The Importance of Being Earnest

Drama | Oscar Wilde
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What are the sources of laughter in “The Importance of Being Earnest?” 

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What are the sources of laughter in “The Importance of Being Earnest?” [NU: 2020] 

Oscar Wilde’s (1854–1900) play “The Importance of Being Earnest” (1895) is a comedy full of laughter. Wilde creates humour through wit, paradox, and funny situations. He mocks the values of Victorian society. Here, Laughter comes from names, lies, social rules, and characters’ behaviour.          

Wit and Paradox: Wilde’s characters speak in sharp and witty lines. These paradoxes make people laugh. Algernon says in Act I,    

 “The truth is rarely pure and never simple.” 

This comic truth makes the audience smile because it is both a funny and a serious statement.  

Love and Names: Laughter also comes from silly love based on names. Gwendolen insists she will only marry a man called Ernest. She declares, 

“The only really safe name is Ernest.” 

Cecily also dreams of marrying “Ernest.” The name game makes romance look funny and shallow.

Lady Bracknell’s Remarks: Lady Bracknell’s strict views create great humour. She speaks with comic arrogance. In Act I, she says, 

“To lose one parent may be regarded as a misfortune; to lose both looks like carelessness.” 

This exaggerated quote makes the audience laugh while mocking social pride.

Situations and Lies: The play creates comic scenes from double lives. Jack invents a fake brother, Ernest. Algernon creates a sick friend, Bunbury. These lies cause confusion, mistaken love, and laughter. 

In short, the play creates laughter from witty dialogue, shallow love, and comic lies. Wilde turns serious issues into fun. Through humour, he criticizes Victorian class and social rules.   

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Oscar Wilde
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from The Importance of Being Earnest