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A Woman of No Importance
Oscar Wilde
Main CharactersLord Illingworth: A charming, amoral aristocrat whose brilliant wit and cynical philosophy on life mask a deep lack of responsibility and a disregard for others' feelings. Mrs. Arbuthnot: A woman who has lived a life of quiet atonement for her past, struggling to protect her son from his father’s corruptive and cynical influence. Gerald Arbuthnot: An innocent, ambitious young man caught between the glamorous, opportunistic world offered by Illingworth and the rigid, moralistic devotion of his protective and secretive mother.
First Performance: 1893, at Haymarket Theatre, London
Great success; solidified Wilde's reputation for writing society plays that were both entertaining and socially subversive.
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