Lady Windermere’s Fan
Introduction + Context
Plot Summary
Detailed Summary & Analysis
Act I Act II Act III Act IV
Themes
All Themes Morality and Ambiguity Language and Truth Gender, Performance, and Femininity Family and Friendship
Quotes
Characters
All Characters Lady Windermere Lord Windermere Mrs. Erlynne Lord Darlington The Duchess of Berwick Augustus Cecil Graham Dumby Lady Plymdale Agatha
Symbols
All Symbols Lady Windermere’s Fan Roses The Miniature
Literary Devices
All Literary Devices Alliteration Dramatic Irony Genre Hyperbole Idioms Irony Metaphors Mood Motifs Paradox Setting Similes Soliloquy Style Tone Verbal Irony
Upgrade to LitCharts A+
Instant downloads of all 1913 LitChart PDFs (including Lady Windermere’s Fan).
LitCharts Teacher Editions. Teach your students to analyze literature like LitCharts does.
Detailed explanations, analysis, and citation info for every important quote on LitCharts.
The original text plus a side-by-side modern translation of every Shakespeare play.
Literature
Guides Poetry
Guides Literary
Terms Shakespeare
Translations
Ask
LitCharts AI
Ask
AI
Literature
Lit
Poetry
Lit Terms
Terms
Shakescleare Ask AI

Lady Windermere’s Fan

by

Oscar Wilde
Download this LitChart! (PDF)
Teachers and parents! Our Teacher Edition on Lady Windermere’s Fan makes teaching easy.

Lady Plymdale Character Analysis

Lady Plymdale is a guest at the party. Though she’s married, it’s implied that Dumby is her lover. When she finds out that Dumby knows Mrs. Erlynne, she’s initially angry but then decides that the connection could be useful; she plans to send her husband to meet Mrs. Erlynne as well so that he’ll stop smothering her with attention. Lady Plymdale gossips about Mrs. Erlynne at the start of the party but seems to admire her by the end.

Lady Plymdale Quotes in Lady Windermere’s Fan

The Lady Windermere’s Fan quotes below are all either spoken by Lady Plymdale or refer to Lady Plymdale. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Morality and Ambiguity Theme Icon
).
Act II Quotes

LORD WINDERMERE: I am afraid—if you will excuse me—I must join my wife.

LADY PLYMDALE: Oh, you mustn’t dream of such a thing. It’s most dangerous nowadays for a husband to pay any attention to his wife in public. It always makes people think that he beats her when they’re alone. The world has grown so suspicious of anything that looks like a happy married life.

Related Characters: Lord Windermere (speaker), Lady Plymdale (speaker), Lady Windermere
Morality and Ambiguity Theme Icon
Gender, Performance, and Femininity Theme Icon
Page Number: 24
Explanation and Analysis:

DUMBY: What a mystery you are!

LADY PLYMDALE: (looking at him) I wish you were!

DUMBY: I am—to myself. I am the only person in the world I should like to know thoroughly; but I don’t see any chance of it just at present.

Related Characters: Dumby (speaker), Lady Plymdale (speaker), Mrs. Erlynne
Gender, Performance, and Femininity Theme Icon
Family and Friendship Theme Icon
Page Number: 27
Explanation and Analysis:
Unlock with LitCharts A+
Get the entire Lady Windermere’s Fan LitChart as a printable PDF.
Download
Lady Windermere’s Fan PDF

Lady Plymdale Quotes in Lady Windermere’s Fan

The Lady Windermere’s Fan quotes below are all either spoken by Lady Plymdale or refer to Lady Plymdale. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Morality and Ambiguity Theme Icon
).
Act II Quotes

LORD WINDERMERE: I am afraid—if you will excuse me—I must join my wife.

LADY PLYMDALE: Oh, you mustn’t dream of such a thing. It’s most dangerous nowadays for a husband to pay any attention to his wife in public. It always makes people think that he beats her when they’re alone. The world has grown so suspicious of anything that looks like a happy married life.

Related Characters: Lord Windermere (speaker), Lady Plymdale (speaker), Lady Windermere
Morality and Ambiguity Theme Icon
Gender, Performance, and Femininity Theme Icon
Page Number: 24
Explanation and Analysis:

DUMBY: What a mystery you are!

LADY PLYMDALE: (looking at him) I wish you were!

DUMBY: I am—to myself. I am the only person in the world I should like to know thoroughly; but I don’t see any chance of it just at present.

Related Characters: Dumby (speaker), Lady Plymdale (speaker), Mrs. Erlynne
Gender, Performance, and Femininity Theme Icon
Family and Friendship Theme Icon
Page Number: 27
Explanation and Analysis:
Unlock with LitCharts A+
Home About Contact Help
Copyright © 2024 All Rights Reserved
Terms Privacy Privacy Request
The LitCharts.com logo.
Requesting a new guide requires a free LitCharts account
You'll also get updates on new titles we publish and the ability to save highlights and notes.

or

Already have an account? Sign in
Complete your free account to request a guide
Already have an account? Sign in
The LitCharts.com logo.
Creating notes and highlights requires a free LitCharts account.
You'll be able to access your notes and highlights, make requests, and get updates on new titles.

or

Already have an account? Sign in
Complete your free account to access notes and highlights
Already have an account? Sign in
The LitCharts.com logo.
Saving guides requires a free LitCharts account
Easily access your saved guides anytime.

or

Already have an account? Sign in
Complete your free account to save guides
Already have an account? Sign in