An Ideal Husband · Character

Sir Robert Chiltern

A rising politician whose dazzling career rests on a secret sale of government information, he must decide whether to buy silence or tell the truth.

major

Also known as Robert Chiltern, Sir Robert, Robert, Sir Robert Chiltern Smiling, Sir Robert Chiltern Coldly, Sir Robert Chiltern Really, Sir Robert Chiltern Rushes, Sir Robert Chiltern Stop, Sir Robert Chiltern Excitedly, Sir Robert Chiltern Certainly, Sir Robert Chiltern Speaking, Sir Robert Chiltern Walking, Sir Robert Chiltern Weak, Sir Robert Chiltern Who, Sir Robert Chiltern No, Sir Robert Chiltern Rises, Sir Robert Chiltern Rising, Sir Robert Chiltern Stopping, Sir Robert Chiltern Arthur, Sir Robert Chiltern Gertrude

First appearance: an ideal husband

As a major figure in An Ideal Husband, Sir Robert Chiltern is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

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Sir Robert Chiltern is the admired Under-Secretary for Foreign Affairs, a self-made man whose fortune began with a letter sold to Baron Arnheim eighteen years ago. He worships his wife Gertrude as the embodiment of ideals he knows he has betrayed, and the arrival of Mrs. Cheveley, who holds the proof of that old sin, turns his composure to panic. His struggle between protecting his career and deserving his wife's love drives the play's central moral crisis.

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Character Web

12 connections

A slice of how Sir Robert Chiltern sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.

Relationship types

Psychological
Friendship
Family
Professional
Other

Character groups

Central characters in scandal
Protagonist

+7 more in the full Character Web

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book.

Setup
Breaking point

In this scene, the dramatic climax occurs because Lord Goring’s casual, evasive banter with his father masks t…

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Relationships

Mrs. Cheveley
psychological · negative
Lord Goring
friendship · positive
Lady Chiltern
family · ambivalent
Tommy Trafford
social · positive
Phipps
professional · neutral
Mason
professional · neutral
Lord Goring
friendship · positive
Lord Goring
friendship · positive
Lady Chiltern
family · ambivalent
Mrs. Cheveley
psychological · negative
Mrs. Cheveley
psychological · negative
Lady Chiltern
family · ambivalent

Mrs. Cheveley
Mrs. Cheveley blackmails Sir Robert over a past corrupt financial secret, wielding power and manipulation.
Lord Goring
Lord Goring is Sir Robert's loyal and wise friend, offering counsel and support during his crisis.
Lady Chiltern
They are a married couple whose relationship is strained by Sir Robert's hidden past and Lady Chiltern's idealism.
Tommy Trafford
Tommy Trafford is a young, well-meaning friend and social associate of Sir Robert.
Phipps
Phipps, as Lord Goring's butler, respectfully attends to Sir Robert when he visits.
Mason
Mason serves Sir Robert as the butler of the Chiltern household.
Lord Goring
Lord Goring is Sir Robert's loyal and wise friend, offering counsel and support during his crisis.
Lord Goring
Lord Goring is Sir Robert's loyal and wise friend, offering counsel and support during his crisis.
Lady Chiltern
They are a married couple whose relationship is strained by Sir Robert's hidden past and Lady Chiltern's idealism.
Mrs. Cheveley
Mrs. Cheveley blackmails Sir Robert over a past corrupt financial secret, wielding power and manipulation.
Mrs. Cheveley
Mrs. Cheveley blackmails Sir Robert over a past corrupt financial secret, wielding power and manipulation.
Lady Chiltern
They are a married couple whose relationship is strained by Sir Robert's hidden past and Lady Chiltern's idealism.

Relationship notes

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