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An Ideal Husband

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Plot Summary

An Ideal Husband

Oscar Wilde

Fiction | Play | Adult | Published in 1895

Plot Summary
“An Ideal Husband” is a comedic play by Oscar Wilde. It was first performed in London in 1895. In the play, a man must stop his wife from finding out that he’s built his entire career on selling out political secrets. The play exposes the problems with high society and deals with complex moral themes in a comic way. Wilde was an Irish poet and playwright best known for The Picture of Dorian Gray. He was an atheist who championed Irish Nationalism. In the 1890s, he became one of London’s most celebrated writers; however, he was later imprisoned for homosexuality.

The play is set in 19th-century London, and the main character is Sir Robert Chiltern. Robert is a popular politician and member of the House of Commons. He does whatever it takes to succeed, and he’s not above blackmail and fraudulent activities. His wife, Gertrude, has no idea that most of his wealth comes from illegal acts.

The first act begins during a dinner party at Robert’s home in Grosvenor Square, which is in London’s wealthy Mayfair district. Because Robert is so influential, his parties are always busy. Gertrude spends most of her time entertaining people and networking on behalf of her husband. Although she has a say in who Robert invites to his parties, she can’t stop everyone from attending.



Mrs. Cheveley, who Gertrude despises, turns up. Mrs. Cheveley approaches Robert and tells him that she knows he betrayed the government. She knows that he once sold Baron Arnheim, her ex-lover, insider knowledge about the Suez Canal Company. Arnheim purchased numerous shares in the company before the government had a chance. Arnheim made lots of money from the shares, and so did Robert. The government made far less money than it expected.

Robert wants to know why Mrs. Cheveley is bringing this up again. She tells him that she wants him to fund a fraudulent scheme in Argentina. If he doesn’t fund the venture, she’ll tell everyone what he did. He will lose his position in the House of Commons at Westminster, and he’ll be barred from London social circles. What’s worse, Gertrude will be humiliated. She’s obsessed with the idea of the perfect husband, and if Robert falls from grace, he’s no use to her anymore.

Robert agrees to fund the venture because he doesn’t know what else to do. However, once Gertrude finds out that he’s agreed to fund something illegal, she tells him to pull out before it’s too late. He must recover his honor or else she will leave him. Robert tells Gertrude that he’ll pull out of the deal, but he plans on keeping his promises to Mrs. Cheveley.



Meanwhile, Lord Goring, Robert’s friend, warns him to stay away from Mrs. Cheveley. He explains that she’s a devious woman who will always find new ways to blackmail him. If Robert doesn’t stop her now, there’s no telling what she’ll demand next. Robert agrees to call the deal off because he knows that Lord Goring is right. The problem is finding the right way to tell Mrs. Cheveley the truth.

Before Robert speaks with Mrs. Cheveley, she speaks with Lord Goring. He tells her that Robert won’t fund the canal venture in Argentina anymore. She confronts Robert and gives him one last chance to change his mind. When Robert refuses to do business with her, she makes a speech before the entire dinner party, and Gertrude finds out about the Suez Canal shares.

Gertrude flees the room. Robert begs her to listen to his side of the story, but she tells him that they’re finished. She returns to the main party and tells everyone that she’s disowning Robert for his immoral actions. Robert leaves the room in disgrace. However, he feels better knowing that his wife knows the truth about him. There are no secrets left between them.



In the meantime, Gertrude sends Lord Goring a letter. She tells him how she feels about everything. Mrs. Cheveley visits Lord Goring because she blames him for ruining the venture. She discovers the letter, and she assumes that it’s a love note. To make matters worse, Robert arrives and sees Mrs. Cheveley in the drawing room. He thinks that she’s sleeping with Lord Goring and he’s horrified.

Lord Goring, who has no idea what’s going on, encounters Mrs. Cheveley. She tells him that she loves him, and she wishes they could be together. He dismisses her, saying that he’s repulsed by her offer and her rude behavior. When Lord Goring turns his back, she snatches up the letter and leaves the house.

Mrs. Cheveley plans on sending the letter to Robert. She will pretend that Lord Goring and Gertrude are sleeping together. However, Lord Goring gets to Gertrude first and warns her about what’s going to happen. She warns Robert about the letter, and they forgive each other. Mrs. Cheveley is left feeling disgraced and embarrassed, shunned by everyone.

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