The Importance of
Being Earnest
By Oscar Wilde
(1854-1900)
The Importance of Being Earnest
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Written in 1895
A Comedy in 3 Acts
Is a satire
Immediate hit when first performed
Criticizes Victorian moral and social values
Bridges Victorian period/literature with Modern
Uses wit, puns, exaggeration, and wordplay to
create humor
Main Characters
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John Worthing, aka
“Jack”, aka “Earnest”
Algernon Montcrief,
Jack’s friend
Lane, the butler for
Algernon
Rev. Chausible, the
preacher in the
country
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Lady Bracknell,
mother of Gwendolyn
Gwendolyn, wants to
marry a man named
“Earnest”
Cecily, Jack’s ward
Miss Prism, Cecily’s
governess
Settings
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Time: Around 1890
Place(s):
London (“the City”)
Jack’s House in the Country (a very large
estate)
The village church
Settings
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Jack’s
Country
House
Settings
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Jack’s
Drawing
Room
Settings
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Lady
Bracknell’s
mansion in
London
Victorian Period
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Named for Queen Victoria of England
Was Queen from 1837-1901
Followed the reign of “Mad” King George
The culture was very moral and serious
Women were expected to be the “angel in
the house” - to take care of their husband
and family
Queen Victoria
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Became Queen as a
young girl
Married Albert, Prince
Consort and adored him
After he died, she wore
black for the rest of her life
Had 9 children
Created a culture that
valued family and stability
Victorian Period
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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
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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
Victorian Fashion
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For the
Gentlemen
Victorian Fashion
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For the Ladies
Victorian Period
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People did not just “drop in” to visit - they
made formal appointments
Refreshments were expected when visitors
came to “call” (visit) - usually tea and cake
or tiny, elegant cucumber sandwiches
Men were expected to be well-educated
Women were expected to marry well
Oscar Wilde - Author
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Born in Ireland; lived in England and abroad
Attended Trinity College in Ireland and Oxford
University in England
Very witty and funny
Believed in the value of “art for art’s sake” - art
(literature) should not be concerned with political
issues
Wrote several plays, but only one novel
Novel: The Picture of Dorian Gray
Oscar Wilde
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With other writers and artists, rebelled against the
prim, moral, religious culture of Victorian England
Was known to be wild, flamboyant, witty
Although homosexual, married and had children
Being homosexual was illegal, and he served
time in prison for it
Oscar Wilde
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Handsome
Loved clothes
Could be quite
dramatic
Completely
unique
Oscar Wilde
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Came from upper-class family
Brilliant writer
Loved to shock people
“Bad Boy” of his time - The ‘Lil Wayne’ of
his day (but well-educated)
Oscar Wilde
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Never allowed to see his family again
Spent the remainder of his life in Paris
Died alone and poor in Paris
Literary Vocabulary
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Comedy - light-hearted literature with
humor and a happy ending
Satire - literary writing that makes fun of or
criticizes the faults of people or groups.
Purpose is to point out flaws
Wit - using words to be clever and funny
with language
Pun - a play on words
Literary Vocabulary
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Protagonist - the main character
Foil - the character who contrasts the main
character (the foil “reflects” the traits of the main
character)
Blocking figure - A character, often old and cranky,
who interferes with the romantic desires or the
other main characters and provides comic action
Literary Vocabulary
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Motif - a recurring character or element
repeated in a literary work. Food is a motif
in The Importance of Being Earnest
Protagonist - the main character
The Importance of Being Earnest
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Oscar Wilde created
many amusing quotes
Oscar Wilde Quotes
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“I always pass on good advice. It is
the only thing to do with it. It is never
of any use to oneself. “
“I can resist everything except
temptation. “
Oscar Wilde Quotes
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“I never travel without my diary. One
should always have something
sensational to read in the train. “
“To lose one parent may be regarded
as a misfortune; to lose both looks
like carelessness.”
The Importance of Being Earnest
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Even though this play was written more
than 100 years ago, it continues to be very
popular
More than one movie has been made of
this play, the most recent in the past 5-10
years
This play is currently being performed on
Broadway in New York City (through June)
Importance of Being Earnest
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The title of the play is a pun.
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To be “earnest” means to be serious, and
the main character (John/Jack) uses the
name “Earnest” when he is in the city
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“Bunburying” is using an alias to “get away
with” avoiding social obligatioins
Importance of Being Earnest
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What have you learned so far?
Know the characters, the setting, the plot
Know the basic facts about the author
Know the basic facts of Victorian England
Know the literary vocabulary required
Understand that this play is a comedy
Importance of Being Earnest
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