Reading the four comedies by Oscar Wilde, Lady Windermere’s Fan, A Woman of No Importance, An Ideal Husband and The Importance of Being Earnest, one finds that the women figures in these plays seem to resemble more or less. Wilde appears to like the use of simplified and stereotyped characters like the often occurring womanwith- a-past, some late Victorian domineering matron or the Puritan. With the impression these give, the reader comes to wonder how Wilde himself thought of them and why they are such recurring motifs. Might they be a mirror for the women in his own life or would that be too far-fetched? I will try to proof in this essay that even though these four plays by Wilde as well as his woman figures give the impression as if they were really similar, they are at most alike, and the characters not easily comparable to persons in Wilde’s life. The first three comedies all deal with someone who committed a secret sin in their past and is now confronted with this by meeting an old acquaintance. Though sinners they are in the end pardoned, because they remained good and pure in their hearts, which has to be proved most by Mrs Erlynne in Lady Windermere’s Fan. She left her husband and baby to lead a life full of pleasure and returns half a year before her daughter’s coming of age, drawn by the wish to join or rejoin society and pressing money from Lord Windermere. He allows this because Lady Windermere would lose all her ideals if she found out about the true fate of her mother, whom she glorified all her life supposing she was dead. Mrs Erlynne sacrifices her reputation in Act III to save her daughter’s one, reminded of her own fault twenty years ago and motherly feelings having awoken not wanting her daughter to do the same mistake. [...]
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- Recurring Images of Women in Oscar Wilde's Comedies
- The Woman with a Past
- The Puritan Woman
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This essay aims to analyze the recurring images of women in Oscar Wilde's comedies, specifically focusing on the characters of the "woman-with-a-past" and the "puritan woman." The essay explores the similarities and differences between these characters, examining their motivations, moral complexities, and the ways in which they challenge or uphold Victorian societal norms.
- The portrayal of women with a past in Wilde's comedies
- The role of the "puritan woman" in Wilde's plays
- The complexities of morality and forgiveness in Victorian society
- The subversion of theatrical conventions in Wilde's works
- The impact of Wilde's personal life on his portrayal of women
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
- Recurring Images of Women in Oscar Wilde's Comedies: This section introduces the topic of recurring images of women in Wilde's comedies and identifies the two primary character types: the "woman-with-a-past" and the "puritan woman." It sets the stage for the analysis of the play's characters.
- The Woman with a Past: This section examines the various "women-with-a-past" characters in Wilde's comedies. It focuses on their shared experiences of sin and the societal pressures they face. It also explores the individual characteristics of each character and their motivations.
- The Puritan Woman: This section analyzes the "puritan woman" figures in Wilde's plays. It focuses on their strict moral principles, their struggles with forgiveness, and their eventual transformation or acceptance of societal values.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
This essay explores the recurring images of women in Oscar Wilde's comedies, particularly the "woman-with-a-past" and the "puritan woman." Key concepts explored include Victorian societal norms, the complexities of morality, forgiveness, and the subversion of theatrical conventions.
- Quote paper
- Britta Fokken (Author), 2004, Recurring Images of Women in Oscar Wilde's Comedies, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/26578
