Wilde uses the seemingly predictable character of Lord Illingworth, to go beyond simply convention, as through him he discusses the issue of sexual politics and consequently, the different treatment of men and women after a sexual ‘sin’ had been committed. In dramatical terms, Lord Illingworth contributes significantly to the play, and the techniques used by Wilde to do this, have much the same effect on the audience today, as they would have in the late nineteenth century.
The entrance of Lord Illingworth in the first act shows significance, as he immediately sits down next to Mrs Allonby. Not long after he enters, he rises to show Mrs Allonby an orchid in the conservatory. The significance of this is seen as he immediately sits next to Mrs Allonby, portraying his closeness to her. However it is the characters of Lord Illingworth and Mrs Allonby who best embody Wilde's views, especially in terms of sexual indulgence and flirtation seem identical to the descriptions we have of how Wilde lived his own life. The relationship between Lord Illingworth and Mrs Allonby is a major part which develops the sexual nature and flirtatious ambience, which are themes widely associated with their relationship. This however, would not have been considered socially accepting, due to women being considered not as important as men because women had to treat men as if they were of a higher importance. This is shown when Lady Caroline is discussing the topic of men with Hester Worsley,
“It is not customary in England, Miss Worsley, for a young lady to speak with such enthusiasm of any person of the opposite sex”.
This portrays that women of the Victorian era were not advised to speak of men openly, due to gender difference which was a major theme associated with the Victorian period. The language used here, can be perceived as if Lady Caroline is speaking to Hester Worsley as if she was of less intelligence than her.
Lord Illingworth plays the role of the flirtatious, romantically carefree male in the play; very similar to the personality of his creator, Oscar Wilde. Illingworth's relationship with Gerald is discussed by Lady Caroline, "Lord Illingworth seems to have taken quite a fancy to him". His lustful behaviour prompts Lady Hunstanton to suggest that Lord Illingworth "does not value the moral qualities in women as much as he should." This further strengthens the portrayal of him as a real rogue and a hedonistic who is self-indulgent and it is easy to imagine him carrying on numerous relationships and casting lovers aside once he became bored of them just like Illingworth seems to value looks above all else in a very shallow way as expressed in the quote, "I don't mind plain women being Puritans, it is the only excuse they have for being plain. But she is decidedly pretty. I admire her immensely."
"One can survive anything nowadays, except death, and live down anything except a good reputation". This motto is evidently shared by Lord Illingworth who describes himself and Mrs Allonby as "Sphinxes without secrets". The fact that Lord Illingworth describes both him and Mrs Allonby as ‘Sphinxes’, shows the two facets or personalities associated with them. Sphinxes are usually depicted as a lion with a human head, showing the two halves or in this case, personalities of one individual.
The importance of this extract in the context of the whole play is that it portrays the female gender differently against the male gender. In the Victorian era, women were not to openly discuss their views on the male gender, as it was seen to be socially unacceptable; however Mrs. Allonby contradicts this imperative and in a similar witty outlook to Lord Illingworth, she also engages in flirting. This shows the change inflicted in society and relates to the modern society of the 21st century.
Wilde is world renowned as a man of great wit and expression and he has created Lord Illingworth in the same mould. His speech is filled with witticism and aphorisms, which link the two men to an extent where we cannot tell whether the words are that of the character of directly from Wilde himself. Such aphorisms are embedded in the text by Wilde to enhance the understanding of Illingworth's personal opinions and philosophies.
It is therefore evident that Wilde has incorporated his traits and beliefs into "A woman of no importance" most significantly through the characters of Mrs Allonby and Lord Illingworth. Wilde uses literary techniques such as aphorisms and witticisms to express opinions and philosophies most of which seem to be direct from him with the character being used as a mouthpiece through which he can express such views. The play is one which challenges the conventions of society in terms of class, marriage, morality and conflicting ideals.
To conclude, the relationship between Lord Illingworth and Mrs. Allonby shows that the stereotypes of women have changed and shows the difference between the female and male gender. It also gives a different insight of the stereotypical view of women and the modern perspective of women in 21st century.
