pretty there was a really similar (if not the same) to that one in another of the plays I read before this one. Maybe this would have not been easy to notice if I hadn't read so many of his plays in a row.
Still, I enjoyed this immensely, especially the ending, which I will not spoil, but it made me feel so so so happy and grateful that karma exists.
100% recommended.
List of quotes:
P.S.: Just as a side note, most of those quotes were said by Lord Illingworth, the cynic of the play, and the causer of mischievances.
I'll keep this review short because I have a really long list of quotes.
This one was a little sad, but it was, ironically, really hilarious too. It involves family drama, scandal, an arrogant jerk responsible for all the conflict in the play, etc. I enjoyed this play from beginning to end. As you may expect from Oscar Wilde, it was witty and cynical through and through.
However, I do have one complaint: Some repetitions of quotes. For example, there was one that made fun of marriage, and I'm pretty there was a really similar (if not the same) to that one in another of the plays I read before this one. Maybe this would have not been easy to notice if I hadn't read so many of his plays in a row.
Still, I enjoyed this immensely, especially the ending, which I will not spoil, but it made me feel so so so happy and grateful that karma exists.
100% recommended.
List of quotes:
LADY STUTFIELD. Ah! The world was made for men and not for women.
MRS. ALLONBY. Oh, don鈥檛 say that, Lady Stutfield. We have a much better time than they have. There are far more things forbidden to us than are forbidden to them.
It is perfectly monstrous the way people go about, nowadays, saying things against one behind one鈥檚 back that are absolutely and entirely true.
LADY CAROLINE. You believe good of every one, Jane. It is a great fault.
LADY STUTFIELD. Do you really, really think, Lady Caroline, that one should believe evil of every one?
LADY CAROLINE. I think it is much safer to do so, Lady Stutfield. Until, of course, people are found out to be good. But that requires a great deal of investigation nowadays.
MRS. ALLONBY. What a thoroughly bad man you must be!
LORD ILLINGWORTH. What do you call a bad man?
MRS. ALLONBY. The sort of man who admires innocence.
LORD ILLINGWORTH. And a bad woman?
MRS. ALLONBY. Oh! the sort of woman a man never gets tired of.
LORD ILLINGWORTH. I never intend to grow old. The soul is born old but grows young. That is the comedy of life.
MRS. ALLONBY. And the body is born young and grows old. That is life鈥檚 tragedy.
One can survive everything nowadays, except death, and live down anything except a good reputation.
I don鈥檛 think that we should ever be spoken of as other people鈥檚 property. All men are married women鈥檚 property. That is the only true definition of what married women鈥檚 property really is. But we don鈥檛 belong to any one.
When one is in love one begins by deceiving oneself. And one ends by deceiving others. That is what the world calls a romance.
The only difference between the saint and the sinner is that every saint has a past, and every sinner has a future.
I am disgraced: he is not. That is all. It is the usual history of a man and a woman as it usually happens, as it always happens. And the ending is the ordinary ending. The woman suffers. The man goes free.
How could I swear to love the man I loathe, to honour him who wrought you dishonour, to obey him who, in his mastery, made me to sin?
P.S.: Just as a side note, most of those quotes were said by Lord Illingworth, the cynic of the play, and the causer of mischievances.
August 29, 2021
A Woman of No Importance is so far my least favourite Wilde play, but that doesn't say much as I still consider it a 猸愶笍猸愶笍猸愶笍猸愶笍 read. I didn't warm up to any one of the characters, like I did to Tuppy in Lady W's Fan or Algy from The Importance of Being Earnest, the society crowd seemed even vainer and dumber than usual however, which made up for everything that was lacking.
Even after a few days, I can't help but wonder what would have happened if Hester wasn't - quite conveniently - a very rich woman.
This quote reminded me of our times of social media and cancel culture:
"He must be quite respectable. One has never heard his name before in the whole course of one's life, which speaks volumes for a man, nowadays."
And this one is brutal, but...beautiful?
Even after a few days, I can't help but wonder what would have happened if Hester wasn't - quite conveniently - a very rich woman.
This quote reminded me of our times of social media and cancel culture:
"He must be quite respectable. One has never heard his name before in the whole course of one's life, which speaks volumes for a man, nowadays."
And this one is brutal, but...beautiful?
December 20, 2018
A Woman of No Importance
At the beginning of the play Lady Caroline denounces Hester's enthusiasm for Gerald Arbuthnot until Gerald himself enters to proclaim that Lord Illingworth, a powerful, flirtatious male political figure, intends to employ him as his private secretary. Then Gerald is regarded as a good match after all.
The ladies of the company constantly discuss rumours about Lord Illingworth 鈥� his aim for being a foreign ambassador, his social life and amoral qualities toward women. And as soon as he enters the room, the sole focus is on him. Everything he has to say opposes the norm and excites the company, the only one who remains undeceived by him is Mrs. Arbuthnot, who had been unfortunate enough to meet him in her youth.
