The Importance of Being Earnest

Honesty is an important aspect of many agreements in everyday life. It is important in school, work and other aspects, like marriage. In Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest, the satire of an upper-class Victorian marriage can also be seen as a parody of the noble Victorian society as a whole. Wilde uses short dialogue to mock upper-class marriage in order to highlight and ridicule the flashbacks of society as a whole during this Victorian era. Wilde’s clever mind comes up with the…

their opinions about the class system, one of whom was Oscar Wilde. He used his comedy play “The Importance of Being Earnest” to discuss serious matters about the class conflict in the Victorian period in a humorous way. In this essay I’m going to be discussing the representation of class in The Importance of Being Earnest and relating it to the class conflict in the Victorian period. The Importance of Being Earnest’s plot revolves around two couples who must go through…

The Importance of Being Earnest is a play about two young fellows in 19th century England who lead double lives and their lies have in the long run caught up to them as a result of their affection. While it appears to be clear to me that the play is a parody of Victorian ethics and values in the silliness of the characters and the plot, what I discover all the more intriguing is Wilde's utilization of gender role reversal. By having his female characters go up against the parts of men and his…

“I hope you have not been leading a double life, pretending to be wicked and being good all the time. That would-be hypocrisy.” (Oscar Wilde, The Importance of Being Earnest) Jamie Lessells Life in the 21st century has moved on from past events and stereotypes, and celebrities have never been more in the spotlight. Despite all this change, some ideas, attitudes and values constructed in The Importance of Being Earnest are still relevant in society today. Themes such as marriage and living double…

In Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest, Wilde uses satire to ridicule the strict expectations of marriage and the Victorian aristocracy. He breaks from what is socially acceptable by creating extravagant situations and including eccentric characters. With its outlandish scenarios, “Wilde now uses, as plot, a purely farcical intrigue” (135 Roditi). The play involves changing of identity, misunderstanding lovers, and unexpected surprises. Each act leads to the events of the next act…

the disdain disregard many are capable of overlooking just to fit into a fantasy fairy tale they seek. In which because she is young and ignorant believes she is destined to marry a man of the name Earnest because he will be the…

The Importance of Importance in the Imported The Importance; Or, A Title of No Importance To start an essay with a definition is one of the go-to cliches of procrastinating students across the nation; a definition is a clear, simple, indisputable, and its role as the figurehead on the prow of the essay is to set the parameters of logical argument (as well as to ward off the evil spirits of creativity and uniqueness.) However, according to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, the definition of…

society. The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde is a satirical comedy that undercuts the British aristocracy of Late Victorian England. The novella Heart of Darkness calls into question British colonialism and imperialism. Both works of literature reveal human faults within the English aristocracy and imperialism. The novella Heart of Darkness criticizes imperialism and colonialism through the use of an evil tone and dark imagery, whereas the play The Importance of Being Earnest…

a relatable issue that we all deal with. They have to make certain artistic decisions to help enhance and support the statement that they are trying to make to their audience. In Oliver Parker’s cinematic adaptation of Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest, the integrating of diverse camera work, editing, staging and close following of the original text give the cinematic viewer a much closer understanding of Parker’s purpose of adapting the original play to be one that represents the…

Individuality in The Importance of Being Earnest Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest takes place in the Victorian Era in Europe, showcasing the strict societal rules and the pressure they cause to attempt to remove individuality from the society by having characters follow the proper upper class stereotypes (being rude to lower class, choosing marriages for money, etc.) By showing the upper class standards and stereotypical snobby behavior through multiple characters, Wilde highlights…