Shortly after appearing onstage, the Duchess of Berwick declines Lady Windermere's offer of tea, hyperbolically sneering at the tea she was just served by her hostess earlier in the afternoon.
We have just had tea at Lady Markby’s. Such bad tea, too. It was quite undrinkable. I wasn’t at all surprised. Her own son-in-law supplies it.
The Duchess's claim that the tea was undrinkable is an instance of hyperbole. It is evident that her contempt for Lady Markby's tea is directly related to class status. If Lady Markby's son-in-law supplies tea, this means that he is a merchant who most likely belongs to the middle class—or whose inclusion in the upper class is very recent. The Duchess, whose title confirms that she belongs to the landed aristocracy, sees herself as far superior to anyone involved in trade.
She uses the critique of Lady Markby's tea to set herself and her family apart from people who belong classes below her own. Throughout the act, and the play overall, the Duchess continues to use exaggerated formulations to express her commitment to hierarchies, propriety, and reputation. Ultimately, it is rather ironic that she expresses such contempt towards Lady Markby for her merchant son-in-law when the wealth of Mr. Hopper—who she actively pursues as her own son-in-law—has very similar origins. However, the Duchess of Berwick is not known for her reflection or self-awareness in the play.
