‘An Ideal Husband’ by Oscar Wilde
Act Summaries & Overview
Characters
● Sir Robert Chiltern- The ‘tragic hero’ of the play. A hubristic and over ambitious
character who is driven by motivation and also love but his ambition becomes his
down fall
● Lady Chiltern- Sir Robert Chiltern’s wife. Embodies the victorian new woman-
virtuous and educated and worships her husband as an ideal.
● Lord Goring- idle aristocrat, dandified philosopher who acts as Wilde’s surrogate
● Mrs Cheveley- a duplicitous villainess who values power and wealth and is cast as a
‘femme fatale’ (a seductive and mysterious woman that ultimately causes issues for
any man that gets involved with her)
● Mabel Chiltern- Sir Robert Chiltern’s younger sister.
● Mrs Marchmont & Lady Basildon- described as ‘types of exquisite fragility’ and are
more decorative characters. They comment on certain topics such as education but
are not developed into major characters.
● Lord Caversham- Lord Gorings father. Described as a ‘fine whig type’
● Lady Markby- Represents the older generation and more traditional type of female
who counters the Victorian new woman.
● Vicomte De Najac- Attache (ambassador) at French Embassy in London
● Mr Montford- Secretary to Sir Robert
● Mason- Sir Robert Chiltern’s Butler
● Phipps- Lord Goring’s butler
● James- Lord Goring’s footman
● Harold- Sir Robert Chiltern’s footman who appears briefly in Act IV
Summaries (note that the play is completed within 24 hours, London)
● Act 1 ( The Octagon Room in Sir Robert Chiltern’s house in Grosvenor Square)
Lady Chiltern greets her guests as they arrive to her house. Mrs Marchmont, Lady Basildon,
Vicomte de Najac, Mabel Chiltern, Lord Caversham, Lady Markby and Mrs Cheveley are all
present. Mrs Cheveley is introduced to the Chilterns and later tells Robert Chiltern about her
plan supporting the Argentine canal scheme and asks for his support. When he refuses, Mrs
Cheveley announces of her knowledge of how SRC got too his position now, by selling a
cabinet secret
● Act 2 (The Morning Room in Sir Robert Chiltern’s house)
The Act begins with Robert Chiltern and Lord Goring in the Morning Room at the Chiltern
house and Lord Goring is advising Robert on a plan of action. Robert retells the story of how
he met Baron Arnheim and sold a cabinet secret which was the origin of his fortune. Goring
reveals of how he and Ms Cheveley were once engaged and Robert decides to write to the
Vienna Embassy to find out more about her but Goring is surprised by this as he says how
Ms Cheveley is a woman who finds scandal as exciting as ‘a new bonnet’ Lady Chiltern
enters after coming back from the Women’s liberal Association and steps aside with Goring
to question if Robert truly is an ideal to which Goring explains how many men may lower
their moral standard in the name of ambition and this leaves Lady Chiltern baffled. Mabel
, Chiltern then enters and engages in flirtatious talk with Goring and mocks Tommy Trafford’s
multiple proposals. Then Lady Markby and Mrs Cheveley appear and when Lady Chiltern is
left alone with Mrs Cheveley, she tells her how her and Robert are drawn together because
they share dishonesty and sin. Later, Lady Chiltern and Robert have an argument about love
and the nature of ideals.
● Act 3 (The Library of Lord Goring’s house in Curzon Street)
Opens in Lord Goring’s library where Lord Goring, along with his ‘ideal butler’ Phipps engage
in a series of epigrammatic talk about fashion, self love, vulgarity and falsehood. Goring
receives a letter from Lady Chiltern on pink paper who announces she is coming to see him
tonight and so Goring gives instruction to Phipps to show a woman to the drawing room.
Interrupted by Lord Caversham, Goring is forced to engage in conversation with his father
about marriage and adopting a serious career. Phipps answers the door to Mrs Cheveley
who is led to the drawing room and finds the ‘scandalous’ letter from Lady Chiltern
addressed to Lord Goring. Once Lord Caversham leaves, Robert Chiltern arrives and
expresses his concern about how his wife now knows everything and that he was unable to
find a scandalous secret. Thinking that it is Lady Chiltern in the room next door, Goring
makes Robert profess his love for his wife and once he looks into the room and sees Mrs
Cheveley, he hurries out with the impression he has a treacherous friend. Mrs Cheveley and
Goring talk about their relationship in the past and Goring places the brooch on Cheveley’s
arm, one he had bought for his cousin as a wedding present, framing her as a thief and she
surrenders the scandalous letter from Robert’s past yet sneaks the letter from Lady Chiltern.
● Act 4 (same as Act 2- the Morning Room)
Opens in the Morning Room. Lord Caversham reveals proudly about how Robert gave an
amazing speech denouncing the Argentine canal scheme which was in The Times as an
article. Mabel appears, ignoring Goring as he forgot theri riding appointment and banters
with Lord Caversham. Once he leaves, Goring asks for Mabel’s hand in marriage and she
accepts. Lady Chiltern enters and Mabel goes to the conservatory and Goring tells her about
Mrs Cheveley plan with the pink letter. Sir Robert arrives reading the letter and makes the
mistake that it was addressed to him and Lady Chiltern accepts this error. Robert professes
about how he is to retire from public life and Goring is about to ask for his blessing for
Mabel’s hand in marriage when Lord Caversham arrives. He congratulates Robert on his
speech and tells him how he has been offered a position in the cabinet seat to which he
regretfully declines with his wifes support. They later realise that this was a mistake
especially after Goring tells her how she is playing a game like Mrs Cheveley and how this is
not the right thing to do. Goring asks for Mabel’s hand in marriage to which Robert declines
and later accepts and then they are to be wed
Techniques
Epigrams: remarking an idea in a clever, interesting and memorable way
Satire: use of humour,irony or exaggeration to expose others Vices particularly in the
context of politics and other topical issues
Repartee: a conversation characterised by quick, witty comments or replies
‘An Ideal Husband’ by Oscar Wilde
Act Summaries & Overview
Characters
● Sir Robert Chiltern- The ‘tragic hero’ of the play. A hubristic and over ambitious
character who is driven by motivation and also love but his ambition becomes his
down fall
● Lady Chiltern- Sir Robert Chiltern’s wife. Embodies the victorian new woman-
virtuous and educated and worships her husband as an ideal.
● Lord Goring- idle aristocrat, dandified philosopher who acts as Wilde’s surrogate
● Mrs Cheveley- a duplicitous villainess who values power and wealth and is cast as a
‘femme fatale’ (a seductive and mysterious woman that ultimately causes issues for
any man that gets involved with her)
● Mabel Chiltern- Sir Robert Chiltern’s younger sister.
● Mrs Marchmont & Lady Basildon- described as ‘types of exquisite fragility’ and are
more decorative characters. They comment on certain topics such as education but
are not developed into major characters.
● Lord Caversham- Lord Gorings father. Described as a ‘fine whig type’
● Lady Markby- Represents the older generation and more traditional type of female
who counters the Victorian new woman.
