Women in the Victorian Era. Oscar Wilde's comedies 'Lady Windermere's Fan', 'A Woman of no Importance' and 'An ideal Husband'

Studienarbeit aus dem Jahr 2014 im Fachbereich Anglistik - Literatur, Note: 2,3, Universität Osnabrück (Sprach- und Literaturwissenschaft), Veranstaltung: Oscar Wilde's Comedies, Sprache: Deutsch, Abstract: The first section of this paper will examine the Victorian feminine standards, in particular, it deals with the prevailing ideals that women had to fulfill in order to protect their good reputation. Apart from these roles women had to meet, the topic of marriage which was indispensable for a good woman will be covered. Last but not least, this chapter also deals with the moral ambiguity, women's disadvantage in comparison to men. The third chapter is concerned with the cultural concept of a 'Fallen Woman' and seeks to point out typical 'Fallen Women' in Wilde's plays. The fourth chapter presents the findings of the research, focusing on the cultural concept of the 'New Woman' and 'New Woman'-characters in Oscar Wilde's plays. Finally, the conclusion gives a brief summary and critique of the findings.