The Importance of Being Earnest

Satire and Humor

"The Importance of Being Earnest" is a play by Oscar Wilde, set in the late 1800's. His actors are playing upper class citizens who are very self-absorbed. The play is set amongst upper class, wealthy people. They appear not to work and are concerned with their own pleasure. Nothing is taken seriously except trivial things.

The importance of being Earnest

Jack Worthing live with Cecily and her governess in country He decided to go to London and he introduced himself as Ernest He met his friend Algernon and his cousin Gwendolen Fairfax He asks to the Lady to marry him Algernon who has discovered the double identity of Jack went to his house and seduced Cecily introducing his self as Ernest Jack tells to Lady Bracknell, Gwendolens mother, that he is a foundling and she opposed to the marriage Cecily and Gwendolen became friends and discovered that the two men have lied on their own identity Cecilys governess resolved the situation: she reveals that

Characters

Jack/Ernest Worthing is a responsible and respectable young man who leads a double life. Algernon Moncrieff is the cousin of Gwendolen Fairfax and best friend of Jack Gwendolen Fairfax is in love with Jack whom she knows as Ernest. Cecily Cardew is Jacks ward, the granddaughter of the old gentlemen who found and adopted Jack when he was a baby. Lady Bracknell Gwendolen's mother who opposed to Jack and Gwendolen marriage.

Themes

The Nature of Marriage The Constraints of Morality Hypocrisy vs. Inventiveness The Importance of Not Being Earnest

Trivia is given more relevance that it deserves: Examples: 1. Algernon Moncrieff talks about absurdly trivially nonsense with a complete irrelevance, as when talking about the importance of science, he asks, "Have you got the cucumber sandwiches".

2. Algernon and Jack Worthing are worrying about the town and the country. Algernon asks Jack why he is in the country, when, as Jack would think, town is the 'in' and elite place to be. Jack, says truthfully responding, "When one is in town one amuses oneself. When one is in the country one amuses other people."

Jack and Algernon have created false characters: Jack his brother Ernest, whom he calls a very useful younger brother. Algernon his friend Bunbury a very valuable permanent invalid.

Wilde satirizes society mothers through Lady Bracknell She is controlling No arguing about anything with her do as youre told! She is extremely concerned with social status and appearances doesnt want her daughter to be married to a parcel found in a handbag! She is a snob Doesnt consider Jack/Ernest to be good enough for her daughter.

Wilde mocks his characters obsession with social status and money. Example: Once she finds out that Cecily is extremely rich, she is all for her marrying Algernon.

Humor in the play:

His techniques include:

Play on words (puns), reversing popular sayings, mocks marriage and Aristocracy, reverses expectations, satirising women, plots are based on ridiculous, satirising snobbery co-incidences.

Examples of this humor are:

"Produce your explanation and pray make it improbable." This changes the common phrase of 'Produce your explanation and pray make it probable'. "The truth is rarely pure and never simple." This changes the phrase from of 'The truth is pure and simple'. "It is simple washing one's own clean linen in public." This is changed from 'It is simple washing one's dirty linen in public'.