Resumen
Resumen de Lady Windermere's Fan
Para quién es
For anyone who enjoys witty talk, social comedy and stories about reputation and second chances. It also suits readers new to Wilde or to plays.
De qué trata este libro
Lady Windermere's Fan is a comedy in four acts by Oscar Wilde, first staged in London in February 1892 at the St James's Theatre. It was the first of his society plays and the one that made him a success in the theatre. Wilde wrote it for the very people it mocks: the fashionable crowd of Mayfair, where a rumour can ruin a name before dinner is served.
The story is simple to state. A young wife, strict in her ideas of right and wrong, hears that her husband is seeing a woman with a bad name. She is told this on the morning of her birthday, and a ball is planned for that night. What follows is a test of her principles, of her marriage, and of everyone's habit of judging others at a glance. You get sparkling talk, a few sharp turns, and a question that stays with you: who deserves to be shut out of polite society? Let us begin on the morning of the birthday, with a gift.
En este resumen
- 1A birthday gift and a rigid young wifeFree
- 2A charming friend plants a dangerous idea
- 3Gossip tells a wife what her husband hides
- 4An invitation that becomes a threat
- 5The ball, the guest and a wife's dangerous choice
- 6What the play says about judging others
- 7How Wilde builds wit, symbol and suspense
Idea clave 1 de 7
A birthday gift and a rigid young wife
The play opens one afternoon in the morning room of Lord Windermere's house in Carlton House Terrace, London. Lady Windermere, whose first name is Margaret, is arranging roses for the party she will give that night. It is her twenty-first birthday. She has been married to Lord Windermere for less than two years, and they have a baby son.
Her husband has just given her a fan as a birthday present. It is a fine one, with her name written on it. She loves it and says she will carry it at the ball. The fan will pass through the whole play, and the first scene makes it a sign of her trust in her husband and of her own spotless character.
Wilde shows us at once what kind of woman she is. Lady Windermere believes the world divides neatly into good people and bad people. She was raised by a strict aunt, and she holds to her rules without any doubt. She says that a woman who has done wrong should never be forgiven or even spoken to.
This firmness is what the plot will attack. Wilde does not mock her for it, since she is young and sincere. But he gives us enough to see that rules this hard will break when life presses on them. The scene is gentle and funny, and it sets a calm surface for the trouble that is about to arrive in the form of a visitor.
That’s 1 of 7 key points.
The rest of the summary, written and spoken, and the whole book: free to start.
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Who’s who
- Lady Windermere
- Margaret Windermere is a young wife whose strict moral principles shape her expectations of her husband and friends.
- Lord Windermere
- Arthur Windermere is Margaret's devoted husband, whose unexplained dealings with Mrs Erlynne threaten his wife's trust.
- Mrs Erlynne
- Mrs Erlynne is a poised woman with a doubtful reputation seeking acceptance among the Windermeres' fashionable acquaintances.
- Lord Darlington
- Lord Darlington is a witty bachelor whose friendship with Lady Windermere conceals romantic feelings for her.
- The Duchess of Berwick
- The Duchess of Berwick is a gossiping society matron who warns Lady Windermere and manages her daughter Agatha's prospects.
- Lord Augustus Lorton
- Lord Augustus Lorton is an amiable bachelor and family friend who admires Mrs Erlynne and hopes to win her.
About this edition
Every format is free to start, and print and large print are at cost.
- LengthAbout 21,000 words
- Reading timeAbout 1 h 20 min
- Listening time2 h 15 min
- FormatseBook, large-print eBook, audiobook, 15-minute summary; paperback, hardcover and large print at cost
- LanguagesEnglish and 12 other languages
Questions about Lady Windermere's Fan
What is Lady Windermere's Fan about?
It is a comedy about a young London wife who suspects her husband of an affair with a woman of bad reputation. Her strict ideas about good and bad are tested at a ball, and she nearly makes a ruinous choice.
Who is Mrs Erlynne in Lady Windermere's Fan?
She is a charming, beautiful woman with a mysterious past who has arrived in London society. Fashionable people gossip about her and shut her out, while gentlemen visit her. Her link to the Windermeres drives the plot.
What does the fan mean in the play?
The fan is Lady Windermere's birthday gift from her husband. It stands for her trust and pride, and she threatens to use it as a weapon. It later becomes an object that matters to the plot.
When was Lady Windermere's Fan written and is it a true story?
Wilde wrote it for the stage and it opened in London in 1892. It is fiction, a comedy of manners set in fashionable Victorian society, though it reflects real attitudes toward gossip and reputation.
Is Lady Windermere's Fan hard to read?
No. It is a short play with clear scenes and lively dialogue. The plot is easy to follow and the talk is funny.