Critics

Question 1

What did Catherine Angerson (2018) suggest about Wilde’s ‘surface of frivolity and witty exchanges’ ?

Answer 1

‘Underneath a surface of frivolity and witty exchanges, Wilde explores the serious question of the relationship between political power and personal morality.’

Question 2

What did Catherine Angerson (2018) say about Wilde and AIH being a ‘well made play’ ?

Answer 2

‘Wilde manipulates the form of the well made play and borrows heavily from melodrama (both conservative art forms) but inverts and disrupts these genres to critique a society he saw as deeply flawed.’

Question 3

What did Catherine Angerson (2018) suggest about Wilde’s socialism in AIH?

Answer 3

‘Wilde’s socialism is carefully written into a comedy that exposes the terrible hypocrisy of the elite classes who seem blind to their own greed, malice and prejudice.’

Question 4

What did Catherine Angerson (2018) suggest AIH is a critique of and what does Wilde portray?

Answer 4

‘An Ideal Husband is a critique of a profit-oriented, consumerist society. Wilde is keen to portray the dangers of consumerism.’

Question 5

What did Catherine Angerson (2018) suggest about AIH, being ‘one of the most serious social comedies that Oscar Wilde published’?

Answer 5

‘It contains bold political tinges, ironically and pessimistically looking at the current political background.’

Question 6

What did Catherine Angerson (2018) suggst Wilde proposes in AIH?

Answer 6

‘Proposes that the more a culture upholds stringent moral values, the more likely it is that publicly prominent people will crumble under charges of impropriety.’