Context

Question 1

What was the separate spheres debate?

Answer 1

The idea that men should occupy the public sphere - involving politics, law and employment - and women should only occupy the domestic sphere - staying at home to do housework and raise children.

Question 2

What did Victorians believe about the moral characters of men and women?

Answer 2

They believed that whilst men were the dominant gender, women were morally superior.

Question 3

Comedy of Manners

Answer 3

A sub-genre within comedy, focusing on the romantic adventures of sophisticated young aristocrats in high society.

Question 4

The West End…

Answer 4

…where ‘Earnest’ was performed, catered for wealthy audiences, almost entirely drawn from the middle and upper classes.

Question 5

The Victorian aristocracy (upper class)…

Answer 5

…was made up of about 10,000 individuals, who had a huge amount of social, economic and political power. They gained their fortunes from their inheritance.

Question 6

During the Victorian Era…

Answer 6

…both the working and middle classes were increasingly educated, empowered and therefore politicised. In addition to this, the middle class was growing, meaning that the position of the upper classes in society was beginning to be questioned.

Question 7

Reformist attitudes

Answer 7

There was a growth in Reformist attitudes (people who believed that Victorian society needed to change and reform). Society was starting to change, and social classes were no longer quite so rigid, or quite so important.

Question 8

The Victorian society in which Wilde lived…

Answer 8

…was concerned with wealth, family status, and moral character, especially when it came to marriage. This is sometimes summarised as the three Cs - cash, class and (moral) character.