An Ideal Husband

by Oscar Wilde

Oscar Wilde published his play, An Ideal Husband in 1893, comprised of one 24 hour period. It premiered at the Theatre Royal, Haymarket in London on January 3, 1895, but after 127 performances, Wilde's name was removed from the marque and the play closed after his arrest for "gross indecency." "Sooner or later, we shall all have to pay for what we do," Wilde observed, a statement just as true for the play as for the author himself. Both The Importance of Being Earnest and An Ideal Husband are considered his dramatic masterworks.

The Persons of the Play

The Scenes of the Play

First Act

Second Act

Third Act

Fourth Act