The Importance of Being Earnest Main Text
The Importance of Being Earnest
A Trivial Comedy for Serious People
Author: Oscar Wilde
THE PERSONS IN THE PLAY
John Worthing, J.P.
Algernon Moncrieff
Rev. Canon Chasuble, D.D.
Merriman, Butler
Lane, Manservant
Lady Bracknell
Hon. Gwendolen Fairfax
Cecily Cardew
Miss Prism, Governess
THE SCENES OF THE PLAY
ACT I. Algernon Moncrieff’s Flat in Half-Moon Street, W.
ACT II. The Garden at the Manor Hou...
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The Importance of Being Earnest Themes
Themes
Dual Identity and Deception: The play shows how people live double lives. Jack is “Jack” in the country but “Ernest” in the city. Algernon also lies by inventing “Bunbury.” These tricks help them escape boring duties. But lies also create funny confusion. Wilde shows that people often hide their true selves. Society forces them to act differently in public. This theme makes us laugh but...
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The Importance of Being Earnest Characters
Major Characters
Jack Worthing (John/Ernest Worthing, J.P.): Jack is the protagonist of the play. In the countryside, he is “Jack,” Cecily’s guardian. In London, he lives as “Ernest,” a made-up brother, so he can enjoy freedom. His origins are mysterious because he was abandoned as a baby in a handbag at Victoria Station. He wants to marry Gwendolen, but Lady Bracknell rejects him for his unknow...
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The Importance of Being Earnest Key Facts
Key Facts
Full Title: The Importance of Being Earnest: A Trivial Comedy for Serious People Original Title: Same title (no alternate title) Author: Oscar Wilde (1854–1900) Prize/Recognition: Considered Wilde’s comic masterpiece; one of the greatest English comedies Source: Satire of Victorian society, morality, and obsession with social status and marriage Written Time: 1894 First Performed: 14 F...
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The Importance of Being Earnest Summary
Background: Oscar Wilde wrote The Importance of Being Earnest in 1894. He finished it while staying in the town of Worthing, England. The play was first performed on 14 February 1895 at the St. James’s Theatre in London. Wilde called it “A Trivial Comedy for Serious People.” It was his last and most successful play. The play satirizes Victorian society. People at that time cared too much about mon...
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Notes (16)
- How can you assess the role of Jack Worthing in the play “The Importance of Being Earnest?”
- Sketch the character of Lady Bracknell
- Evaluate Oscar Wilde’s “The Importance of Being Earnest” as a social satire.
- What is the cause of Lady Bracknell’s rejection of Jack Worthing’s proposal to marry Gwendolen?
- What are the sources of laughter in “The Importance of Being Earnest?”
- How does “The Importance of Being Earnest” convey a serious message through comic situations?
- Discuss the use of puns in the title of “The Importance of Being Earnest.”
- In what way is “The Importance of Being Earnest” a trivial comedy for serious people?
- Trace the farcical absurdities in “The Importance of Being Earnest.”
- How is Jack’s identity revealed in “The Importance of Being Earnest?”
- Assess the role of Jack Worthing in the play “The Importance of Being Earnest.”
- Comment on the treatment of love and marriage in “The Importance of Being Earnest.”
- In what sense is “The Importance of Being Earnest” anti-feminist and anti-romantic?
- “The Importance of Being Earnest” is a picture of the contemporary upper-class society?
- Comment on the style of Oscar Wilde with special reference to his play “The Importance of Being Earnest.”
- Trace the elements of wit and humor in “The Importance of Being Earnest.”