From the beginning of the drama, Lady Chiltern upholds a very rigid and ideal view towards people, especially with her husband, Sir Robert. This initial ideal is that people are only worthy of love if they are “something apart from common life, a thing pure, noble, honest, without stain” (II. 778-779). Because she knew nothing about Sir Robert’s past, she sees him strictly through this “ideal husband” role. Lady Chiltern’s world is rudely shattered by a woman she despises. Lady Cheveley reveals Sir Robert’s past sin which he has kept a secret from his wife all along. Upon discovering his secret, Lady Chiltern has an expression of horror and fear; her face is ashen, she has shallow and quick breathing, and stares into space as if she were in a stupor. Then all at once she snaps back to reality – she looks at her husband with a piercing stare, one that is almost cold, possibly angry, and filled with fear and disbelief. Her words, combined with this expression and other hand gestures all suggest that this revelation has left her stranded and confused; she has no idea what to believe in anymore.
Later, after speaking with Lord Goring, a good friend, her old ideal is changed into a new ideal. This is that “a man’s life is of more value than a woman’s” (IV. 414-415). Depending on how “value” is defined, the new ideal may or may not be seen as misogyny. If “value” refers to the innate worth of a person, then it would be misogynistic because women would be less human than men. But if “value” refers to the gender roles of that certain period in time for the upper class, then it is just the culture’s point of view. Upper class men should go out and have influence and power in public spheres of life. Upper class women in this drama generally do not do much; most are frivolous and shallow and do nothing other than drink tea and chat at parties. According to Lord Goring, “a woman who can keep a man’s love, and love him in return, has done all the world wants of women” (IV. 418-420). Additionally, women are “not meant to judge…but to forgive” (IV. 410-411). This is another way Lady Chiltern can love Sir Robert back; to let him back into public life despite the mistake that her husband had made when he was young. As Lady Chiltern listens to all these things from Lord Goring, her facial expression changes; at first her expression is puzzled, and perhaps even indignant, but later her expression tells us that she understands that women just have a different, but equally important role, especially in marriage. A slight widening of eyes and raising of eyebrows would tells us that Lady Chiltern is carefully reevaluating her role as a wife and changing herself to be more like that “ideal woman”. Thus, when Lady Chiltern restates to her husband what Lord Goring had taught her, it is with a tone of complete earnestness and conviction. As she speaks she maintains eye contact with Robert, and even uses hand gestures to represent the comparison between men and women. Lady Chiltern walks towards her husband and speaks with more animation when she says “I will not spoil your life for you, nor see you spoil it as a sacrifice to me, a useless sacrifice!” (IV. 446-447). It is through this interaction in Act IV that Lady Chiltern convinces herself to embrace a new ideal to live by. Thus, Lady Chiltern has not changed much as a person because, although they are different, she still clings onto ideals.
