what is the importance of being earnest about
Jack discovers that Algernon has been impersonating Ernest in order to woo Cecily, who has always been in love with the imaginary rogue Ernest. CliffsNotes study guides are written by real teachers and professors, so no matter what you're studying, CliffsNotes can ease your homework headaches and help you score high on exams. The main goal Wilde had for his work was to criticise the society he lived in. Gwendolen, who thinks Jack’s name is Ernest, returns his love, but her mother, Lady Bracknell, objects to their marriage because Jack is an orphan who was found in a handbag at Victoria Station. The governess was generally a middle-class woman whose class status was called into question by the fact that she had to earn her own living instead of being supported financially by either her husband or her father. Get the entire The Importance of Being Earnest LitChart as a printable PDF. Although the themes in The Importance of Being Earnest address Victorian social issues, the structure of the play was largely influenced by French theatre, melodrama, social drama, and farce. The Importance of Being Earnest combines a labyrinthine plot, the seemingly irresolvable narrative of a farce, and some of the most comic and wittiest lines ever written. Introduction. character. The Importance of Being Earnest, by Oscar Wilde, a nineteenth century author who was one of the most acclaimed playwrights of his day, is a play set in the Victorian time period that demonstrates how trivial telling the truth was. The Importance of Being Earnest, Oscar Wilde The Importance of Being Earnest, A Trivial Comedy for Serious People is a play by Oscar Wilde. Jack is in love with Gwendolen Fairfax, the cousin of his friend Algernon Moncrieff. "My students can't get enough of your charts and their results have gone through the roof." The audience is … Many novelists, essayists, poets, philosophers and playwrights of the Victorian Age wrote about social problems, particularly concerning the effects of the Industrial Revolution and political and social reform. Omissions? Suggestions. While in prison, Wilde requested copies of Ibsen plays. Earnest came at a time in Wilde's life when he was feeling the pressure of supporting his family and mother, and precariously balancing homosexual affairs — especially with Lord Alfred Douglas. Thesis Statement / Essay Topic #1 : The Importance of Being Earnest as a Morality Play Oscar Wilde lived and wrote during the Victorian era, a time characterized by an emphasis on strict moral values. Wearing mourning clothes or gobbling food down at times of stress are conventions that can be traced to early farces. Oscar’s play is an exquisite work of wit and comic revelry. A play by W. Lestocq and E.M. Robson, The Foundling, is thought to be a source of Earnest, and it was playing in London at the time Wilde was writing Earnest. Wilde, the Irish outsider, was dramatically accepted by upper-class London, who loved his wit and daring, even when laughing about themselves. This play, written by Oscar Wilde, is incredibly funny farcical comedy that was written in the late 19th century. The Victorian mannerisms and pompous life has been remarkably presented by Oscar’s flamboyant witty style and … The play's major themes are the triviality with which it treats institutions as serious as marriage, and the resulting satire of Victorian ways. On the other hand, whilst teaching as a governess in a private home was a low-paid occupation, it was at least respectable. The play deals with the falseness of society and the demands laid on men and male dominance in marriage. This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/topic/The-Importance-of-Being-Earnest, The Literature Network - "The Importance of Being Earnest". By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. The Importance of Being Earnest is a comic play by Oscar Wilde that engages themes such as marriage, class, social expectations, and the lifestyles of … In this lesson, we will examine quotes about lying from Oscar Wilde's play 'The Importance of Being Earnest'. In The Importance of Being Earnest, people are expected to behave with propriety and dignity. It is, as can probably be surmised from its extraordinary to-ings and fro-ings and its incredibly unlikely resolution, is not to be taken as a serious drama. from your Reading List will also remove any The British Empire was at its height and occupied much of the globe, including Ireland, Wilde's homeland. On this particular evening, to honor Wilde's aestheticism, the women wore lily corsages, and the young men wore lilies of the valley in their lapels. The play, importance of being earnest by Oscar Wilde uses food as an essential motif /symbol of an act of working out problems. Use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. Later on, it spread to the upper class as well. Removing #book# Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. The West End was also a red-light district filled with brothels that could provide any pleasure. The Importance of Being Earnest. … Gwendolen Fairfax and Cecily Cardew are the two female leads in Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest.Both women provide the main source of conflict in this romantic comedy; they are the objects of affection. Updates? Farces were usually done in three acts and often included changes of identity, stock characters, and lovers misunderstanding each other. The English aristocracy was dominant, snobbish and rich — far removed from the British middle class and poor. It often contains surprises where the unexpected is disclosed. Jack Worthing is a fashionable young man who lives in the country with his ward, Cecily Cardew. I was under the impression that The Importance of Being Earnest was a serious piece of work for some reason but I couldn’t have been more wrong. 2. 542 likes. The Important of Being Earnest Review. Explain with examples from the play. Wilde also attended Hedda Gabler and Ghosts, two other plays by Ibsen. The Importance of Being Earnest Summary: The story is about a man named Jack who is a guardian of Cecily, the young daughter of a rich family. As much as Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest is an incredibly comedic play, there are some deeper underlying messages that are brought forward in it. He has invented a rakish brother named Ernest whose supposed exploits give Jack an excuse to travel to London periodically to rescue him. In doing so, he maneuvered his play for greater commercial and literary response. In The Importance of Being Earnest, the dandy, as represented by Algernon and Jack, symbolizes self-indulgence, as well as the revelation of truth. 3. The theatre manager of the St. James where Earnest opened, George Alexander, asked Wilde to reduce his original four-act play to three acts, like more conventional farces. Play Summary. Ultimately it is revealed that Jack is really Lady Bracknell’s nephew, that his real name is Ernest, and that Algernon is actually his brother. The Importance of Being Earnest opened in the West End of London in February 1894 during an era when many of the religious, social, political, and economic structures were experiencing change — The Victorian Age (the last 25-30 years of the 1800s). Summary Read a Plot Overview of the entire book or a chapter by chapter Summary and Analysis. The aristocracy attending Wilde's play knew and understood the private lives of characters like Jack and Algernon. Wilde was quite familiar with these genres, and borrowed from them freely. Get the entire The Importance of Being Earnest LitChart as a printable PDF. tags: algernon, algy, calm, calmness, heartless, heartlessness, muffins, oscar-wilde. ‘Ernest’ has come from his country estate to propose to Algy’s cousin, Gwendolen. Filled with witty Victorian aphorisms and Wilde’s own brand of wisdom, The Importance of Being Earnest tells the story of Jack Worthing and Algernon Moncrieff who use clever deception and truth-bending to accommodate their social pursuits. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Corrections? Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. Elucidate. The play ends with both couples happily united. -Graham S. Download Christenings Symbol Timeline in The Importance of Being Earnest. The Importance of Being Earnest is a comedy which shows the typical gender roles of both males and females in Victorian society. Algernon has invented a fictitious friend named Bunbury and has provided an elaborate back story about this poor man, without any family or friends (apart from Algie), who suffers from a variety of illnesses. The Importance of Being Earnest opened at George Alexander's St. James Theatre on February 14, 1895. The white, Anglo-Saxon, male society of the time provided many targets of complacency and aristocratic attitudes that playwrights such as Wilde could attack. © 2020 Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. The Importance of Being Earnest opened in the West End of London in February 1894 during an era when many of the religious, social, political, and economic structures were experiencing change — The Victorian Age (the last 25-30 years of the 1800s). His play was supposed to embody the Victorian Upper Class during the 1800’s and get his audience to reflect upon their own lives. The play The Importance of Being Ernest Oscar Wilde ridicules Victorian customs and traditions, marriage and particularly the pursuit of love. In Victorian times earnestness was considered as of the topmost ideals for reforming the lower classes. The play begins with Algernon ‘Algy’ Moncrieff welcoming his friend John ‘Jack’ Worthing to his home, whom he knows as Ernest. Other notable writers such as Thackeray, the Brontes, Swinburne, Butler, Pinero, and Kipling were also contemporaries of Oscar Wilde. Algy refuses consent until Ernest explains an inscription on his cigarette case which calls him ‘Uncle Jack’. Ibsen's innovations in A Doll's House, which had played in London in 1889, were known to Wilde. Marriage plots and social comedy were also typical of 1890s literature. Search all of SparkNotes Search. Like “I hate people who are not serious about meals. ‘The Importance of Being Earnest’ is truly a very humourist play. That’s WHO is Bunbury. Previous Jane Austen and George Eliot were both novelists who used the idea of marriage as the basis for their conflicts. The concept of marriage has been given preeminence in Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest. Algernon. The Importance of Being Earnest, in full The Importance of Being Earnest: A Trivial Comedy for Serious People, play in three acts by Oscar Wilde, performed in 1895 and published in 1899. Professor John Stokes considers how Oscar Wilde combined disparate influences into a brilliant satire which contained hidden, progressive sentiments. The Importance of Being Earnest is a play by Oscar Wilde that was first published in 1898. Get an answer for 'Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest focuses on surfaces to reveal the problems and hypocrisy of society. ‘Ernest’ admits to creating an alter ego. Her … Themes in The Importance of Being Earnest; Study Help; Quiz; Full Glossary for The Importance of Being Earnest; Essay Questions; Practice Projects; Cite this Literature Note; Character Analysis Lady Augusta Bracknell The most memorable character and one who has a tremendous impact on the audience is Lady Augusta Bracknell. 