The Plays of Oscar Wilde

The Plays of Oscar Wilde
Oscar Wilde

HarperCollins is proud to present its new range of best-loved, essential classics.‘London society is full of women of the very highest birth who have, of their own free choice, remained thirty-five for years.’Including some of Oscar Wilde’s most well-known and infamous plays, Lady Windermere’s Fan, A Woman of No Importance, An Ideal Husband, and The Importance of Being Earnest, this collection of the infamous writer’s works displays his brilliant, quick wit to its full glory. Wilde’s pithy social comedies dissect the morals and idiosyncrasies of society in the 1890s and offer a view of the sexual politics of the time.

THE PLAYS OF

OSCAR WILDE

Oscar Wilde

CONTENTS

Cover (#u37f25460-3f87-50a9-8339-29c8703d61db)

Title Page (#u973f5a48-0da5-5338-b938-13ad90171e13)

The Plays

1. Lady Windermere’s Fan

2. A Woman Of No Importance

3. An Ideal Husband

4. The Importance of Being Earnest

5. Classic Literature: Words and Phrases Adapted from the Collins English Dictionary

About the Author

History of Collins

Copyright

About the Publisher

THE PLAYS (#u82e974cd-2663-5920-a038-c9eea332963a)

LADY WINDERMERE’S FAN (#u82e974cd-2663-5920-a038-c9eea332963a)

The persons of the play

LORD WINDERMERE

LORD DARLINGTON

LORD AUGUSTUS LORTON

MR. DUMBY

MR. CECIL GRAHAM

MR. HOPPER

PARKER, Butler

LADY WINDERMERE

THE DUCHESS OF BERWICK

LADY AGATHA CARLISLE

LADY PLYMDALE

LADY STUTFIELD

LADY JEDBURGH

MRS. COWPER-COWPER

MRS. ERLYNNE

ROSALIE, Maid

ACT ONE

SCENE: Morning-room of Lord Windermere’s house in Carlton House Terrace, London. The action of the play takes place within twenty-four hours, beginning on a Tuesday afternoon at five o’clock, and ending the next day at 1.30 p.m. TIME: The present. Doors C. and R. Bureau with books and papers R. Sofa with small tea-table L. Window opening on to terrace L. Table R.

LADY WINDERMERE is at table R., arranging roses in a blue bowl.

Enter PARKER.

PARKER: Is your ladyship at home this afternoon?

LADY WINDERMERE: Yes – who has called?

PARKER: Lord Darlington, my lady.

LADY WINDERMERE (hesitates for a moment): Show him up – and I’m at home to any one who calls.

PARKER: Yes, my lady. (Exit C.)

LADY WINDERMERE: It’s best for me to see him before to-night. I’m glad he’s come.

Enter PARKER C.

PARKER: Lord Darlington.

Enter LORD DARLINGTON C. Exit PARKER.