I was quite surprised to discover that this is quite the feminist play. Oscar tackles the issue of double standards in the Victorian Era and that men were forgiven for their indiscretions far more readily than women, and women were more condemned for moral failings. During a discussion of sinful women, Mrs. Arbuthnot contrasts Lady Hunstanton's later opinion by saying that ruining a woman's life is unforgivable. Furthermore, I really appreciated Hester's voice of reason in the play:
Surprisingly, in addition to the male dandy who is present in every society play by Oscar, there is a female dandy in "A Woman of No Importance" 鈥� Mrs. Allonby. She is a flirtatious woman who has a bit of a reputation for controversy. She is not the stereotypical female character and is equal to Lord Illingworth in her witticism and cynical statements.
I was really surprised by the ending of the play, drawing from my experience of reading other plays by Oscar, I thought that the dandy would come out on the top, but instead we had a triumph of family and feminism. Oscar didn't shy away from destroying his dandy 鈥� Illingworth came to regret his mode of life and had to recognize that he was at fault whereas the Puritan and the Feminist (in the play) had something more valuable to say.
The humour in "A Woman of No Importance" was much more subtle than in "The Importance of Being Earnest", but brilliant nonetheless. The fact that all characters had such annoying and exaggerated quirks, added a lot to my enjoyment of the satirical aspect of the play. For instance, Lady Caroline's blatant ignorance 鈥� she constantly and shamelessly refers to Mr. Kelvil as Mr. Kettle 鈥� or the fact that she is quite the overbearing wife and as soon as her husband is out of sight, quickly retrieves him and lectures him on everything. Another example for the satire in the play is Lady Studfield's stupid repetition of words on every occasion ("very, very interesting", "very, very wicked" etc.) 鈥� it supports the fact that she is a woman who has no mind of her own and just goes along with the things the important people in the room are saying.
Overall, I really enjoyed "A Woman of No Importance" and highly appreciated that it was a much more deeper and meaningful play . I applaud Oscar for his advocacy for gender equality.
LORD ILLINGWORTH: It is perfectly monstrous the way people go about, nowadays, saying things against one behind one's back that are absolutely and entirely true."A Woman of No Importance" is a play by Oscar Wilde which premiered on 19 April 1893 in London. It is one of Oscar's society plays which satirizes the English upper class society. The conversations are all about gossip and small talk, and most of the characters are shallow and viewless.
At the beginning of the play Lady Caroline denounces Hester's enthusiasm for Gerald Arbuthnot until Gerald himself enters to proclaim that Lord Illingworth, a powerful, flirtatious male political figure, intends to employ him as his private secretary. Then Gerald is regarded as a good match after all.
The ladies of the company constantly discuss rumours about Lord Illingworth 鈥� his aim for being a foreign ambassador, his social life and amoral qualities toward women. And as soon as he enters the room, the sole focus is on him. Everything he has to say opposes the norm and excites the company, the only one who remains undeceived by him is Mrs. Arbuthnot, who had been unfortunate enough to meet him in her youth.
I was quite surprised to discover that this is quite the feminist play. Oscar tackles the issue of double standards in the Victorian Era and that men were forgiven for their indiscretions far more readily than women, and women were more condemned for moral failings. During a discussion of sinful women, Mrs. Arbuthnot contrasts Lady Hunstanton's later opinion by saying that ruining a woman's life is unforgivable. Furthermore, I really appreciated Hester's voice of reason in the play:
HESTER: Don't have one law for men and another for women. [...] And till you count what is a shame in a woman to be infamy in a man, you will always be unjust.It was also really uplifting to see that whilst in the beginning of the play Mrs. Arbuthnot was being referred to as a "woman of no importance", this was contrasted by her describing Lord Illingworth as a "man of no importance" by the end of the play, indicating that he has no longer power over her in any way and that she didn't give two shits about him whatsoever. Additionally, it's always nice to see women of the 19th century being strong enough to decline a marriage proposal and having the necessary confidence in their own capability to lead a happy life on their own.
Surprisingly, in addition to the male dandy who is present in every society play by Oscar, there is a female dandy in "A Woman of No Importance" 鈥� Mrs. Allonby. She is a flirtatious woman who has a bit of a reputation for controversy. She is not the stereotypical female character and is equal to Lord Illingworth in her witticism and cynical statements.
MRS. ALLONBY: The only advantage of playing with fire, Lady Caroline, is that one never gets singed. It is the people who don't know how to play with it who get burned up.And probably my favorite scene in the entire play in which Hester and Mrs. Allonby discuss London dinner-parties:
MRS. ALLONBY: I adore them. The clever people never listen, and the stupid people never talk.Another recurring theme is innocence. Innocence is presented in the character of Hester. She is an American girl who is foreign to the beliefs of the British aristocracy and their uptight morals and etiquette. Hester is often taken aback by their views and finds them far too materialistic and judgemental. However, the same can be said vice versa. The company sees Hester as naive and assumes that she has a hidden agenda in spreading her Puritan views.
HESteR: I think the stupid people talk a great deal.
MRS. ALLONBY: Ah, I never listen!
