Places Discussed
Windermere house
Windermere house. Home of Lord and Lady Windermere in the real and fashionable Carlton House Terrace adjacent to St. James’s Park in central London that serves as the setting for three of the play’s four acts. The play opens and closes in the morning room, one of the grand rooms used for entertaining by the Windermeres, who are important members of British society. As with all the aristocracy of the time, they have servants; only one butler, one maid, and a nonspeaking footman appear in the play, but at least another six or eight servants might be expected. The morning room should be large and immaculately decorated, containing more furniture than the few items specified for plot purposes. Among the pieces of furniture specified in the play’s stage directions are a bureau, in which Lady Windermere finds a bank book of her husband’s that contains apparently incriminating evidence; a table used by Lady Windermere to arrange flowers; a sofa used for seating; and a small table on which tea is served. French windows open onto a terrace, to which an impressionable daughter is sent to view the sunset so that she will not hear gossip about Mrs. Erlynne.
The house’s drawing room is equally grand, adjacent to the ballroom, where during the play’s second act a ball is held and a band is playing. A door leads onto the terrace. Because of crowds of guests, no furniture is specified, though some chairs and sofas around the walls might be expected. Wilde mentions only flowers and potted palms, which are typical of late Victorian era decor.
Lord Darlington’s rooms
Lord Darlington’s rooms. Home of the bachelor Lord Darlington, who has long loved Lady Windermere and tried to persuade her to leave her husband. In keeping with his station, Darlington’s apartment should be a suite of rooms forming all or part of a floor of a large terraced house. Act 3 of the play is set in his sitting and entertaining room. Wilde’s stage directions mention a sofa—where the fan of the title is accidently left—and three tables set with writing materials, alcohol, and cigars—all items typical for a man of his status.
Historical Context
Aestheticism Movement
The "art-for-art’s-sake" movement of the late nineteenth century was championed by Walter Pater (1839–1894), an Oxford academic who mentored Oscar Wilde. Wilde embodied his mentor’s philosophy, prioritizing style and beauty over moral and social obligations. This commitment earned Wilde the title "The Great Aesthete."
Pater argued that aesthetes cherished beautiful objects and literature. The increased leisure time among the upper and middle classes fueled interest in art. The middle class, adopting upper-class values, viewed art appreciation as part of their social education.
The aestheticism and Pre-Raphaelite movements opposed the Victorian focus on industry, engineering, and efficiency. When Oscar Wilde famously told American customs officials, "I have nothing to declare but my genius," he referenced the personal refinement he cultivated for its own sake.
Wilde surrounded himself with art and aimed to personify Walter Pater’s idea of the true critic, someone with "a certain kind of temperament, the power of being deeply moved by the presence of beautiful objects." Pater looked to the Renaissance for inspiration, emphasizing a preoccupation with style.
Aesthetics celebrated the wholly innocent individual, exemplified by Dorian Gray in Wilde’s novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray (1891). Gray remained pure and physically beautiful until corrupted by an older man.
Lady Windermere is another character who is both beautiful and uncomplicated, possessing a natural appreciation for art and genuine sentiment.
Victorian Society
(This entire section contains 386 words.)
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Victorian Society
Three years before Oscar Wilde’s birth, England celebrated industrial achievements at The Great Exhibition of 1851, held in the stunning Crystal Palace. Visitors marveled at the pinnacle of technical innovation from various nations, with England’s contributions placing her at the forefront of scientific progress.
The exhibition highlighted the advantages of industrial progress. England reached peak prosperity, with income soaring due to industrial efficiencies. As the economy grew, a rising middle class began to emulate the lifestyles and customs of high society.
By the late nineteenth century, this newly wealthy class started to infiltrate previously exclusive areas—politics, clubs, and the workforce.
This period also saw the rise of feminism, with women making increasingly bold moves to secure suffrage. During his two-year tenure as editor of The Women’s World, Wilde published articles by women on both sides of the suffrage debate. He had also renamed the magazine from The Lady’s World to reflect the diminishing class distinctions.
Literary Style
Screen Scene
A screen scene is a moment in which an actor conceals themselves behind a curtain or piece of furniture to overhear the conversations of others. Melodramas, which often focus on secrets and their revelations, frequently utilize the screen scene to allow a character to uncover a hidden truth. This revelation typically serves as a pivotal moment in the storyline.
In Lady Windermere’s Fan, Lady Windermere's eavesdropping reassures her of her husband's fidelity. Additionally, Mrs. Erlynne's willingness to sacrifice her own reputation convinces Lady Windermere of the older woman's virtue.
The screen scene's purpose is to enable a character to learn information they are not meant to hear. Simultaneously, the risk of being caught while eavesdropping heightens the scene's dramatic tension.
To further increase the suspense, the eavesdropper often leaves behind a personal item, such as a glove or a fan, which is then discovered by the other characters. Only a clever distraction, like the one executed by Mrs. Erlynne, can prevent the eavesdropper from being exposed.
