Lady Windermere’s Fan: A Play About a Good Woman is a four-act comedy by Oscar Wilde, first performed in 1892. It is one of Wilde’s most famous social comedies, filled with witty dialogue, satirical critiques of Victorian society, and themes of hypocrisy, morality, and the double standards applied to women.
The play is set in London high society, where reputation and appearances mean everything.
Lady Windermere, a young, idealistic woman, is preparing for her birthday ball.
She believes in strict moral values and worships her husband, Lord Windermere.
Her friend, the Duchess of Berwick, informs her that Lord Windermere has been secretly giving money to a mysterious woman, Mrs. Erlynne, which suggests an affair.
Lady Windermere is horrified and considers leaving him.
At the ball, Mrs. Erlynne arrives as an unexpected guest, invited by Lord Windermere.
Society gossips about her past, but no one knows her full story.
Lady Windermere, heartbroken and believing her husband has betrayed her, decides to run away with Lord Darlington, a charming bachelor who has confessed his love for her.
Lady Windermere leaves a farewell letter and sneaks off to Lord Darlington’s rooms.
Mrs. Erlynne follows her and convinces her to return home, saving her from scandal.
However, Mrs. Erlynne accidentally leaves Lady Windermere’s letter behind, putting her own reputation at risk.
Lord Windermere and others arrive at Darlington’s rooms and find the letter.
To protect Lady Windermere’s reputation, Mrs. Erlynne pretends the letter was hers, sacrificing her own name.
In a final twist, it is revealed that Mrs. Erlynne is actually Lady Windermere’s long-lost mother, who had once abandoned her family.
Lady Windermere, unaware of this, forgives her and returns to her husband, never knowing how much Mrs. Erlynne did for her.
Unlike many female characters in Victorian dramas, Mrs. Erlynne is not a villain—she is a complex, independent woman who manipulates social rules to survive. She is selfish yet selfless, calculating yet caring, making her one of Wilde’s most nuanced creations.
Lady Windermere’s Fan was a huge success and helped establish Wilde as a master of social satire. The play influenced later works like A Woman of No Importance and The Importance of Being Earnest. It has been adapted into films, operas, and modern retellings.
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