I was really surprised by the ending of the play, drawing from my experience of reading other plays by Oscar, I thought that the dandy would come out on the top, but instead we had a triumph of family and feminism. Oscar didn't shy away from destroying his dandy 鈥� Illingworth came to regret his mode of life and had to recognize that he was at fault whereas the Puritan and the Feminist (in the play) had something more valuable to say.
The humour in "A Woman of No Importance" was much more subtle than in "The Importance of Being Earnest", but brilliant nonetheless. The fact that all characters had such annoying and exaggerated quirks, added a lot to my enjoyment of the satirical aspect of the play. For instance, Lady Caroline's blatant ignorance 鈥� she constantly and shamelessly refers to Mr. Kelvil as Mr. Kettle 鈥� or the fact that she is quite the overbearing wife and as soon as her husband is out of sight, quickly retrieves him and lectures him on everything. Another example for the satire in the play is Lady Studfield's stupid repetition of words on every occasion ("very, very interesting", "very, very wicked" etc.) 鈥� it supports the fact that she is a woman who has no mind of her own and just goes along with the things the important people in the room are saying.
Overall, I really enjoyed "A Woman of No Importance" and highly appreciated that it was a much more deeper and meaningful play . I applaud Oscar for his advocacy for gender equality.
February 11, 2016
This is an 1893 play by Oscar Wilde that had a fair amount of success, although it's not regarded as one his best. It's a satire on upper class English society, and of course the best thing about it is Wilde's brilliant wit. It starts out a little slow but finishes with a flourish, although act IV is somewhat melodramatic. 3.5 stars, but I rounded up because I'm fond of Oscar Wilde.
February 14, 2019
In defense of the Single Mother
14 February 2019 鈥� Port Campbell
Oh crap, I go on a holiday and the thing that I forget is the charger for my laptop. Gee, that is incredibly inconvenient, but at least it is a road trip, and I am not too far from where I live, so I can sort of drive back, get the charger, and then continue on my trip (though it turned out to be further than I thought, so I just got a universal charger, which will come in handy back at university). Well, that does sort of depend on the amount of time that I have, but since I鈥檓 driving, and my brother really doesn鈥檛 care where we end up going, then that does turn out to be a good thing.
Anyway, this delightful little play is Wilde鈥檚 way of poking fun at the upper class of English society, but then again this is something that he seems to regularly do with his works. Actually, come to think of it, a lot of plays seem to be placed in the upper echelons of society, possibly because it allows us to get a glimpse into the rather scandal ridden, and ridiculous nature of the rather well healed.
The story is about a single mother, something that you really didn鈥檛 want to be back then. Actually, come to think of it, single mothers these days also get dumped on pretty heavily as well. In a way they are sort of slut shammed, namely because they happen to be left with the child after some rather dubious philanderer has their way with them and then disappears. However, in this story the father returns in an attempt to goad the child to come to India with him to work in the civil service.
Now, this is a pretty big thing, because getting into the Indian Civil Service was actually really, really hard. I remember going for a job in the civil service in Australia, for the Attorney General鈥檚 Department, and that was seriously one of the hardest interviews that I have ever been to. The amount of testing that they put you through is incredible. In a way that gives me an idea of what it was like to get into the Indian civil service in Victorian England 鈥� it was highly competitive, and only the best could hope to succeed.
The problem is that the poor woman is a single mother, which means that in part she is an outcast, and as the title of the play suggests, the father really doesn鈥檛 care about her. It is his son that he is interested in, and she can, well, go jump. In a way she is of no importance. That is the tragedy of the situation, in that the male, no matter how bad he is, still seems to get away with being a jerk while the woman is left to clean up the pieces. It reminds me of university where the male would have notches on his belt, while the woman would be slut shamed.
In a way nothing has changed 鈥� single mothers are ridiculed and considered to be a burden on society. In fact, the suggestion is that they actually go out and have kids simply so they can bludge off welfare. This is incredibly unfair, especially since the same people who slut shame them, also deny them abortions. In a way they expect them to remain pure while the guy, well, the guy can pretty much do what they want to do, and get away with it as well.
Of course, considering that this is a comedy, everything does eventually work out quite well. However, the beauty of this play is that Wilde is challenging the male attitude of treating women as conquests, and of being of no importance, while the male is considered to be a hero, and a sexual conqueror. No, the difference here is that Wilde makes us sympathise with the woman, while we turn our nose up at the male, who in the end we consider to be of no importance.
Oh, and before I forget, this is a prime example of Wilde鈥檚 skill with the English language. The way he puts this play together, and the way he drafts the lines, is nothing short of perfection. No wonder when I actually saw one of his plays performed I considered him to be nothing short of a modern day Shakespeare.
14 February 2019 鈥� Port Campbell
Oh crap, I go on a holiday and the thing that I forget is the charger for my laptop. Gee, that is incredibly inconvenient, but at least it is a road trip, and I am not too far from where I live, so I can sort of drive back, get the charger, and then continue on my trip (though it turned out to be further than I thought, so I just got a universal charger, which will come in handy back at university). Well, that does sort of depend on the amount of time that I have, but since I鈥檓 driving, and my brother really doesn鈥檛 care where we end up going, then that does turn out to be a good thing.
