First Act
First Act takes place in the lawn in front of the terrace at Hunstanton. Lady Caroline and Hester converse about country homes and differences between English and American country lives. Lady Hunstanton enters soon followed by Gerard Arbuthnot who announces that he was offered a position of a secretary by Lord Illingworth. Everyone present congratulates him except Hester who is reluctant to do so. Mrs. Allonby and Lady Stutfield enter the scene as well and the conversation turns to talk about differences between men and women. Mr. Kelvil enters. He is a writer whose occupation is writing about politics and purity.
Lord Illingworth enters at the moment Lady Stutfield is talking how wicked he is. Lady Hunstanton receives a letter from Mrs. Arbuthnot saying that she will join them in the evening. Mrs. Allonby and Lord Illingworth talk about Hester and Mrs. Allonby challenges Lord Illingworth to kiss Hester. The two get called inside for tea and on the way Lord Illingworth notices Mrs. Arbuthnot's letter. He says that the handwriting looks familiar and when Mrs. Allonby asks who it reminds him of he answers of no one in particular, a woman of no importance.
Analysis
In this first act we get introduced to majority of the main characters. Lady Caroline is obsessed in telling her husband what to do every step of the way. American girl Hester is filled with hope for life and living life purposefully. Connection between her and Gerard is already noticeable. Mrs. Allonby is cynical and mostly concerned with men and women relationships. Lord Illingworth is keen on living his life only for pleasure and leisure and his sentences are filled with cynical and sarcastic remarks. Lord Illingworth recognizing Mrs. Arbuthnot's handwriting is the opening of the plot and foreshadows the upcoming events.
Second Act
Second Act takes place at drawing room at Hunstanton after dinner. Women are alone and talk about their husbands and discuss the relationships between men and women. Lady Caroline believes that men should listen to their wives and Mrs. Allonby is keen on a complicated relationship and expectations and her remarks are filled with sarcasm. Hester is idly listening in to conversation and when Lady Hunstanton approaches her she makes an anger-filled comment about English society and the role of women.
Mrs. Arbuthnot soon joins the women and from her conversation with Lady Hunstanton she realises that Lord Illingworth is someone from her past. Gerard insists on his mother meeting Lord Illingworth and when he approaches he recognises Mrs. Arbuthnot. When the two are left alone they talk about their past and their son Gerard. Lord Illingworth refused to marry Mrs. Arbuthnot when she was pregnant with Gerard. Gerard joins them and Mrs. Arbuthnot insists that her son refuses Lord Illingworth's job offer. After she can't give him the exact reason for this she gives up.
Analysis
This act is filled with women talking about marriages and it shows a difference between the opinions of the conservative English side against the American side. Women discuss their marriages and their roles in marriages as being the support for their husbands or controlling them. Hester is disgusted and angry upon hearing this and expresses her opinions that men and women should both equally work on bettering their life together and they also should take the same punishment for their sins.
The relationship between Mrs. Arbuthnot and Lord Illingworth is expectedly revealed and Lord Illingworth is determined to be a part of his son's life disregarding what he did to his mother in the past.
Third Act
The Third Act takes place at the picture gallery at Hunstanton. Lord Illingworth gives Gerard a lesson how to be a part of the society and how to be a gentleman in his usual cynical views on the same society. Lady Hunstanton talks to one of her guests Dr. Daubeny whose wife seems to have all sorts of illnesses that hinder her but she is happy nevertheless.
Mrs. Arbuthnot tells her son it's time to go home. Gerard wants to say goodbye to Lord Illingworth first. In the meantime Hester and Mrs. Arbuthnot have a conversation about sins and Hester shares her opinion that both men and women should be punished for their sins and that the punishment should also be transferred to their children. Hester goes to fetch Gerard. Gerard arrives after she leaves and is ready to go. Mrs. Arbuthnot indirectly reveals to him her past but he doesn't realise what she's talking about. Hester enters the scene screaming and jumps to Gerard's arms. Lord Illingworth has insulted her by trying to kiss her. Gerard furiously jumps at Lord Illingworth but Mrs. Arbuthnot stops him by revealing to him that he is his father.
Analysis
Lord Illingworth loses no time in trying to make his son a mirror of himself. Mrs. Arbuthnot is more and more anxious to separate her son from this man. She even indirectly tells him her story but Gerard is clueless as usual. In a climactic scene Mrs. Arbuthnot is forced to reveal the truth and the act drops.
Fourth Act
Fourth act takes place at a sitting room at Mrs. Arbuthnot's. Gerard is writing a letter to Lord Illingworth. Lady Hunstanton and Mrs. Allonby arrive to visit Mrs. Arbuthnot but she can't receive them so they leave.
Mrs. Arbuthnot comes our and Gerard reveals to her that he is writing to Lord Illingworth demanding that he marries her after all this time. His mother tries to explain to him that if she does that it would go against everything she went through all these years and against everything she believes. Hester comes to the scene and joins her and agrees that marrying that man would be wrong. Hester confesses to Mrs. Arbuthnot that she loves Gerard and wants to marry him. Gerard feels the same way for her and the couple immediately start making plans for the future and go for a walk in the garden.
Mrs. Arbuthnot is visited by Lord Illingworth who demands to be a part of his son's life. Mrs. Arbuthnot reveals to him that Gerard no longer wants him in his life and that the young American puritan girl changed his mind. Feeling angry and bitter Lord Illingworth calls Mrs. Arbuthnot his mistress and almost calls Gerard his bastard but Mrs. Arbuthnot stops him. Lord Illingworth leaves.
Gerard and Hester come back and Gerard notices Lord Illingworth's glove and asks his mother who it belongs to. Mrs. Arbuthnot answers that it belongs to no one in particular, it belongs to a man of no importance.
Analysis
In an emotional argument with her son Mrs. Arbuthnot reveals all the pain she went through was worth it because out of it she got the most precious gift, her son. Expectedly, Gerard and Hester get together and happily make plans for their future.
Lord Illingworth is keen on being a part of his son's life after everything but there is one thing that he can't accept and that is his son falling under and accepting a woman instead of him. This truly showcases his low opinions on women and how they are only toys to him. It is Mrs. Arbuthnot who gets the last laugh at the end and ending showcases that the one who has no importance is the man who betrayed her. This is the truth that she should have realized a long time ago.
