The video was filmed in the gift shop at Hardwick Hall, bringing to mind the changes taking place in English country houses that have continued from the time Wilde was writing in the 1890s to the present day.
In this video Dr Andy Smith contextualises Wilde’s play to his essay ‘The Soul of Man Under Socialism’ and uses this to account for scenes of ‘anarchy’ in the play. Polite society so often breaks down in ‘The Importance of Being Earnest’ and whilst that is part of the comedy, it is also part of the politics of liberation. How to think about Wilde as a political writer is thus one of the key questions explored here.
While watching, consider whether there is a sense that we are now looking at the end of country house values.
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