Anyway, this delightful little play is Wilde鈥檚 way of poking fun at the upper class of English society, but then again this is something that he seems to regularly do with his works. Actually, come to think of it, a lot of plays seem to be placed in the upper echelons of society, possibly because it allows us to get a glimpse into the rather scandal ridden, and ridiculous nature of the rather well healed.
The story is about a single mother, something that you really didn鈥檛 want to be back then. Actually, come to think of it, single mothers these days also get dumped on pretty heavily as well. In a way they are sort of slut shammed, namely because they happen to be left with the child after some rather dubious philanderer has their way with them and then disappears. However, in this story the father returns in an attempt to goad the child to come to India with him to work in the civil service.
Now, this is a pretty big thing, because getting into the Indian Civil Service was actually really, really hard. I remember going for a job in the civil service in Australia, for the Attorney General鈥檚 Department, and that was seriously one of the hardest interviews that I have ever been to. The amount of testing that they put you through is incredible. In a way that gives me an idea of what it was like to get into the Indian civil service in Victorian England 鈥� it was highly competitive, and only the best could hope to succeed.
The problem is that the poor woman is a single mother, which means that in part she is an outcast, and as the title of the play suggests, the father really doesn鈥檛 care about her. It is his son that he is interested in, and she can, well, go jump. In a way she is of no importance. That is the tragedy of the situation, in that the male, no matter how bad he is, still seems to get away with being a jerk while the woman is left to clean up the pieces. It reminds me of university where the male would have notches on his belt, while the woman would be slut shamed.
In a way nothing has changed 鈥� single mothers are ridiculed and considered to be a burden on society. In fact, the suggestion is that they actually go out and have kids simply so they can bludge off welfare. This is incredibly unfair, especially since the same people who slut shame them, also deny them abortions. In a way they expect them to remain pure while the guy, well, the guy can pretty much do what they want to do, and get away with it as well.
Of course, considering that this is a comedy, everything does eventually work out quite well. However, the beauty of this play is that Wilde is challenging the male attitude of treating women as conquests, and of being of no importance, while the male is considered to be a hero, and a sexual conqueror. No, the difference here is that Wilde makes us sympathise with the woman, while we turn our nose up at the male, who in the end we consider to be of no importance.
Oh, and before I forget, this is a prime example of Wilde鈥檚 skill with the English language. The way he puts this play together, and the way he drafts the lines, is nothing short of perfection. No wonder when I actually saw one of his plays performed I considered him to be nothing short of a modern day Shakespeare.
January 3, 2020
Hester: I dislike London dinner-parties.
Mrs. Allonby: I adore them. The clever people never listen, and the stupid people never talk.
Oscar Wilde gives us a dinner party, where cultures clash, secrets unfold, characters are revealed and the upper class doesn鈥檛 necessarily get the upper hand. This one is short and light, yet with a little sting in the tail.
Lord Illingworth: All women become like their mothers. That is their tragedy.
Mrs. Allonby: No man does. That is his.
It is an Oscar Wilde style of social criticism, which instead of harsh judgments from the outside, is more like when your friend says, 鈥淵ou know, we really shouldn鈥檛 be doing this.鈥� I love that about him.
This seems like a particularly appropriate time to be reading Oscar Wilde. I read six of his works this year, and I can鈥檛 help but wonder what he would be writing about society if he was around today. We might be better for his gentle scoldings.
Mrs. Allonby: I adore them. The clever people never listen, and the stupid people never talk.
Oscar Wilde gives us a dinner party, where cultures clash, secrets unfold, characters are revealed and the upper class doesn鈥檛 necessarily get the upper hand. This one is short and light, yet with a little sting in the tail.
Lord Illingworth: All women become like their mothers. That is their tragedy.
Mrs. Allonby: No man does. That is his.
It is an Oscar Wilde style of social criticism, which instead of harsh judgments from the outside, is more like when your friend says, 鈥淵ou know, we really shouldn鈥檛 be doing this.鈥� I love that about him.
This seems like a particularly appropriate time to be reading Oscar Wilde. I read six of his works this year, and I can鈥檛 help but wonder what he would be writing about society if he was around today. We might be better for his gentle scoldings.
December 2, 2017
賵丕賯毓丕 毓丕賱蹖 亘賵丿...4賳賲丕蹖卮賳丕賲賴 丕夭 賵丕蹖賱丿 禺賵賳丿賲.讴賲丿蹖 賴丕卮 賵丕賯毓丕 亘丿 亘賵丿 賵賱蹖 丕蹖賳 讴鬲丕亘 "夭賳 賮丕賯丿 丕賴賲蹖鬲" 賵 "亘丕丿亘夭賳 賱蹖丿蹖 賵蹖賳丿乇賲蹖夭" 禺蹖賱蹖 禺賵亘 亘賵丿賳丿.倬乇 丕夭 噩賲賱丕鬲 夭蹖亘丕 賵 賳睾夭...夭蹖亘丕蹖蹖 賴賳乇 賵丕蹖賱丿 乇賵 讴賴 賴賲蹖卮賴 鬲毓乇蹖賮卮賵 卮賳蹖丿賴 亘賵丿賲 鬲賵蹖 丕蹖賳 讴鬲丕亘 丿蹖丿賲....
November 28, 2016
"Children begin by loving their parents. After a time they judge them. Rarely, if ever, do they forgive them."
October 10, 2020
The usual exceptional wit and satire of Oscar Wilde. Brilliant, fun with a serious side as well, criticizing an aspect of the society of his day. The audio narration with a full cast was excellent.
August 17, 2013
Although this certainly isn't the best Wilde play with regards to writing and comedy, it definitely contains the strongest and most critical themes. Like all his plays Wilde is extremely and effectively critical of 19th century, however this play emphasises the distorted attitudes towards women.
Wilde powerfully displays 19th century society's views towards women - how a man can be deceitful yet admired but a woman who is unmarried and unchaste is a woman of no importance. Lord Illingworth is pompous and self-indulged yet the other characters almost worship him. Where as Mrs. Arbuthnot has a son, Gerald, who was born out of wedlock and for this she is eschewed. However, without revealing the twist, Wilde shows how preconceived views can be wrong.
It also criticises how 19th century viewed women as rebellious. Hester, a 'Puritan' American, expresses different views from English society about how women should act; for this she is deemed 'different'. The views she express are very liberal for the time which the other characters mock. For a current audience this is quite humourous and displays some dramatic irony as Hester's views almost align with society today.
This play is definitely worth a read as it gives us an insightful view into the somewhat corrupt ideology of the 19th century. It might not mean to but this is a 'feminist' play which will not leave you disappointed.
Wilde powerfully displays 19th century society's views towards women - how a man can be deceitful yet admired but a woman who is unmarried and unchaste is a woman of no importance. Lord Illingworth is pompous and self-indulged yet the other characters almost worship him. Where as Mrs. Arbuthnot has a son, Gerald, who was born out of wedlock and for this she is eschewed. However, without revealing the twist, Wilde shows how preconceived views can be wrong.
It also criticises how 19th century viewed women as rebellious. Hester, a 'Puritan' American, expresses different views from English society about how women should act; for this she is deemed 'different'. The views she express are very liberal for the time which the other characters mock. For a current audience this is quite humourous and displays some dramatic irony as Hester's views almost align with society today.
This play is definitely worth a read as it gives us an insightful view into the somewhat corrupt ideology of the 19th century. It might not mean to but this is a 'feminist' play which will not leave you disappointed.
January 22, 2012
MRS. ALLONBY: The one advantage of playing with fire, Lady Caroline, is that one never gets even singed. It is the people who don't know how to play with it who get burned up.
MRS. ALLONBY: What a througly bad man you must be!
LORD ILLINGWORTH: What do you call a bad man?
MRS. ALLONBY: The sort of man who admires innocence.
MRS. ALLONBY: Men always want to be a woman's first love. That is their clumsy vanity. We women have a more subtle instinct about things. What we like is to be a man's last romance.
HESTER: [...] You love the beauty that you can see and touch and handle, the beauty that you can destroy, and do destroy, but of the unseen beauty of life, of the unsee beauty of a higher life, you konw nothing. You lost life's secret. [...]
LORD ILLINGWORTH: You should never try to understand them. Women are pictures. Men are problems. If you want to know what a woman really means - wich, by the way, is always a dangerous thing to do - look at her, don't listen to her.
MRS. ARBUTHNOT: Don't be deceived, George. Children begin by loving their parents. After a time they judge them. Rarely if ever do they forgive them.
June 27, 2016
賷賯丿賲 "賵丕賷賱丿" 賱賲丨丞 毓賳 丕賱賲噩鬲賲毓 丕賱廿賳噩賱賷夭賷 賵賳馗乇鬲賴 賱賰賱 賲賳 丕賱乇噩賱 賵丕賱賲乇兀丞 廿賳匕丕賰 ..
丨賷孬 賷賱丨賯 丕賱毓丕乇 亘賰賱 廿賲乇兀丞 鬲乇鬲賰亘 匕賳亘 賵賷購亘乇賷亍 賰賱 乇噩賱 賲賳 禺胤賷卅鬲賴 賱賲噩乇丿 廿賳賴 乇噩賱 賵賷氐亘丨 丕賱賱賵賲 賵丕賱毓丕乇 賷賱丕丨賯 丕賱賲乇兀丞 賮賯胤 毓賱賶 賮毓賱鬲賴丕 ..
兀賷馗丕賸 賷馗賴乇 兀賳 賳爻丕亍 丕賱賲噩鬲賲毓 丕賱廿賳噩賱賷夭賷 兀氐亘丨賳 丿賲賷 賷鬲兀賱賯賳 賮賯胤 賱賲鬲毓丞 丕賱乇噩丕賱 賵賷鬲氐賳毓賳 丕賱賲孬丕賱賷丞 賱賳賷賱 乇囟丕 丕賱乇噩丕賱 賵丕賱賲毓囟賱丞 丕賱兀賰亘乇 兀賳賴賳 賷毓鬲賯丿賳 兀賳 賱丕 兀賴賲賷丞 賱賴賳 賮賷 丕賱丨賷丕丞 賵毓賱賷賴賳 兀賱丕 賷賮賰乇賳 賵兀賱丕 賷胤丕賱亘賳 亘丨賯賵賯賴賳 .. 亘賱 賵賵丕噩亘 毓賱賷賴賳 睾賮乇丕賳 賳夭賵丕鬲 丕賱乇噩丕賱 ..
賴賵 賲丕 兀乇丕賴-亘丕賱賲賳丕爻亘丞- 兀卮亘賴 亘賲丕 賷噩乇賷 賮賷 亘毓囟 丕賱賲噩鬲賲毓丕鬲 丕賱毓乇亘賷丞 丕賱賷賵賲 ..
賵賮賷 賴匕賴 丕賱賲爻乇丨賷丞 賷孬亘鬲 "兀賵爻賰丕乇 賵丕賷賱丿" 兀賳 賮賷 賲孬賱 賴匕賴 丕賱馗乇賵賮 賯丿 鬲賳卮兀 廿賲乇兀丞 匕丕鬲 禺胤賷卅丞 賰亘賷乇丞 賮賷 賳馗乇 丕賱賲噩鬲賲毓 賵鬲馗賱 鬲賯丕賵賲 廿賱賶 兀賳 賷賳鬲氐乇 丕賱丨亘 ..
賮賲賳 賷噩毓賱賰 毓夭賷夭鬲賷 鬲卮毓乇賷賳 賰兀賳賰 "廿賲乇兀丞 亘賱丕 兀賴賲賷丞" .. 賯丿 鬲匕賷賯賷賳賴 賲乇丕乇丞 丕賱丨賯賷賯丞 丕賳賴 賴賵 賲賳 賱賷爻 賱賴 兀賷丞 兀賴賲賷丞 賮賷 丨賷丕鬲賰 ...
丨賷孬 賷賱丨賯 丕賱毓丕乇 亘賰賱 廿賲乇兀丞 鬲乇鬲賰亘 匕賳亘 賵賷購亘乇賷亍 賰賱 乇噩賱 賲賳 禺胤賷卅鬲賴 賱賲噩乇丿 廿賳賴 乇噩賱 賵賷氐亘丨 丕賱賱賵賲 賵丕賱毓丕乇 賷賱丕丨賯 丕賱賲乇兀丞 賮賯胤 毓賱賶 賮毓賱鬲賴丕 ..
兀賷馗丕賸 賷馗賴乇 兀賳 賳爻丕亍 丕賱賲噩鬲賲毓 丕賱廿賳噩賱賷夭賷 兀氐亘丨賳 丿賲賷 賷鬲兀賱賯賳 賮賯胤 賱賲鬲毓丞 丕賱乇噩丕賱 賵賷鬲氐賳毓賳 丕賱賲孬丕賱賷丞 賱賳賷賱 乇囟丕 丕賱乇噩丕賱 賵丕賱賲毓囟賱丞 丕賱兀賰亘乇 兀賳賴賳 賷毓鬲賯丿賳 兀賳 賱丕 兀賴賲賷丞 賱賴賳 賮賷 丕賱丨賷丕丞 賵毓賱賷賴賳 兀賱丕 賷賮賰乇賳 賵兀賱丕 賷胤丕賱亘賳 亘丨賯賵賯賴賳 .. 亘賱 賵賵丕噩亘 毓賱賷賴賳 睾賮乇丕賳 賳夭賵丕鬲 丕賱乇噩丕賱 ..
賴賵 賲丕 兀乇丕賴-亘丕賱賲賳丕爻亘丞- 兀卮亘賴 亘賲丕 賷噩乇賷 賮賷 亘毓囟 丕賱賲噩鬲賲毓丕鬲 丕賱毓乇亘賷丞 丕賱賷賵賲 ..
賵賮賷 賴匕賴 丕賱賲爻乇丨賷丞 賷孬亘鬲 "兀賵爻賰丕乇 賵丕賷賱丿" 兀賳 賮賷 賲孬賱 賴匕賴 丕賱馗乇賵賮 賯丿 鬲賳卮兀 廿賲乇兀丞 匕丕鬲 禺胤賷卅丞 賰亘賷乇丞 賮賷 賳馗乇 丕賱賲噩鬲賲毓 賵鬲馗賱 鬲賯丕賵賲 廿賱賶 兀賳 賷賳鬲氐乇 丕賱丨亘 ..
賮賲賳 賷噩毓賱賰 毓夭賷夭鬲賷 鬲卮毓乇賷賳 賰兀賳賰 "廿賲乇兀丞 亘賱丕 兀賴賲賷丞" .. 賯丿 鬲匕賷賯賷賳賴 賲乇丕乇丞 丕賱丨賯賷賯丞 丕賳賴 賴賵 賲賳 賱賷爻 賱賴 兀賷丞 兀賴賲賷丞 賮賷 丨賷丕鬲賰 ...
June 5, 2019
Whenever I am in a reading slump or just not in the mood to finish my current read, Oscar's writing is the answer to my problem.
