Oscar Wilde and “The Importance of Being Earnest”

I discovered Oscar Wilde when we were performing his theatre play “The Importance of Being Earnest” at our school. I was only working backstage but I was right in the middle of everything. Instead of having to concentrate on the script, I was able to observe the actors with their stunning costumes, their struggles of remembering the words and conveying their character. This particular play by Oscar Wilde, a romantic comedy, introduced me to Wilde’s wit and humour. The play is based around the complications that result from two main characters taking on the name “Ernest”. Jack Worthing is known as “Jack” in the countryside but has invented a brother named “Ernest” who gets into all sorts of trouble and needs his elder brother to come to the city to help him out. Jack uses this imaginary brother to escape to the city whenever he feels like it without having to justify himself in front of his ward, young and pretty Cecily Cardew. Unfortunately, Cecily has developed romantic feelings for this mysterious imaginary brother, so that Jack decides that he must be “killed”. Furthermore, Jack is in love with the fair Gwendolen Fairfax who knows him by the name “Ernest”, who returns his feelings, but when he proposes to her, she also says that she could never love or marry someone who wasn’t called Ernest. Algernon, a friend of Jack, who falls in love with Cecily, later assumes the name of Earnest and pretends to be Jack’s brother, making it impossible for Jack to “kill” this imaginary brother.

One of the main themes of this play is marriage, however, despite making fun of the British upper class it doesn’t intend to criticise.

This play along with its trivial themes reflect Wilde’s association to the Aesthetic movement.

The Aesthetic movement believed that art should not seek to convey an educational or moral message. Instead, art should aim at creating sensual pleasure. The Aesthetic movement revolves around the slogan: “Art for Art’s sake”.

Interesting facts about Oscar Wilde: