 When a husband behaves badly, should a wife always stand by her man? The quest for power and ambition finally catches up with a much- admired politician one night at an elegant party when a past misdeed is revealed by a beautiful stranger. The options are clear – public scandal or the loss of his trusting wife – but how to choose?

 Born in Dublin, 1854  Wealthy and well- connected parents  Attended Oxford where he gained a reputation for charm, wit, and conversational ease  Settled in London  Became established among fashionable circles as a poet, art critic, and journalist

 Worked as a journalist to support his family  Became editor of the popular magazine Women’s World  The Picture of Dorian Gray brought critical praise and unwanted public attention › First published as a novel in 1891, it was immediately banned by several booksellers

 Wilde’s first play, The Duchess of Padua was produced in New York  Wilde’s Lady Windermere’s Fan opened to an all-star audience in London, 1892, to mixed reviews  Wilde followed with the highly acclaimed A Woman of No Importance and his reputation as a popular playwright of considerable talent was consolidated

 Although married, Wilde was homosexual  In 1891, the married Wilde met Lord Alfred Douglas (Bosie) and they became lovers  Wilde wrote An Ideal Husband when Bosie was in Egypt, having left Wilde due to arguments  Bosie returned to England in April, 1894, and their relationship resumed

 Bosie’s father (the Marquess of Queensbury) disapproved of Wilde and sent Wilde an accusatory card  Wilde charged Queensbury with criminal libel, but Queensbury was quickly acquitted  Wilde was immediately arrested and charged with “acts of gross indecency.”  Queensbury forced a bankruptcy sale of Wilde’s estate  Jury could not come to a verdict, and Wilde was released, pending a second trial

 Wilde’s wife, Constance, urged him to leave England, but Wilde refused  Wilde was convicted in his second trial and sentenced to two years, hard labor  Bosie deserted him during imprisonment  Constance initiated divorce proceedings, but canceled, hoping for reconciliation  Wilde’s plays were immediately closed down  Released in 1897, Wilde lived alone and broke in France until he died in 1900 at the age of 46

 99 years without major war, Waterloo to WWI  Industrial Revolution continues with: New Products, Faster production, Better goods, More jobs  People born poor could work hard and get rich quick  Middle class gains political power

 Life improved for all classes  Goods cheaper for everyone because of factories and trade  Reform to improve housing conditions  Pave & name streets, number houses, drain away sewage/blood etc., lights at night and organized a better police force.  Plan cities so that slums/wealthy areas don’t co-exist  The hours children could work was limited to 10. Children received half of the day on Saturday off, and the entire day on Sunday off.

 Darwin – Origin of Species  Industrial revolution now depends upon scientific advances  Science offers rational explanations instead of religions spiritual revelations  Before, people believed and tried for ideal human comfort- (their goal): Comfort = Happiness  During the Victorian Era, people questioned the meaning of “true happiness.”  Education – In 1859, 40 % of couples signing marriage licenses couldn’t sign own name. By 1900, 90% were literate by 1900

Progress means we’re morally superior!  Censored literature- all things must be moral w/out sex, corruption.  Male authority still the norm  A woman’s job was to create a nice home for her hardworking husband.

 A genre of play that satirizes the manners of a social class, represented by stock characters such as the fop, the rake, nagging wife, femme fatale, and the bragging soldier  The plot often revolves around a scandal or secret, often with hidden identities revealed  The dialogue is witty

 “The Season” – the annual period for the socially elite to hold debutante balls, dinner parties, and large charity events. Coincided with the sitting of Parliament – social events figured into the political scheme as most members of Parliament participated in the Season.

 A member’s only private club for members of the English upper class men.  Functioned as “second homes” where men could relax, mix with friends, get a meal, and even stay the night.  Allowed upper and middle class men with modest incomes to spend time in grand surroundings.

 A large garden square in the exclusive Mayfair district of London, England. It was one of the most fashionable residential addresses in London and home to many leading members of the aristocracy.

 Use of information/power by government officials for private gain.  As a young man, Robert Chiltern was persuaded to sell a Cabinet secret to Baron Arnheim. Sir Robert made his fortune with that illicit money.

 Political Corruption makes the politician susceptible to blackmail – the threat to reveal damaging information if demands are not met. Mrs. Cheveley initiates blackmail proceedings against Sir Robert Chiltern.

 One of the enduring inventions of the Victorian era is the tabloid press. Though having the appearance of traditional newspapers, the new journalism of the 1880s was filled with sex, crime, and scandal

Will Sir Robert pay the blackmail? OR Will Sir Robert confess his past and risk losing his wife? OR Will Mrs. Cheveley reveal Sir Robert’s past to the tabloids?