25 of the best book quotes from The Importance of Being Earnest #1 “If I am occasionally a little over-dressed, I make up for it by being always immensely over-educated.” author. The Question and Answer section for The Importance of Being Earnest is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel. The Importance Of Being Earnest By Oscar Wilde 1382 Words | 6 Pages. The Importance of being Earnest, A Trivial Comedy for Serious People is a play by Oscar Wilde.It was first performed on 14 February 1895 at St. James's Theatre in London.In the play, the protagonists make up people who are not real to try to make their lives easier. Many of the comedies of the stage were social comedies, plays set in contemporary times discussing current problems. Algernon’s conflict with being responsible: Algeron creates Bunbury to be able to avoid societal obligations and travel. Or he can tell the truth and be rejected by the love of his life, but live a simple life in the country with his family. A satire of Victorian social hypocrisy, the witty play is considered Wilde’s greatest dramatic achievement. All rights reserved. They were aware of the culture and atmosphere of the West End. Norwegian playwright, Henrik Ibsen also strongly influenced Wilde. The Importance of Being Earnest Questions and Answers. book. appeared to be strict. The very subtitle of the play ‘A Trivial Comedy For Serious People’ shows the theme. Set in the Victorian era the tea time custom is vastly a part of the play. It was a virtual garden of delights, and the patrons could understand the need for married men to invent Ernests and Bunburys so that they could frolic in this world. "My students can't get enough of your charts and their results have gone through the roof." and any corresponding bookmarks? A farce is a humorous play using exaggerated physical action, such as slapstick, absurdity, and improbability. Dickens concentrated on the poor, Darwin wrote his theory of evolution describing the survival of the fittest, and Thomas Hardy wrote about the Naturalist Theory of man stuck in the throes of fate. It had clubs, hotels, cafes, restaurants, casinos, and most of the 50 theatres in London. Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. The Importance of Being Earnest draws on elements of farce and melodrama in its depiction of a particular social world. He is Jack in the country, guardian of his ward Cecily, but regularly leaves f… American writer, Edith Wharton, was also writing about the lifestyles of the rich during the same period. In an age of change, their work, as well as Wilde's plays, encouraged people to think about the artificial barriers that defined society and enabled a privileged life for the rich at the expense of the working class. The Importance of Being Earnest, in full The Importance of Being Earnest: A Trivial Comedy for Serious People, play in three acts by Oscar Wilde, performed in 1895 and published in 1899. Oscar Wilde. the creation of a fictitious person Jack- created his "horrid" brother Earnest in the country & is actually Earnest in the City Algernon- Created his permanently invalid friend Bunbury to be able go to the country whenever (and get out of engagements with Aunt Augusta, or Lady Bracknell)& is Ernest in the country Love is the thing that people of any social class aspire to, and marriage can be the logical consequence of it.In the play, marriage is discussed in the context of plot progression and as a subject for theoretical assumption and discussion. Are you sure you want to remove #bookConfirmation# He can either be Earnest and live the fast city life and marry Gwendolen, but be a liar. The ending of Earnest, in which Jack misidentifies Prism as his unmarried mother, is typical of the endings of farces. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. It was widely reported that he wore a coat with a black velvet collar, a white waistcoat, a black moiré ribbon watch chain with seals, white gloves, a green scarab ring, and lilies of the valley in his lapel. The Foundling has an orphan-hero, like Jack Worthing in Wilde's play. Jack and Algernon, the two main male characters, prefer to live in a distorted reality. Wilde accomplished this by omitting the Gribsby episode and merging two acts into one. The Importance of Being Earnest Quotes. A satire of Victorian social hypocrisy, the witty play is considered Wilde’s greatest dramatic achievement. Wilde himself, an outside observer by birth in the world of elegant fashion, was festooned in a glittering outfit. In ‘The Importance of Being Earnest’, Lady Bracknell’s offstage marriage is one of the play’s running gags, and Lord Bracknell is an instrument for Oscar Wilde to joke about marriage and the roles of the sexes. In the city, people feel free to behave with more abandon and … ― Oscar Wilde, The Importance of Being Earnest. bookmarked pages associated with this title. Her novels, such as Ethan Frome, The Age of Innocence, or The House of Mirth, explore the concepts of wealth and privilege at the expense of the working class on the American side of the Atlantic. Explanation of the famous quotes in The Importance of Being Earnest, including all important speeches, comments, quotations, and monologues. The Importance of Being Earnest has proven to be Oscar Wilde’s most enduring—and endearing—play. The British Empire was at its height and occupied much of the globe, including Ireland, Wilde's homeland.