Act 2 Notes
Reputations: Starts and ends with conversation on reputations.
LC does not care about who someone is as a person but solely their reputation: “It has taught me
that a person who has once been guilty of a dishonest and dishonourable action may be guilty of it a
second time, and should be shunned.” (Line 736)
Marriage:
At the start, RC justifying why he “couldn’t tell [his] wife. (Line 9 page 190)
“Why do you place us on monstrous pedestals?” (Line 817 page 211) and “I would have lost
the love of the one woman in the world I worship” creating this idealistic image of what they
want each other to be.
Last speech: he is contradicting himself as he is blaming women for putting men on “high
pedestals” and “women think that they are making ideals of men” (line 827) saying that
women expect too much – an ideal husband that gave him no choice but to lie.
(line 610) Lady Markby – “But modern women understand everything, I am told”
Mrs Cheveley – “except their husbands. That is the one thing the modern woman never
understands.”
Society affects relationships – Sir Robert Chiltern is a political man with a reputation to think
about which also causes him to prevent any scandal between him and his wife. Society/
political seriousness that causes him to be so serious with his wife.
Femininity
Mabel enters “in the most ravishing frock” (page 200) – changes the mood. To Gertrude Mabel says
“pray be as trivial as you can” and Lord Goring mocking Gertrude about bonnets and being sexist (pg
197).
Politics: reasons why keeping his secret is so important
Political and personal life blended into one. (Page 205-6). Cheveley: “I have never read a
Blue Book. I prefer books… in yellow covers (French novels)” (Line 641)
Markby: “Really, this horrid House of Commons quite ruins our husbands for us.”
Reputations: Starts and ends with conversation on reputations.
LC does not care about who someone is as a person but solely their reputation: “It has taught me
that a person who has once been guilty of a dishonest and dishonourable action may be guilty of it a
second time, and should be shunned.” (Line 736)
Marriage:
At the start, RC justifying why he “couldn’t tell [his] wife. (Line 9 page 190)
“Why do you place us on monstrous pedestals?” (Line 817 page 211) and “I would have lost
the love of the one woman in the world I worship” creating this idealistic image of what they
want each other to be.
Last speech: he is contradicting himself as he is blaming women for putting men on “high
pedestals” and “women think that they are making ideals of men” (line 827) saying that
women expect too much – an ideal husband that gave him no choice but to lie.
(line 610) Lady Markby – “But modern women understand everything, I am told”
Mrs Cheveley – “except their husbands. That is the one thing the modern woman never
understands.”
Society affects relationships – Sir Robert Chiltern is a political man with a reputation to think
about which also causes him to prevent any scandal between him and his wife. Society/
political seriousness that causes him to be so serious with his wife.
Femininity
Mabel enters “in the most ravishing frock” (page 200) – changes the mood. To Gertrude Mabel says
“pray be as trivial as you can” and Lord Goring mocking Gertrude about bonnets and being sexist (pg
197).
Politics: reasons why keeping his secret is so important
Political and personal life blended into one. (Page 205-6). Cheveley: “I have never read a
Blue Book. I prefer books… in yellow covers (French novels)” (Line 641)
Markby: “Really, this horrid House of Commons quite ruins our husbands for us.”
