Oscar Wilde

Lady Windermere's Fan Oscar Wilde

Set in London, Oscar Wildes Lady Windermere's Fan (1892) is a Victorian comedy of manners. This four-act cynical society play satirizes marital relations and the ethics of Victorian society. It presents the story of the title character, who believes that her husband is in love with another lady, Mrs. Erlynne. As Lady Windermere considers leaving her husband, it is Mrs. Erlynne who convinces her not to do so.  Known for his barbed wit, Oscar Wilde was one of the most successful late-Victorian playwrights and a great celebrity. The Importance of Being Earnest and The Picture of Dorian Gray are among his best known works. He is perhaps most famous for his trial, in which he eloquently defended homosexual love and was sentenced to two years of hard labor.