His wit has and always will amaze me. His understanding of life, opposite sex and human relations in general, which have scarcely changed over time, are precise and true. If social media existed in his time I'm sure Oscar would've founded Tumblr. After all that is where people go when they are in dire need of a quote, is it not?
P.S. I think that is the reason I won't ever be able to give his work a low rating - he is my Tumblr. :)
His wit has and always will amaze me. His understanding of life, opposite sex and human relations in general, which have scarcely changed over time, are precise and true. If social media existed in his time I'm sure Oscar would've founded Tumblr. After all that is where people go when they are in dire need of a quote, is it not?
P.S. I think that is the reason I won't ever be able to give his work a low rating - he is my Tumblr. :)
April 13, 2020
Perhaps I shouldn't have started A Woman of No Importance immediately after finishing .
THE WRITING
In this play again the comedy and drama are combined. There's plenty of social commentary and hypocrisy mocked. Wilde's famous wit again sparkles from every other line of the dialogue. This made reading the play very enjoyable.
However, I couldn't help but sometimes be pulled out of that enjoyment to think "this is wit for the sake of wit". Some dialogue felt unnecessary and disconnected from the story as if it was only included because it was something to say. Example:
Now, the conversation flowed there for a moment, wit and all. But that "Define us as a sex" was completely out of nowhere. I don't believe the character would have come up with that question at that moment. Wilde just wanted to insert somewhere that women are "Sphinxes without secrets", and it didn't really fit.
The story doesn't really start until 40% mark of the play. It's all just an excuse for witty dialogue until that point.
THE CHARACTERS
Lord Illingworth is the one who speaks almost exclusively through witticisms. This made him an amusing and interesting character. He's the devil-may-care cynic. And when we find out he's the anti-hero, it makes him even more complex. He's like a bouquet of flowers with a faint note of rot beneath the aroma of blooms.
Hester is a young, beautiful, rather self-rightiously moralistic girl who eventually learns the world isn't black-and-white. She reminded me of Lady Windermere that way. But with little stage-time, we didn't get to know Hester well, so it was difficult to care for her particularly.
Gerald is a young man, quite generic for his time. He follows everyone around like a puppy, seeks approval and is eager to imitate and please. He has no agency. When he is outraged and tries to influence the sequence of events, it is with generic outrage, perfunctory words, and actions born entirely of expectations of others. He's quickly subdued, though, so it doesn't matter much.
Mrs. Arbuthnot, the martyr. At first, she comes across as a kind, sensible, good woman, noble even. This is conveyed to us through the opinions of others and through descriptions of her past actions. But when she enters the stage and we get to experience her character firsthand, to me she seemed vindictive, manipulative, selfish and petty. She hysterically clings to her adult son, gives self-righteous speeches, spews spite and blatantly admits she fully intends to be miserable her whole life just to put it in everyone's face.
THE ENDING
***spoilers ahead, duh***
I wonder if Wilde meant the ending to be satirical or not. If not, it didn't really fit the story for me.
The devil-may-care cynic Illingworth suddenly, immediately, for no reason, against every character trait we saw in the whole play before, becomes attached to his bastard son. Even more surprisingly, he's willing to act against his beliefs and desires (which for the whole play he swore up and down he would never do), to bind himself to someone he didn't want to know (and he didn't even want to be bound to the people he liked), in order to get to talk to that bastard son. An absolutely unremarkable young man. One in whom Illingworth had absolutely no interest for 20 years. WHY? It just didn't at all fit the character. I didn't believe it.
The martyred Mrs. Arbuthnot triumphed, sort of? Was that the point of the ending? She found out Gerald wanted to make his father marry his mother. (LOL boy how? no one succeded in this 20 years ago, and now you decide to try with absolutely no ways to achieve this?) Mrs. Arbuthnot proceeds to refuse so adamantly as if a proposal was indeed made her. Illingworth grudgingly, barely and unbelievably almost agreed later. It's not like he actually wanted to marry, it's not like he even proposed. But she revels in her venomous speech so much, it really ruined any hope of her being a strong female character.
I wish the ending allowed more complexity to Illingworth if he had to make a change of heart and wish for a relationship with his son. Why is he allowed no chance at redemption? And I wish Mrs. Arbuthnot had the chance to actually behave nobly and composedly instead of that disgraceful scene. There was such potential here for a strong female character. If Illingworth genuinely wanted to marry her and Mrs. Arbuthnot calmly and firmly refused, it would have been a powerful scene and a strong woman. Kind of like , come to think of it. The ending of was much better in terms of character complexity, I think.
THE WRITING
In this play again the comedy and drama are combined. There's plenty of social commentary and hypocrisy mocked. Wilde's famous wit again sparkles from every other line of the dialogue. This made reading the play very enjoyable.
MRS. ALLONBY. They say, Lady Hunstanton, that when good Americans die they go to Paris.
LADY HUNSTANTON. Indeed? And when bad Americans die, where do they go to?
LORD ILLINGWORTH. Oh, they go to America.
