Oscar Wilde’s fifth play was called A Florentine Tragedy and was published in 1893 but set in the 16th century. It tells the story of a wealthy merchant, Simone, who finds his wife, Bianca, in the arms of the young heir to the throne of Florence, Guido. Guido comes to Simone’s house to claim Bianca as his own and promises a fortune to Simone in exchange for her hand. While Simone is greedy for the money, isn’t swayed easily and strangles Guido instead.

Oscar Wilde was an Irish poet and playwright who wrote nine plays between 1879 and 1894. He was born in Dublin and studied at both Trinity College in Dublin as well as Magdalen College in Oxford. He settled in London and became known for his extravagant clothes, long hair, and absurd views on art, literature, and morality. He flaunted his homosexual affairs and was sentenced into prison for ‘gross indecency’, leading to public humiliation, poor health, and bankruptcy. When he was released he left for France and remained there until his death in 1900.