Lady Windermere Essay

385 Words2 Pages
The views and values implemented within the play, ‘Lady Windermere’s Fan’ construct a witty satirist’s portrait of the upper class world of 19th century England. The world of Oscar Wilde’s play depicts a society where morals determine everything. During the Victorian period strict rules governed mannerisms, protocol, decency and certainly etiquette. The titular character, Lady Windermere, is a naive young girl driven by a moral upper class code, which is extremely black and white to any opposing views. Her views are built on rules, not reality and she believes that one should be focused on achieving the highest quality of life. This is certainly a moral absolutist’s view. All of the characters who attend the ball for Lady Windermere’s birthday are all examples of this. Instead of having any defining characteristics, a lot of them share similar views which are deemed acceptable in society. Many have their qualities on the outside so everyone can see them. Lord Darlington is a character, however, who unlike Lady Windermere is not bound to any social conventions. Darlington lives his life how he wants to and says what he wants to. He is seen by other characters as peculiar for being so honest and sentimental. Cecil Graham describes Darlington as “a man who sees an absurd value in everything…” Lady Windermere dictates to his face how he says the most “foolish and insincere things”. These ‘things’ that Darlington is expressing is his love for Lady Windermere. When he hints at love, she sees this as a “modern affection of weakness.” Expressing oneself so outright is not deemed as acceptable, as seen in the following exchange: LADY WINDERMERE: Lord Darlington, you annoyed me last night at the Foreign Office. I am afraid you are going to annoy me again. LORD DARLINGTON: I, Lady Windermere? [...] I am quite miserable, Lady Windermere. You must tell me what I did. LADY
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