The Importance of Being Earnest

By Oscar Wilde

(1854-1900)

The Importance of Being Earnest Written in 1895 A Comedy in 3 Acts Is a satire Immediate hit when first performed Criticizes Victorian moral and social values Bridges Victorian period/literature with Modern Uses wit, puns, exaggeration, and wordplay to

create humor

Main Characters John Worthing, aka

“Jack”, aka “Earnest” Algernon Montcrief,

Jack’s friend Lane, the butler for

Algernon Rev. Chausible, the

preacher in the country

Lady Bracknell, mother of Gwendolyn

Gwendolyn, wants to marry a man named “Earnest”

Cecily, Jack’s ward Miss Prism, Cecily’s

governess

Settings Time: Around 1890 Place(s):

London (“the City”) Jack’s House in the Country (a very large estate) The village church

Settings Jack’s

Country House

Settings Jack’s

Drawing Room

Settings Lady

Bracknell’s mansion in London

Victorian Period Named for Queen Victoria of England Was Queen from 1837-1901 Followed the reign of “Mad” King George The culture was very moral and serious Women were expected to be the “angel in

the house” - to take care of their husband and family

Queen Victoria Became Queen as a

young girl Married Albert, Prince

Consort and adored him After he died, she wore

black for the rest of her life Had 9 children Created a culture that

valued family and stability

Victorian Period Manners were supremely important English society was divided into classes The Upper-class was well-educated, came

from a rich and respected family (“old money”), and having good manners mattered more than anything else

Considered bad manners to flaunt wealth

Victorian Period Young women were always chaperoned until they

were married Women’s clothing covered them from neck to

ankle; clothes had to be modest In the upper classes, people with a bad reputation

were outcasts no matter how much money they had

Good manners were extremely important

Victorian Fashion For the

Gentlemen

Victorian Fashion For the Ladies

Victorian Period People did not just “drop in” to visit - they

made formal appointments Refreshments were expected when visitors

came to “call” (visit) - usually tea and cake or tiny, elegant cucumber sandwiches

Men were expected to be well-educated Women were expected to marry well

Oscar Wilde - Author Born in Ireland; lived in England and abroad Attended Trinity College in Ireland and Oxford

University in England Very witty and funny Believed in the value of “art for art’s sake” - art

(literature) should not be concerned with political issues

Wrote several plays, but only one novel Novel: The Picture of Dorian Gray

Oscar Wilde With other writers and artists, rebelled against the

prim, moral, religious culture of Victorian England Was known to be wild, flamboyant, witty Although homosexual, married and had children Being homosexual was illegal, and he served

time in prison for it

Oscar Wilde Handsome Loved clothes Could be quite

dramatic Completely

unique

Oscar Wilde Came from upper-class family Brilliant writer Loved to shock people “Bad Boy” of his time Never allowed to see his family again Spent the remainder of his life in Paris Died alone and poor in Paris

Literary Vocabulary Comedy - light-hearted literature with

humor and a happy ending Satire - literary writing that makes fun of or

criticizes the faults of people or groups. Purpose is to point out flaws

Wit - using words to be clever and funny with language

Pun - a play on words

Literary Vocabulary

Protagonist - the main character Foil - the character who contrasts the main

character (the foil “reflects” the traits of the main character)

Blocking figure - A character, often old and cranky, who interferes with the romantic desires or the other main characters and provides comic action

Literary Vocabulary Motif - a recurring character or element

repeated in a literary work. Food is a motif in The Importance of Being Earnest

Protagonist - the main character

The Importance of Being Earnest Oscar Wilde created

many amusing quotes

Oscar Wilde Quotes “I always pass on good advice. It is

the only thing to do with it. It is never of any use to oneself. “

“I can resist everything except temptation. “

Oscar Wilde Quotes “I never travel without my diary. One

should always have something sensational to read in the train. “

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

The Importance of Being Earnest Even though this play was written more

than 100 years ago, it continues to be very popular

More than one movie has been made of this play, the most recent in the past 5-10 years

This play is currently being performed on Broadway in New York City (through June)

Importance of Being Earnest The title of the play is a pun.

To be “earnest” means to be serious, and the main character (John/Jack) uses the name “Earnest” when he is in the city

“Bunburying” is using an alias to “get away with” avoiding social obligatioins

Importance of Being Earnest What have you learned so far? Know the characters, the setting, the plot Know the basic facts about the author Know the basic facts of Victorian England Know the literary vocabulary required Understand that this play is a comedy

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