Contexts

Question 1

The Aesthetic movement

Answer 1

• ‘Art for Art’s sake’
• the concept of beauty taking precedence over narrative
• subverts the idea of Art as a moral entity
• the ‘dandy’ figure lives for art and pleasure

Question 2

Social class

Answer 2

• Wilde himself was a social outsider, being Irish
• the play questions the authority of aristocracy
• it also examines the place of the lower classes through the depiction of servants

Question 3

Gender roles and marriage

Answer 3

• the play portrays a patriarchal society in which marriage is formal and based on status
• sexuality is a taboo subject (Paglia argues that sexual lust does not exist in the play, replaced by appetite for food)
• roles of women are examined and questioned

Question 4

Behaviour, morality and religion

Answer 4

• social inequality is highlighted
• aestheticism challenges rigid Victorian norms
• religion is shown to be a superficial concept