A Woman Of No Importance was written in a time when women had little or no place in the world, politically. Lord Illingworth, a womanising politician demonstrates this through his tendancies to leave women 'fallen'. The tale of Rachel Arbuthnot, a single mother in the 1890s, trying to teach ... Read review
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Importance? To Whom?
Advantages: Ideal for group reading, Disadvantages: background knowledge is almost essential
A Woman Of No Importance was written in a time when women had little or no place in the world, politically. Lord Illingworth, a womanising politician demonstrates this through his tendancies to leave women 'fallen'. The tale of Rachel Arbuthnot, a single mother in the 1890s, trying to teach her son, Gerald, of the evils of the world has her life torn apart when Lord Illingworth throws the ultimate spanner into the ultimate works. Thus leaving the ... ...the themes of the play. A Woman Of No Importance is ideal more as a project rather than night-time reading as research on the late nineteenth century and on Wilde himself, is highly recommeneded in order to fully understand the deeper meanings of Wilde's work.
Despite being written to be viewed by 19th century middle class women, the play still continues to entertain a wide variety of audiences, both as reading and as a play. Wildes ... more
A Woman Of No Importance was written in a time when women had little or no place in the world, politically. Lord Illingworth, a womanising politician demonstrates this through his tendancies to leave women 'fallen'. The tale of Rachel Arbuthnot, a single mother in the 1890s, trying to teach her son, Gerald, of the evils of the world has her life torn apart when Lord Illingworth throws the ultimate spanner into the ultimate works. Thus leaving the middle class family closer than he had ever intended.
On first reading, this book seems to be soley an outstanding play, but on more intense reading, the many levels and the many themes Wilde involves leave the reader astounded. With refrences to the political state of Middle Class England at the time Wilde wrote this play as well as many other aspects of England and the position of women, Wilde cunjures up all sorts of images, and forces us to question what is important, or WHO is important... and why.
I would highly reccoment this book, My first Wilde play which left me gagging for more. Undoubtedly one of the best pieces of 19th Century literature i have read.
However, contextual knowlodge is almost essential to fully understand all of the themes of the play. A Woman Of No Importance is ideal more as a project rather than night-time reading as research on the late nineteenth century and on Wilde himself, is highly recommeneded in order to fully understand the deeper meanings of Wilde's work.
Despite being written to be viewed by 19th century middle class women, the play still continues to entertain a wide variety of audiences, both as reading and as a play. Wildes choice of characters, ranging from the aesthetic, selfish Illingworth, to the truthful, meaningful 'puritan' that is Hester allows many different people from many different backgrounds to relate to one character or another. Wilde has truly created a masterpiece in A Woman Of No Importance
chris213west 14.07.2006
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Oscar Wilde's audacious drama of social scandal centres around the revelation of Mrs Arbuthnot's long-concealed secret. A house party is in full swing at Lady Hunstanton's country... ...
BareCode88 09.04.2008
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Advantages: A wonderful comedy with all the wit of Wilde. Disadvantages: Rather outdated now
transferred in November to Reading Prison. He was known as prisoner C. 3.3, (which described the fact that he was in block C, floor three, cell three) he was not, at first, even allowed paper and pen.After he was released from prison he sailed to France. He never returned to Ireland or Britain and Constance took the surname Holland for herself and the boys.
"THE PLAYS"
The plays written by OscarWilde and the dates of first performance were:
*Vera or The Nihilists (1880)
*The Duchess of Padua (1883)
*Salomé (French version) (1893, first performed in Paris 1896)
*Lady Windermere's Fan (1892)
*A Woman of NoImportance (1893)
*Salomé: A Tragedy in One Act: Translated from the French of OscarWilde by Lord Alfred Douglas
*An Ideal Husband (1895)
*The Importance of Being Earnest (1895)
*La Sainte Courtisane and A Florentine ...
Product Information for "A Woman of No Importance - Oscar Wilde" »
Product details
Type
Play
Title
A Woman of No Importance
Author
Oscar Wilde
ISBN
0140622454; 1420925946; 1599867486
Manufacturer's product description
Oscar Wilde's audacious drama of social scandal centres around the revelation of Mrs Arbuthnot's long-concealed secret. A house party is in full swing at Lady Hunstanton's country home, when it is announced that Gerald Arbuthnot has been appointed secretary to the sophisticated, witty Lord Illingworth. Gerald's mother stands in the way of his appointment, but fears to tell him why, for who will believe Lord Illingworth to be a man of no importance?
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