However, I couldn't help but sometimes be pulled out of that enjoyment to think "this is wit for the sake of wit". Some dialogue felt unnecessary and disconnected from the story as if it was only included because it was something to say. Example:
MRS. ALLONBY. What a thoroughly bad man you must be!
LORD ILLINGWORTH. What do you call a bad man?
MRS. ALLONBY. The sort of man who admires innocence.
LORD ILLINGWORTH. And a bad woman?
MRS. ALLONBY. Oh! the sort of woman a man never gets tired of.
LORD ILLINGWORTH. You are severe - on yourself.
MRS. ALLONBY. Define us as a sex.
LORD ILLINGWORTH. Sphinxes without secrets.
Now, the conversation flowed there for a moment, wit and all. But that "Define us as a sex" was completely out of nowhere. I don't believe the character would have come up with that question at that moment. Wilde just wanted to insert somewhere that women are "Sphinxes without secrets", and it didn't really fit.
The story doesn't really start until 40% mark of the play. It's all just an excuse for witty dialogue until that point.
THE CHARACTERS
Lord Illingworth is the one who speaks almost exclusively through witticisms. This made him an amusing and interesting character. He's the devil-may-care cynic. And when we find out he's the anti-hero, it makes him even more complex. He's like a bouquet of flowers with a faint note of rot beneath the aroma of blooms.
Hester is a young, beautiful, rather self-rightiously moralistic girl who eventually learns the world isn't black-and-white. She reminded me of Lady Windermere that way. But with little stage-time, we didn't get to know Hester well, so it was difficult to care for her particularly.
Gerald is a young man, quite generic for his time. He follows everyone around like a puppy, seeks approval and is eager to imitate and please. He has no agency. When he is outraged and tries to influence the sequence of events, it is with generic outrage, perfunctory words, and actions born entirely of expectations of others. He's quickly subdued, though, so it doesn't matter much.
Mrs. Arbuthnot, the martyr. At first, she comes across as a kind, sensible, good woman, noble even. This is conveyed to us through the opinions of others and through descriptions of her past actions. But when she enters the stage and we get to experience her character firsthand, to me she seemed vindictive, manipulative, selfish and petty. She hysterically clings to her adult son, gives self-righteous speeches, spews spite and blatantly admits she fully intends to be miserable her whole life just to put it in everyone's face.
THE ENDING
***spoilers ahead, duh***
I wonder if Wilde meant the ending to be satirical or not. If not, it didn't really fit the story for me.
The devil-may-care cynic Illingworth suddenly, immediately, for no reason, against every character trait we saw in the whole play before, becomes attached to his bastard son. Even more surprisingly, he's willing to act against his beliefs and desires (which for the whole play he swore up and down he would never do), to bind himself to someone he didn't want to know (and he didn't even want to be bound to the people he liked), in order to get to talk to that bastard son. An absolutely unremarkable young man. One in whom Illingworth had absolutely no interest for 20 years. WHY? It just didn't at all fit the character. I didn't believe it.
The martyred Mrs. Arbuthnot triumphed, sort of? Was that the point of the ending? She found out Gerald wanted to make his father marry his mother. (LOL boy how? no one succeded in this 20 years ago, and now you decide to try with absolutely no ways to achieve this?) Mrs. Arbuthnot proceeds to refuse so adamantly as if a proposal was indeed made her. Illingworth grudgingly, barely and unbelievably almost agreed later. It's not like he actually wanted to marry, it's not like he even proposed. But she revels in her venomous speech so much, it really ruined any hope of her being a strong female character.
I wish the ending allowed more complexity to Illingworth if he had to make a change of heart and wish for a relationship with his son. Why is he allowed no chance at redemption? And I wish Mrs. Arbuthnot had the chance to actually behave nobly and composedly instead of that disgraceful scene. There was such potential here for a strong female character. If Illingworth genuinely wanted to marry her and Mrs. Arbuthnot calmly and firmly refused, it would have been a powerful scene and a strong woman. Kind of like , come to think of it. The ending of was much better in terms of character complexity, I think.
July 30, 2019
Oscar Wilde okumay谋 莽ook seviyorum. Salome haricinde okudu臒um oyunlar谋nda tema hep ayn谋 asl谋nda; ama hepsinden 莽ok keyif ald谋m, 莽ok e臒lendim, 莽ok g眉ld眉m. 脰nemsiz Bir Kad谋n'da da ayn谋s谋 oldu. Bir g眉n sahnede izleyebilmeyi de 莽ok isterim.
May 3, 2024
No soy muy aficionada a leer obras de teatro, pero esta vale la pena. Es cortita y, aunque cuesta pillarle el punto, es un certero retrato de la naturaleza humana, con una fuerte carga feminista, adem谩s de una cr铆tica a la sociedad que le toc贸 vivir a Oscar Wilde, sobre todo a esa clase alta, noble y amoral que tan bien conoci贸 el autor.
#Popsugar24 Reto 36: Un libro escrito por una persona recluida (encarcelada) o que lo estuvo.
#Popsugar24 Reto 36: Un libro escrito por una persona recluida (encarcelada) o que lo estuvo.
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