This contrast between these two has a very strong affect not only on the direction of the play but also, the relationship between the characters. Relationships between characters are very important as when or if a relationship were to change, the story itself could have taken on a completely different route. The conflict has also allowed Wilde to turn the tragedy around in ways and create a more humorous piece
Many Characters throughout the play deceive not only other characters but also themselves. Lord Windermere deceives his wife in order to protect her from scandal; Mrs Erlynne deceives Lady Windermere in order to protect her from the harsh truth that she is her mother and abandoned her; Lady Windermere deceives her husband temporarily as she intends to run away with Lord Darlington.
There are many examples of these deceptions throughout the play, as stated above. Mrs Erlynne even threatening Lord Windermere stating that she “will make my name so infamous that it will mar every moment of her life. It will ruin her, and make her wretched. If you dare tell her, there is no depth of degradation I will not sing to, no pit of shame I will not enter.” and telling him that she “forbid” him to tell her.
Unlike in “Much Ado About Nothing”, not all is revealed at the end as Mrs Erlynne’s identity is kept secret from Lady Windermere, although all is revealed to the audience. Wilde seems to suggest that the truth is not always the best thing for everyone as it can be better to live a lie and maintain harmony in society rather than live an open, truthful life but cause chaos and disharmony.
Although the contrast between deception and truth doesn’t seem to have a massive impact on the play it does however, create the play. If not for the deception between that of Lord Windermere and Mrs Erlynne there would be no real story, this is because Mrs Windermere would not have been misled into thinking her husband had committed adultery but also, Mr Windermere and Mrs Erlynne would have had no real reason to have met up in the first instance. It also gives the audience something to think about. Wilde shows that whilst being truthful may seem like a good idea, sometimes it is better to deceive instead to keep someone else’s piece of mind.
Another contrasting theme is the society versus the individual. Victorian society has a very controlling influence on the individual as it was very difficult to fight against the society conventions and instead, many found it easier to adhere to the rules and social mores imposed by Victorian society, at least publicly. Mrs Erlynne was a victim of circumstance, many of the other characters slandering her, Duchess of Berwick calling her a “horrid woman.” however, Mrs Erlynne plays an important role to represent the power Victorian societal conventions had on the individual as she was forced to abandon her child and hide herself away as she had broken the moral code. She later returned to society and seems to be an individual who will not play by the rules and will do whatever it takes in order to achieve her goals; Lord Windermere saying that he “used to think that will all your faults you were frank and honest.” and of her “blackmailing” him to get what she wanted.
Ironically, these goals are to fit in with the society one more, thus underlining the futility of her quest. Lady Windermere vacillates between adhering to societal conventions and has followed her instincts in her emotions. By the end of the play she is convinced she has made the right decision, ultimately serving to demonstrate how difficult it is for an individual to break away from the expectations of society.
These contrasting themes once again aid in the plot; this is because of how the characters all talk about Mrs Erlynne, saying of how she is a scoundrel and to not be trusted. These accusations are soon scattered around and fall into Lady Windermere’s lap, adding to the tragic stance of the piece. Due to the Victorian societal conventions, anyone that is frowned upon is immediately seen as dirt and someone to keep away from. Another thing to keep in mind is that if the play were to have been written in modern day, the consequences of Mrs Erlynne’s actions whilst would still be frowned upon, would not be unheard of. Therefore, her rejection from society would be less likely as society no longer functions in the overall same way that Victorian society did.
Finally we have trust and betrayal. Trust is a fairly rare commodity in this play and Wilde seems to suggest that trust is not to be found very easily within Victorian society. Lady Windermere doesn’t trust her husband and is quick to believe that he has betrayed her. In return, she seems only too eager to betray him with Lord Darlington.
Lord Windermere is forced to trust Mrs Erlynne in a way as he hopes that her intentions towards her daughter are benign and that she won’t try to drag all of them into the mire. This trust is then rewarded at the end of the play as Mrs Erlynne leaves with the potential scandal avoided. Wilde could be suggesting that there isn’t enough trust and far too much deception and betrayal, and that in order to get ahead in life one must learn to be brave and trust others a bit more.
Trust and betrayal are very important themes in “Lady Windermere’s Fan” as without them, there wouldn’t be much of a story to tell or at least, a less interesting one. This is because, without the idea of betrayal the level of tragedy would have greatly decreased, in turn possibly causing less intrigue and viewer enjoyment. Wilde has also once again, skilfully and linguistically hidden another truth of the world and how it works.
Overall, I believe that all the contrasting themes in “Lady Windermere’s Fan” play important parts in not only creating an initial idea for the play but also, to continue the play with fluent language that will draw in the viewer and even make them think. Not only do these themes entice the viewer, they create a complex and interesting story line to last years.
by
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