The Importance of Being Earnest
(Oscar Wilde)

During the late 1800's, the British Empire was at its height. The English aristocracy was far above the lower classes and was seen as rich and snobbish to everyone but themselves. Because of this gap between the classes, there was a lot of social unrest, and many authors during this period wrote novels and plays dealing with social issues. Marriage plots and social comedies were still popular among the higher class, and The Importance of Being Earnest combines the traditional marriage plot with a witty exploration of Victorian social issues.

The Importance of Being Earnest was written by Oscar Wilde and premiered in London in February of 1895. Oscar Wilde was born in Dublin, Ireland, in 1854, but settled in London after going to school there. Because of his intellect, his outrageous style of dress and his poems, novel, and plays, Wilde became a part of English high society, moving around in fashionable intellectual circles. By the 1890's, Oscar Wilde was one of the most popular playwrights in London, and The Importance of Being Earnest is known today as his crowning achievement. It was, however, his last play, as a series of incidents after the opening took Wilde to court, where he was revealed to be having an affair with another man.

When this information came to light, themes in the play such as dual identities and hints of the homosexual culture of London suddenly became scandalous, and the play was subsequently cancelled. Oscar Wilde was sent to prison, where he continued writing poems, but after his release ended up broke and on the streets. He never released another play.

The Importance of Being Earnest has many hints of Oscar Wilde's autobiography and unique (at the time) view of high society. Characters such as Algernon, for instance, were known as Dandy's. They were young men overly concerned with appearances and dress, and in all of Wilde's plays, engaged in circular philosophical conversations. Wilde supposedly modeled these characters after himself, as he was known for his love of dress and conversation. In The Importance of Being Earnest, Algernon reveals the serious and trivial backwardness of Victorian high society through his witticisms, which infuriate more sensible characters, such as Jack.

The parallel between Jack and Algernon's "Bunburying", or assumption of double identities for the purpose of going into the town and country, relates strongly to Wilde's own double life as a homosexual. In London high society, this theme resonated strongly with many who adopted new identities for the sole purpose of having affairs or visiting the brothels without risking their position in society and/or their marriage.

Although The Importance of Being Earnest presents itself as a trivial comedy, the themes it explores are anything but trivial. Wilde's backwards presentation of seriousness, manners and marriage still resonate with audiences today.