An Ideal Husband
An Ideal Husband, Oscar Wilde's third play, was written in 1895 to high acclaim. The play deals with blackmail, political corruption and public and private honour.

A dazzling blend of farce and morality, this play explores human frailty and social hypocrisy. Sir Robert Chiltern's secret is discovered and exposed. He is accused of having exploited government secrets for his own gain early in his political career. With this revelation from Mrs. Cheveley comes the threat of blackmail and the ruin of Sir Robert's career. Yet in order to be a successful blackmailer, one's own reputation must be beyond reproach.

This fanlisting is for the 1999 movie adaptation in particular, starring Cate Blanchett, Rupert Everett, Minnie Driver, Jeremy Northam and Julianne Moore.

Oscar Wilde
Born Oscar Fingal O’Flahertie Wills Wilde on October 16, 1854 in Dublin, Ireland, to William Wilde and Jane Francesca Elgee.

In school Oscar excelled in the classics, and was eventually granted a scholarship to Trinity college in Dublin. He continued to do well in his studies and went on to win a scholarship to Magdalen College in Oxford. After his graduation he moved to London where he published his first collection of poetry. He also toured through the United States lecturing about aesthetics.

On May 29, 1884, Oscar married Constance Lloyd with whom he had 2 children, Cyril in 1885 and Vyvyan in 1886. From 1887-1889 he worked on revitalizing The Woman's World magazine. In the 6 years following his work there he published two collections of childrens stories, his first and only novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray, and the plays Lady Windermere's Fan, A Woman Of No Importance, An Ideal Husband and The Importance Of Being Earnest

In the summer of 1891, Oscar met Lord Alfred 'Bosie' Douglas. They soon became lovers and were inseparable until Wilde's arrest four years later. In April 1895, Oscar sued Bosie's father for libel as the Marquis had accused him of homosexuality. Oscar withdrew his case but was himself arrested and convicted of gross indecency and sentenced to two years hard labor.

Upon his release, Oscar wrote The Ballad of Reading Gaol, a response to the agony he experienced in prison. He and Bosie reunited briefly, but Oscar mostly spent the last three years of his life wandering Europe, staying with friends and living in cheap hotels. Oscar Wilde died on November 30, 1900 when a recurrent ear infection became serious and meningitis set in.

Links
Official Oscar Wilde Site
The Wild Wilde Web
Chameleon   The Oscar Wilde Fanlisting