(1895). Tightly constructed play about intrigue behind the London political scene.
The action is dominated by Lord Goring, an apparently irresponsible and carefree bachelor, whose keen intellect and understanding of human nature are hidden behind a facade of dandyism. It is he who extricates Sir Robert Chiltern, idolised by his wife as the "ideal husband," from Mrs. Chevely's attempt to blackmail him with a letter accusing him of malpractice when he was Undersecretary of Foreign Affairs. With this letter Mrs. Chevely plans to secure Chiltern's support in the House of Commons for a fraudulent enterprise in which she has invested.
Lord Goring obtains the damaging letter by threatening to reveal
Mrs. Chevely's theft of a bracelet. Now he helps Lady Chiltern,
who has learned of her husband's dishonourable action to readjust
her values and reconcile herself to his fallibility.