Oscar Wilde s A Woman Of No Importance - 1057 Words

Oscar Wilde’s A Woman of No Importance, written and published in 1893, a witty melodrama that challenges morality, piety, and depicts gender inequalities in the Victorian Era. Critics deemed A Woman of No Importance as being on the, â€Å"weakest of the plays Wilde wrote,† 1 of the 19th Century because was described as being very shocking and unpleasant to theatergoers of this time for questioning the gender inequalities of the era. Moreover, this play is characterized as being a sentimental comedy where a dark secret from the past rise to threaten the happiness of respectable characters, therefore, the play is designed to outturn tears rather than glee. A Woman of No Importance by Oscar Wilde criticizes as well as satirizes the upper class of Victorian society. The play begins with a soirà ©e where Lord Illington, a middle-aged bachelor known for his flirtatiousness and wit, enters with Gerald Arbuthnot and proclaims Gerald as his secretary. Lady Hunstanton, the hostess, sends a letter to Gerald’s mother, Mrs. Arbuthnot, requesting her presence at the party. After some flirty exchanges between Lord Illington and another partygoer, Lady Hunstanson’s footman returns with a letter from Mrs. Arbuthnot, stating she will arrive succeeding dinner. Lord Illington is left flabbergasted, and when asked whom the woman is, he dubs her, â€Å"A woman of no importance.† Subsequent to the social gathering, Act II takes place in the drawing room at the Hunstanton estate. Shortly after the arrivalShow MoreRelatedOscar Wildes Presentation of Woman in a Woman of No Importance in Comparison to John Fowles Veiws of Women in the French Lieutenants Woman1647 Words   |  7 PagesAn exploration of Oscar Wildes presentation of women in A Woman of No Importance in comparison to John Fowles views of women in The French Lieutenants Woman, in light of the view that Oscar Wilde has a more sympathetic view of woman in his time. 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