Comedy of Manners
During the Restoration period (1660–1699), fashionable audiences were drawn to comedies that satirized the quirks and wit of high society. These plays often mocked pompous characters for their pretensions and misbehaviors within the sophisticated elite.
In the Victorian era, more serious dramas became popular. Hence, Wilde's comedy of manners offered a refreshing departure from the norm, breathing new life into comedy and paving the way for modern comic theatre.
Compare and Contrast
Victorian London: Industrialization triggers a mass migration from rural areas to urban centers, as thousands of laborers work in British factories.
Today: An increasing number of workers are engaged in the "service" and high-tech sectors rather than in manufacturing and industry. It is more cost-effective to establish factories in developing countries.
Victorian London: The advent of the railroad transforms travel and the transportation of raw materials and finished products. Both the middle and working classes can afford trips to seaside resorts and urban areas for leisure and entertainment.
Today: The Internet delivers information and entertainment to a tech-savvy population. From art and literature to stock trading and shopping, the Internet provides numerous options for users. People now gather in virtual chat rooms instead of traditional drawing rooms, parlors, and music halls.
Victorian London: Mail is delivered up to three times a day in London. Those who could afford it could send a message across town in the morning and receive a reply by evening.
Today: People can send messages instantly via phone, email, instant messaging, and teleconferencing.
Media Adaptations
"Lady Windemere’s Fan" has been adapted into two silent films: a 1917 version by Ideal Film and a 1925 Warner Brothers production titled The Fan, directed by Ernest Lubitsch.
Otto Preminger remade The Fan with sound in 1949.
In 1960, librettist Don Allan Clayton adapted the play into an Off-Broadway musical comedy called A Delightful Season.
A 1997 audiotape recording of the play features Michael Sheen as the voice of Lord Darlington.
Bibliography and Further Reading
Sources
Beckson, Karl, ed. Oscar Wilde: The Critical Heritage, Alfred A. Knopf, 1970, 434 pages.
Wilde, Oscar. The Complete Works of Oscar Wilde; with an introduction by Vyvyan Holland, Harper & Row, 1989 (originally published 1966).
Further Reading
Bloom, Harold, ed. Oscar Wilde, Chelsea House, 1985, 146 pages. An anthology of contemporary scholarship on Wilde, featuring a brief commentary by Bloom where he addresses the “anxiety of influence” (Bloom’s term for a writer’s struggle to create original work) in relation to Wilde.
Coakley, Davis. Oscar Wilde: The Importance of Being Irish, Town House, 1995, 246 pages. Investigates the influence of the Irish storyteller in Wilde’s family and social life.
Ellman, Richard. Oscar Wilde, Alfred A. Knopf, 1988, 632 pages. Considered the definitive biography of Wilde.
Freedman, Jonathan. Oscar Wilde: A Collection of Critical Essays, Prentice-Hall, 1995, 257 pages. Includes essays, a brief biography, and a selected bibliography.
Holland, Vyvyan Beresford. Oscar Wilde: A Pictorial Biography, Viking Press, 1960, 144 pages. An intimate biography authored by Wilde’s son.
Knox, Melissa. Oscar Wilde: A Long and Lovely Suicide, Yale University Press, 1994, 185 pages. A psychoanalytic biography that explores Wilde’s childhood and its impact on his later life.
McCormack, Jerusha, ed. Wilde the Irishman, Yale University Press, 1998, 205 pages. A collection of essays examining different aspects of Wilde’s works.
Powell, Kerry. Oscar Wilde and the Theatre of the 1890s, Cambridge University Press, 1990, 204 pages. Contextualizes Wilde within the literary and historical landscape of the 1890s.
Raby, Peter, ed. Cambridge Companion to Oscar Wilde, Cambridge University Press, 1997, 307 pages. Analyzes key themes in Wilde’s work.
Bibliography
Brooks, Cleanth, and Robert B. Heilman. Understanding Drama: Twelve Plays. New York: Holt, 1945. An indispensable act-by-act analysis that points to problems in characterization and motivation, and measures Lady Windermere’s Fan against defined genres. Eloquently establishes the myopia of bringing predetermined standards to art.
Cohen, Philip K. The Moral Vision of Oscar Wilde. Rutherford, N.J.: Fairleigh Dickinson University Press, 1978. The chapter on the comedies includes ten pages that read Lady Windermere’s Fan in terms of the shift from Old Testament to New Testament values.
Davidson, David. “The Importance of Being Ernst: Lubitsch and Lady Windermere’s Fan.” Literature/Film Quarterly 11, no. 2 (1983): 120-131. Highlights the unique potentialities and limitations of film in handling Lady Windermere’s Fan.
Powell, Kerry. Oscar Wilde and the Theater of the 1890’s. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press, 1990. Sets Wilde’s work within its theatrical and social contexts. The chapter devoted to Lady Windermere’s Fan provides the basis for comparisons made throughout the book.
Small, Ian, ed. Introduction to Lady Windermere’s Fan, by Oscar Wilde. New York: Norton, 1980. Explicates the differences in existing versions of the text. Discusses the role of deceit in both play and culture, drawing on contemporary etiquette handbooks to illustrate the protocols of London society.
