A Woman of No Importance

Content Warning: The source text and this guide depict an incident of sexual harassment and characters with sexist attitudes.

Lord Illingworth is the main antagonist of A Woman of No Importance. He is a wealthy member of the English aristocracy with a position in the House of Lords. Before he acquired his title, he was known as George Harford, and he had an affair with Mrs. Arbuthnot, producing a son whom she named Gerald. Lord Illingworth hopes to make Gerald his secretary and leave some of his property to him, although he cannot ever make him his legitimate heir due to the fact that Gerald was born out of wedlock.

Although Lord Illingworth is infamous for being an immoral man who often seduces women without marrying them, he is also a popular and well-liked member of society. He is invited to the party at Lady Hunstanton’s house despite the fact that, as Lady Stutfield claims, “The world says that Lord Illingworth is very, very wicked” (16). Lord Illingworth does not seem to mind his reputation, often making jokes about his disregard for virtues like innocence, purity, and honesty. Due to his witty and humorous demeanor, he remains charming to the other guests.