'...we are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.'
Margaret, Lady Windermere receives gossip from an impeccable source that her husband of two years frequently visits a certain Mrs Erlynne, a woman with a reputation for having amorous affairs with married men. Later that day, Lord Windermere reveals that he has invited Mrs Erlynne to his wife's upcoming birthday party, explaining that he wants to introduce her into society. Margaret reacts badly to the news, but Lord Windermere is insistent that the invitation stand; and when Mrs Erlynne arrives at the party that evening, a train of events is put in motion that threatens more than the domestic happiness and the reputations of the Windermeres.
Lady Windermere's Fan marked Oscar Wilde's debut as a
playwright. It was first produced in 1892 and then published in the
following year. The play satirises 'polite' London society, and
especially the institution of marriage among the well-to-do.
Wilde puts forward two propositions to be tested: 1) All men are mostly bad; and 2) most women are good. The satire then proceeds, and when the equilibrium of the Windermere's social circle is broken, we get to see who acts virtuously and who doesn't. All the characters are in the gutter in so far as every human being has their failings, but some rise above it to look at the stars.
The same character, Lord Darlington, who made the observation about the gutter and the stars also asserts: 'It is absurd to divide people into good and bad. People are either charming or tedious.' Does Wilde really believe this himself? After all, the play is subtitled: A Play about a Good Woman.
Lady Windermere's Fan, while being a worthy piece, does not have the same timeless quality possessed by The Importance of Being Earnest. And while it has it's share of frivolity, the play does touch on darker matters, such as blackmail, betrayal and gold-digging. Even so, it is a minor gem sparkling with its own light and can be well enjoyed for what it is.
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