That famous Irish writer, who actually wrote in English, about wealthy English people at the end of the XIX th century. The magnificent Upper English class, believed there was no other way to live on the planet than the way they did. Wilde describes the society of that period, which seems so far removed from ours, and their concerns, that look so superficial to us and are lacking in common sense!
But this is a satirical work, pointing at the stupidity, the ridiculous behavior, and the ways of that society as well.
Oscar Wilde's humor arises from the vivid description of a wealth of minute details in peoples' attitudes and habits. The irony extends to how the name of the characters of the story, relates to their temper.
Are their inclinations so different from the ones of people we can see everyday around ? Each character typifies the society in which he lives. In the same time, he inclines to the desires and repulsions we all share.
Roparz Hemon, the major Breton writer, wrote in 1925: "It will not be a good play in Brittany if we cannot understand what Synge and Yeats did in Ireland: A play always needs to be short, dense and in plain uage, without superfluous characters, or part, too many or too few words. Which means that plays, as trees that need to be pruned, stripped of their branches, until left with what is necessary for them to grow, strong and fast on their own."
Oscar Wilde's play is thus. Hopefully our translation will reflect his work and give you an enjoyable taste of his art.