A critical analysis from an extract from 'An Idea Husband', third

act, paying close attention to the characters & language.

Metotheatrically, Wilde notably induces both Lord Goring and Phipps' misanthropic, stylised poses almost as
though the characters here are portraying different mannerisms. Hyperbolically, Lord Goring's stylised,
dandifed persona, concentrating on the buttonhole, juxtaposed with Phipps' monosyllabic repetitive, 'Yes, My
Lord.' , ' depicting his critical nature of society. Amusingly, Wilde evokes Lord Goring's egotistical nature and
epigrammatic banter throughout the extract, 'However, it is always nice to be expected, and not to arrive.'
signposting his conceited character, inverted into his melodramatic speech.
Wilde hyperbolically evokes a comedic effect with Lord Goring's over inflated grandiose and decorative
language suggesting his often paradoxical nature, 'Excuse me a moment. I'm in the middle of my performance
of the attentive son.', notably contrasting with the totally impassive presence of Phipps, the ideal butler. Wilde's
expressionless characteristics for 'The Sphinx' and his continuous repetition induces a dead-pan humour
effect, 'Yes, My Lord.' punning on the genre of the play that is representing the comedy of manners.
Antithetically, Wilde inscribes aspects of his own persona into his stereotypical nature of being an ingenious
'Word smith' by contradictory contrasting two varied characteristics of characters, 'The distinction of Phipps is
his impassivity.', which humorously contrasts with Lord Goring's depiction, 'He is wearing a silk hat and
Inverness cape.' highlighting his dandified persona against his butlers, who seems to be living detached from
the life of Lord Goring's and is inferior to his magisterial poise.
Goring's' neoclassical style and grandness is represented in the third act evokes similarity to Oscar Wilde
himself. Wilde de-constructs the conventional expectations of the binary oppositions, 'Lady Chiltern's
handwriting on Lady Chilterm's pink note paper.' alluding to his feminine characteristics with the semiotics of
romance and the epitome of femininity. Wilde also manipulates the binary oppositions inducing the study of
beauty relating to the idea of 'Art for Art's sake', 'He is the first well-dressed philosopher in the history of
thought.' which aesthetically portrays his decorative speech as well as his hedonistic life style. His
exaggerated responses to inappropriate subjects and stylistic offence relates to the connotations of
homosexuality, 'To love oneself is the beginning of a lifelong romance.' signposting Wildes' conceitedness of
playing the part of Lord Goring himself.
Abigail Tucker