Oscar Wilde, Lady Windermere's Fan

Anne Markey (Dublin City University)

Ed. by Ian Campbell Ross, Trinity College Dublin
The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 1.2.1.07: English Writing and Culture of the Victorian Period, 1837-1901.
Vol. editors: Gillian Fenwick (University of Toronto), Grace Moore (University of Otago)

Dates

First circulation or publication 1892

Places

Ireland, Republic of (Eire) (Country of Origin)
United Kingdom (Publication/ performance)

Genres and Modes

Comedy
Play

Resources

Oscar Wilde wrote Lady Windermere’s Fan in response to a request for a play on a modern subject from George Alexander, actor and manager of the St James’s Theatre in London. Initially, Wilde experienced great difficulty in completing the project, reporting in February 1891: “I can’t get a grip of the play yet: I can’t get my people real” (Holland and Hart-Davis, eds, 2000, p. 463). At that stage, he was so despondent that he offered to return the £50 advance provided by Alexander, whom he contacted again during the summer to say that he had still not been able to complete the play. By September, though, he had completed a draft of the four-act comedy, then …

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2824 words

Citation: Markey, Anne. "Lady Windermere's Fan". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 07 March 2011 [https://staging.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=4172, accessed 25 April 2024.]

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