# Mrs. Arbuthnot — A Woman of No Importance character guide

> Mrs. Arbuthnot in A Woman of No Importance by Oscar Wilde.

**Role:** major

**Also known as:** dear Mrs. Arbuthnot, Gerald's mother

**First appearance:** 0003-a-woman-of-no-importance

## Snapshot

A quietly formidable widow guarding a ruinous secret, she refuses the marriage that would legitimize her son's future and expose her past.

## Who they are

Mrs. Arbuthnot lives modestly at Wrockley, raising Gerald alone and keeping his father's identity buried under years of respectable silence. When Gerald's new patron turns out to be the very man who wronged her, she faces a son who begs her to marry for his sake and a society of women she believes will never forgive her. Her refusal is not weakness but a fierce, lonely dignity that drives the play's central confrontation.

## Relationships

### [Lord Illingworth](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_woman_of_no_importance_se/characters/lord_illingworth)

_romantic_

Former lovers with a deeply painful history; Lord Illingworth seduced and abandoned Mrs. Arbuthnot, leaving her with their illegitimate son.

### [Lady Hunstanton](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_woman_of_no_importance_se/characters/lady_hunstanton)

_friendship_

Lady Hunstanton is a kind, hospitable hostess who treats Mrs. Arbuthnot with polite warmth and social inclusion.

### [Hester Worsley](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_woman_of_no_importance_se/characters/hester_worsley)

_friendship_

Hester, a young American Puritan, feels sympathy and admiration for Mrs. Arbuthnot's quiet dignity and moral strength.

### [Sir John Kelvil](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_woman_of_no_importance_se/characters/sir_john_kelvil)

_social_

They are polite acquaintances; Sir John shows her mild, conventional respect.

### [Lord Henry Weston](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_woman_of_no_importance_se/characters/lord_henry_weston)

_social_

They are distant acquaintances; Lord Henry is a minor guest who interacts with her only in passing.

### [Gerald Arbuthnot](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_woman_of_no_importance_se/characters/gerald_arbuthnot)

_family_

Gerald is Mrs. Arbuthnot's devoted, loving son, though he is unaware of his true parentage for most of the play.

### [Archdeacon Daubeny](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_woman_of_no_importance_se/characters/archdeacon_daubeny)

_social_

They are polite, distant acquaintances; the Archdeacon treats her with conventional clerical courtesy.

### [Alice](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_woman_of_no_importance_se/characters/alice)

_professional_

Alice is Mrs. Arbuthnot's loyal maid and servant, assisting her in domestic matters.

### [Farquhar](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_woman_of_no_importance_se/characters/farquhar)

_professional_

Farquhar is a butler or servant who attends to Mrs. Arbuthnot in a formal, professional capacity.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_woman_of_no_importance_se/characters/mrs_arbuthnot
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_woman_of_no_importance_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_woman_of_no_importance_se/characters