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An Ideal Husband
Sir Robert Chiltern, a member of the House of Commons, along with his wife, Lady Gertrude Chiltern is hosting a dinner party at their posh Grosvenor square home. Guests include Lord Goring, the evergreen bachelor, Sir Robert's sister Mabel Chiltern among other guests. In the party, Mrs Cheveley, an old schoolmate of Lady Gertrude's, threatens Sir Robert to reveal his secret. Mrs Cheveley blackmails Sir Robert into supporting a fraudulent scheme to build a canal in Argentina. Mrs Cheveley's lover, Baron Arnheim suggested the young Sir Robert to buy stocks in the Suez Canal three days before its purchase was announced.
Also, Mrs Cheveley has a letter to prove the claim. Sir Robert made his fortune through this money. Fearing his personal and professional doom, he gives in to Mrs Cheveley's demands of withdrawing support. When Lady Gertrude finds out, she insists Sir Robert write and renege on his promise. Mrs Cheveley confronts Lady Gertrude and tells her that their marriage is predicated on her having "An ideal husband"- someone she can worship in her public and private life both.
Towards the end of the first act, Goring and Mabel discover a diamond brooch. Goring recognizes it as a gift he gave an old lover, he asks Mabel to inform him if anyone comes asking for it. Act II also begins at Lord Robert's house. Lord Goring urges Sir Robert to admit his fault to his wife and further challenge Mrs Cheveley. Among a shocking spate of events, Lord Goring informs Sir Robert that he was once engaged to Mrs Cheveley. Lord Goring takes Lady Gertrude aside and asks her to be more forgiving and flexible. Lord Goring also flirts incessantly with Mabel, whose charms is beginning to challenge his bachelorhood. After Goring leaves, Mrs Cheveley arrives searching for a brooch she lost the other day.
Infuriated with Sir Robert reneging on the promise, Mrs Cheveley reveals his secret to his wife. Shaken, Lady Gertrude denounces Sir Robert and refuses to forgive him. Act III is set in Goring's house. The Lord receives a letter from Lady Chiltern seeking help,the letter might be read as compromising. Suddenly, Goring's father, Lord Caversham, enters the room asking when his son would marry. Lord Robert, needing Goring's counsel also walks in. Mrs Cheveley arrives in the Goring residence, unrecognized by the butler, she is ushered in. While waiting for Goring, she comes across lady Gertrude's letter.
Sir Robert on seeing Mrs Cheveley, suspects, the old lovers have rekindled their affair. Angrily, he storms out. Goring returns the Diamond brooch in exchange of the letter which incriminated Sir Robert. Mrs Cheveley steals Lady Gertrude's letter and threatens to send it to Sir Robert misconstrued as a love letter between his wife and Goring. In the final act, Goring proposes marriage to and is accepted by Mabel. Lord Caversham announces that Sir Robert has denounced the canal scheme before the house of commons. All of a sudden, Sir Robert enters announcing Lady Gertrude's letter but mistakes it as a letter for forgiveness. Sir Robert and his wife reconcile. Lady Lady Gertrude, true to her uptight self urges her husband to give up politics until Lord Goring dissuades her. Sir Robert refuses Mabel's hand to Goring thinking he is still with Mrs Cheveley. Finally, Lady Gertrude tells him the truth about the letter and the previous day's events. Finally, Sir Robert permits Mabel to wed.
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"An ideal Husband" sells tickets to thousands because of its U.S.P.s. Foremost, it is written by the brilliant Oscar Wilde. Second, it revolves around corruption, blackmail and betrayal among the English aristocracy.