● Vicomte De Najac- Attache (ambassador) at French Embassy in London
● Mr Montford- Secretary to Sir Robert
● Mason- Sir Robert Chiltern’s Butler
● Phipps- Lord Goring’s butler
● James- Lord Goring’s footman
● Harold- Sir Robert Chiltern’s footman who appears briefly in Act IV
Summaries (note that the play is completed within 24 hours, London)
● Act 1 ( The Octagon Room in Sir Robert Chiltern’s house in Grosvenor Square)
Lady Chiltern greets her guests as they arrive to her house. Mrs Marchmont, Lady Basildon,
Vicomte de Najac, Mabel Chiltern, Lord Caversham, Lady Markby and Mrs Cheveley are all
present. Mrs Cheveley is introduced to the Chilterns and later tells Robert Chiltern about her
plan supporting the Argentine canal scheme and asks for his support. When he refuses, Mrs
Cheveley announces of her knowledge of how SRC got too his position now, by selling a
cabinet secret
● Act 2 (The Morning Room in Sir Robert Chiltern’s house)
The Act begins with Robert Chiltern and Lord Goring in the Morning Room at the Chiltern
house and Lord Goring is advising Robert on a plan of action. Robert retells the story of how
he met Baron Arnheim and sold a cabinet secret which was the origin of his fortune. Goring
reveals of how he and Ms Cheveley were once engaged and Robert decides to write to the
Vienna Embassy to find out more about her but Goring is surprised by this as he says how
Ms Cheveley is a woman who finds scandal as exciting as ‘a new bonnet’ Lady Chiltern
enters after coming back from the Women’s liberal Association and steps aside with Goring
to question if Robert truly is an ideal to which Goring explains how many men may lower
their moral standard in the name of ambition and this leaves Lady Chiltern baffled. Mabel
, Chiltern then enters and engages in flirtatious talk with Goring and mocks Tommy Trafford’s
multiple proposals. Then Lady Markby and Mrs Cheveley appear and when Lady Chiltern is
left alone with Mrs Cheveley, she tells her how her and Robert are drawn together because
they share dishonesty and sin. Later, Lady Chiltern and Robert have an argument about love
and the nature of ideals.
● Act 3 (The Library of Lord Goring’s house in Curzon Street)
Opens in Lord Goring’s library where Lord Goring, along with his ‘ideal butler’ Phipps engage
in a series of epigrammatic talk about fashion, self love, vulgarity and falsehood. Goring
receives a letter from Lady Chiltern on pink paper who announces she is coming to see him
tonight and so Goring gives instruction to Phipps to show a woman to the drawing room.
Interrupted by Lord Caversham, Goring is forced to engage in conversation with his father
about marriage and adopting a serious career. Phipps answers the door to Mrs Cheveley
who is led to the drawing room and finds the ‘scandalous’ letter from Lady Chiltern
addressed to Lord Goring. Once Lord Caversham leaves, Robert Chiltern arrives and
expresses his concern about how his wife now knows everything and that he was unable to
find a scandalous secret. Thinking that it is Lady Chiltern in the room next door, Goring
makes Robert profess his love for his wife and once he looks into the room and sees Mrs
Cheveley, he hurries out with the impression he has a treacherous friend. Mrs Cheveley and
Goring talk about their relationship in the past and Goring places the brooch on Cheveley’s
arm, one he had bought for his cousin as a wedding present, framing her as a thief and she
surrenders the scandalous letter from Robert’s past yet sneaks the letter from Lady Chiltern.
● Act 4 (same as Act 2- the Morning Room)
Opens in the Morning Room. Lord Caversham reveals proudly about how Robert gave an
amazing speech denouncing the Argentine canal scheme which was in The Times as an
article. Mabel appears, ignoring Goring as he forgot theri riding appointment and banters
with Lord Caversham. Once he leaves, Goring asks for Mabel’s hand in marriage and she
accepts. Lady Chiltern enters and Mabel goes to the conservatory and Goring tells her about
Mrs Cheveley plan with the pink letter. Sir Robert arrives reading the letter and makes the
mistake that it was addressed to him and Lady Chiltern accepts this error. Robert professes
about how he is to retire from public life and Goring is about to ask for his blessing for
Mabel’s hand in marriage when Lord Caversham arrives. He congratulates Robert on his
speech and tells him how he has been offered a position in the cabinet seat to which he
regretfully declines with his wifes support. They later realise that this was a mistake
especially after Goring tells her how she is playing a game like Mrs Cheveley and how this is
not the right thing to do. Goring asks for Mabel’s hand in marriage to which Robert declines
and later accepts and then they are to be wed
Techniques
Epigrams: remarking an idea in a clever, interesting and memorable way
Satire: use of humour,irony or exaggeration to expose others Vices particularly in the
context of politics and other topical issues
Repartee: a conversation characterised by quick, witty comments or replies
‘An Ideal Husband’ by Oscar Wilde
