The play, takes place within 24 hours at the London homes of Sir Robert Chiltern and Lord Goring and centres around blackmail, corruption and personal and public morality. There are two letters. One reveals that Sir Robert Chiltern, a Foreign Office minister, originally made his fortune by selling secret government information. The other is a simple appeal for help written by Sir Robert’s wife to Lord Goring, which could be interpreted as a love letter. There is also a diamond brooch.

The mysterious Mrs Cheveley, who has the first letter, accidentally drops the brooch, which is then found by Lord Goring. Mrs Cheveley’s attempts to use the first letter to blackmail Sir Robert, then both Chilterns and finally Lord Goring are ultimately foiled when Lord Goring reveals that he knows Mrs Cheveley to have stolen the brooch. Just as Lord Gorin