A Woman of No Importance characters

Appears from the start

The warm, sociable owner of Hunstanton Chase, where the play's house party takes place. She delights in bringing people together and sharing society news, though she often misses the tensions beneath her guests' polished manners.

Appears from the start

A fashionable aristocrat known for charm, worldly epigrams, and a casual attitude toward romance. He offers the ambitious Gerald Arbuthnot a post as his private secretary, an opportunity that promises travel and entry into influential circles.

Appears from the start

A young clerk eager for a larger life beyond the bank where he works. Devoted to his mother but excited by Lord Illingworth's sophistication and influence, he sees the offered secretaryship as the beginning of a distinguished career.

Appears from the start

Gerald's reserved and deeply religious mother, who has raised him alone in relative seclusion. Her life centers on her son, and she reacts with unusual anxiety when she learns that he plans to work for Lord Illingworth.

Appears from the start

A wealthy young American visiting Lady Hunstanton. Earnest, independent, and openly critical of the moral compromises she sees in English high society, she is drawn to Gerald even when their views and backgrounds differ.

Appears from the start

A clever, self-possessed guest whose conversation with Lord Illingworth turns marriage, attraction, and reputation into a contest of wit. Her playful cynicism helps set the house party's worldly tone.

Appears from the start

An imperious society matron who constantly corrects her husband and measures people by rank, propriety, and usefulness. Her certainty about everyone around her provides a comic version of conventional respectability.

Appears from the start

Lady Caroline's quiet, long-suffering husband. He is repeatedly directed, questioned, and spoken for by his wife during the gathering.

Appears from the start

An earnest member of Parliament who speaks seriously about public morality, family life, and social improvement. The fashionable guests treat his principles with amused condescension, even as they claim to value respectability.

Appears from the start

A dreamy young woman at Lady Hunstanton's gathering who is fascinated by fashionable talk and dangerous reputations. She listens admiringly while the more forceful guests dominate the conversation.

Appears from the start

A genial clergyman among Lady Hunstanton's guests. He speaks indulgently of society and repeatedly refers to the poor health of his absent wife, fitting comfortably into a circle more interested in manners than self-examination.