THE IMPORTANCE OF
BEING EARNEST
By OSCAR WILDE
1895
Key Facts
full title · The Importance of Being
Earnest: A Trivial Comedy for Serious
People
genre · Social comedy; comedy of
manners; satire; intellectual farce
time and place written · Summer 1894 in
Worthing, England
date of first production · February 14,
1895. In part because of Wilde’s disgrace,
the play was not published until 1899.
tone · Light, scintillating, effervescent,
deceptively flippant
setting (time) · 1890s (“Present”)
setting (place) · London (Act I) and
Hertfordshire, a rural county not far from
London (Acts II and III)
Complete the
character
chart. Note
relationships,
characterizations, and
other
essential
information.
Add Lane and
Merriman
1
3
1
5
2
4
5
3
4
2
6
7
6
8
7
Settings and Their Effects
Act 1:
Effects of Setting
Act 2:
Effects of Setting
Act 3:
Effects of Setting
SUMMARY
protagonist · John Worthing, known as “Ernest” by his
friends in town (i.e., London) and as “Jack” by his friends and
relations in the country
major conflict · Jack faces many obstacles to his romantic
union with Gwendolen. One obstacle is presented by Lady
Bracknell (Gwendolen’s Mother), who objects to what she
refers to as Jack’s “origins” (i.e. his inability to define his
family background). Another obstacle is Gwendolen’s
obsession with the name “Ernest,” since she does not know
Jack’s real name.
rising action · Algernon ( Jack’s friend in town) discovers
that Jack is leading a double life and that he has a pretty
young ward named Cecily. The revelation of Jack’s origins
causes Lady Bracknell to forbid his union with Gwendolen.
Identifying himself as “Ernest,” Algernon visits Jack’s house
in the country and falls in love with Cecily.
climax · Gwendolen and Cecily discover that both Jack and
Algernon have been lying to them and that neither is really
named “Ernest.”
falling action · Miss Prism is revealed to be the governess
who mistakenly abandoned Jack as a baby and Jack is
discovered to be Algernon’s elder brother, and is in actual
fact named Earnest.
A Private View at the Royal Academy
(1883) by William Powell Frith
Victorian Period – Historical Context
England (1837-1901)
Manners were supremely important
English society was divided into
classes
The Upper-class was well-educated,
came from a rich and respected
family (“old money”), and having good
manners mattered more than
anything else
Considered bad manners to flaunt
wealth
Victorian Period
Young women were always
chaperoned until they were married
Women’s clothing covered them from
neck to ankle; clothes had to be
modest
In the upper classes, people with a
bad reputation were outcasts no
matter how much money they had
Good manners were extremely
important
Aestheticism: “art for art’s sake”
Theory that spoke for the autonomy of
art.
Art was to exist for its own sake, for its
own essence or beauty.
The artist was not to be concerned
about morality or utility or even the
pleasure that a work might bring to its
audience.
This approach often contrasted with the
strict application of morality, social
mannerism, and politics.
Comedy – Genre Contexts
Comedy – from komos - a story of the rise in
fortune of a sympathetic central character.
Optimistic
Classical comedy can be thought of as the fulfillment of
future generations – ends in procreation rites or
marriages
Therapeutic
This allows humans to critically view what might be
unbearable, or merely uncomfortable, and find solutions,
comfort, or solace in situations that could otherwise be
unfathomably heinous or merely humiliating.
Inclusive
Opposing forces and culturally different enemies can
find common ground in laughter.
Didactic
comedy gives us the uncanny ability to humbly see fault
within ourselves, and to change accordingly, without
need for defensive repercussions.
Conventions of Comedy – Give
example of each in Earnest
Hyperbole: exaggeration, overemphasis,
overstatement
Incongruity: literary element out of place
(time, space, character)
Anticipation: looking forward to something
funny
Plant: idea, line, or action established early in the
play that is repeated later on
Parody: a composition imitating another,
usually serious, piece of work designed to
ridicule in nonsensical fashion an original
work. Parody : Literature :: caricature : art.
Conventions of Comedy – Give
example of each in Earnest
Blocking figure: A character, often old
and cranky, who interferes with the
romantic desires or the other main
characters and provides comic action
Deus ex machina: artificial
contrivance used to resolve comedic
plots
Ambiguity: double meaning, puns,
vagueness; leads to
misunderstanding.
Comedy of Manners
Comedy of Manners is a term that is
generally applied to Restoration Comedy
17th Century), Neoclassical Comedy (18th
Cent.), and Victorian Comedy (19th
Century) – both forms existing in the postRenaissance world of England and France.
These plays include elements of Romantic
comedy and satire. They tend to mock the
relations and intrigues of people in the
upper classes, rely largely on words and
wit, and are often sophisticated and
refined.
LANGUAGE & STRUCTURAL
DEVICES cont
FARCE ~ Broadly humorous play based on
the exploitation of improbable or ludicrous
situations.
Humorous play using exaggerated physical
action, slapstick, absurdity & improbability.
Contains surprises where the unexpected
is disclosed: Jack misidentifies Prism as
his unmarried mother – typical farcical
ending.
Farces ~ 3 Acts, Changes in identity, Stock
Characters, Misunderstandings between
lovers
Identify BIG IDEAS and MOTIFS,
then analyze how they function to
create larger meanings of the play.
Big ideas
Victorian Social Issues.
The nature of marriage; the constraints
of morality; hypocrisy vs. inventiveness;
the importance of not being “earnest”;
rural vs. urban
Motifs
naming; puns; inversion; death; the
dandy; doubling; food; fiction; writing;
parents
The Dandy – Character Type
AKA “fop” - the dandy is a man who
pays particular attention to his
appearance, dress, and lifestyle,
almost to the point of excess, while
using his wit and charm to point out
society’s hypocrisy and double
standards.