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An ideal husband by oscar wilde7/5/2023 ![]() ![]() An ideal husband, ie the perfect man cannot exist for a woman. Marchmont and Lady Basildon, conservative politicians like Lord Caversham, and clever dandies like Lord Goring. This is upported with Loring Goring who admits his faults "I am very selfish" but Mabel doesn't care and loves him anyway. The curtain lifts to show a large, beautifully appointed drawing room where Lady Chiltern is receiving her guests: beautiful socialites like Mrs. He says "Why can't you women love us, faults and all!" Chiltern's major flaw is that he is hungry for power (which usn't unusual for men of this time) but this flaw is only to Lady C, who we see is very unreasonable. With wit and gaiety, Wilde paints a scathing critique of gossips, income gaps, sexist attitudes, and the perils of protecting ones morals. Therefore Chiltern is only ideal to her if he is flawless, but this is impossible, so the irony of the title in this relationship is obvious. Lady Chiltern is the puritan character, and like in many of Wilde's plays, is taught to forgive. Oscar Wilde wrote his original interpretation of the Biblical story of Salomé in French, and the play was so controversial that no theatre in England would produce it for nearly four. Discover the Abridged English Audiobook at Audible. ![]() ![]() This is contrasted thru the marriages of the chilterns and the relationship (and eventual marriage) between Lord Goring and Mabel Chiltern. An Ideal Husband as its meant to be heard, narrated by Rex Harrison, Lilli Palmer. There is no one ideal husband, ideal is judged in the eyes of their wives, there is no winning formula. ![]()
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