Act One

The play opens in Lady Margaret Winder-mere's home, where she is arranging roses for a party later that evening in celebration of her birthday. Lord Darlington visits, and Margaret chides him for flirting with her. He contends that a woman whose husband of two years is unfaithful has a right to "console herself."

Lady Windermere fails to recognize his oblique reference to her husband, and calls herself a Puritan with "hard and fast rules" for fidelity. Lord Darlington continues to flirt with her, but she ignores him.

He leaves and the Duchess of Berwick and her daughter, Lady Agatha Carlisle, enter. The Duchess cattily reports that Lord Windermere has been spending time and money on a Mrs. Erlynne, whose social status is questionable. The Duchess admits that her own husband has had his "little aberrations," and assumes all men are immoral.

Yet the Duchess is anxious...