Lady Windermere's Fan - Lesson 1 (An Introduction)

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• vwo
• Leerjaar 5

00:43

In which year was Oscar Wilde born?

01:43

In what way(s) did Oscar resemble his mother Jane?

03:44

What did Wilde mean by "I find it harder and harder every day to live up to my china"?

04:31

www.britannica.com

06:18

www.tate.org.uk

08:05

What, according to the video, were the two main reasons for Oscar to want to marry Constance Lloyd?

09:24

Why did Wilde's book The Picture of Dorian Gray cause such a scandal?

12:10

m.interglot.com

14:05

What did they mean by "committing acts of gross indecency"?

17:06

Constance Wilde - née Lloyd - proceeded to refer to herself as Constance ... (fill in her new last name)

19:44

How did Oscar Wilde die?

The Play: Lady Windermere's Fan

• Wilde began writing the play in 1891 at the prodding of the actor-manager of St James Theatre in London, George Alexander.
• The play was finished in October 1891 and first performed on 20 February 1892 in St James Theatre.
• It is a comedy consisting of four acts.
  

Source: Grace,  1835. Interior of St. James Theatre, London (watercolour). Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_James%27s_Theatre#/media/File:Interior_of_St._James_Theatre,_London_(watercolour)_by_John_Gregory_Crace.jpg

Society

To be able to thoroughly understand Lady Windermere's Fan (LWF), one has to understand what is meant by "Society".

In Victorian England, "Society" could be defined as a "status or interest group regulated by an elaborately coded system of relationships, the main function of which was to provide solidarity and cohesion, as well as to assign position and rank to its members. It was, like all other status groups [...] almost obsessively concerned with access to or exclusion from its ranks [...]" and "[t]he central feature of Society [...] was a tightly regulated code of behaviour which, as much as money or birth, was the defining attribute of Society’s members, for it identified them publicly as ladies and gentlemen. To deviate from these conventions [...] was to relinquish that title and the distinction it bestowed and to place oneself outside Society" (Lady Windermere’s Fan (New Mermaids) by Oscar Wilde (2002–12-20). (2022). Methuen Drama; edition (2002–12-20).

The rules that defined what was constitued as acceptable behaviour, and which regulated both domestic and social life, were referred to as  "etiquette" and people in Society prided themselves on abiding by these rules.

Oscar Wilde's plays, however, point out a clear distinction between what people in Society said they did as opposed to what they actually did.

How to read a play

• Use your imagination: a play is an invitation to imagine body and voices in a space.
• Read it aloud (at least in part), adding intonation and gestures.
• The stage directions are part of the text to be read and interpreted. They can indicate where the characters are positioned, their emotional states, how their words should be uttered and how they should move, and give many other valuable insights.
• It is a good idea to read the play at least twice in preparation for the test.
  

04:08

Exercise 1

After having watched the first couple of minutes of Lady Windermere's Fan (LWF), read those lines in the play aloud together with two other students (so groups of three).

One of you will read for Lady Windermere, another for Lord Darlington and another for Parker.

Try to read your part as convincingly as possible.

What can you say about Lady Windermere in terms of looks and character? Make your description as elaborate as possible.

What can you say about Lord Darlington in terms of looks and character? Make your description as elaborate as possible.

What can you say about the fan? What is it? How did Lady Windermere come into possession of it?

How did you enjoy this first lesson on Lady Windermere's Fan?

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How confident are you in reading and understanding the play?

😒🙁😐🙂😃

Next lesson

We will continue reading Act 1 of Lady Windermere's Fan.

In preparation watch Act 1 of the play on the video (see next slide)

Look at the cartoon of Oscar Wilde on the previous slide. Explain what the artist of the cartoon was trying to convey.