Oscar Wilde’s Importance of Being Earnest

 Introduction

Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest is one of the most iconic plays of the late 19th century, using humor and wit to satirize Victorian society’s rigid norms. Wilde’s title alone – “A Trivial Comedy for Serious People” – reveals his intent to mock those who obsess over trivial matters. This blog explores Wilde’s choice of title, the characters, critiques of social norms, and interpretations of the play through a queer lens, concluding with a look at notable adaptations.

1. Decoding the Title: From "A Serious Comedy for Trivial People" to "A Trivial Comedy for Serious People"

Oscar Wilde’s original subtitle for The Importance of Being Earnest was “A Serious Comedy for Trivial People,” which he later revised to “A Trivial Comedy for Serious People.” This title change reflects a shift in focus, highlighting Wilde’s critique of Victorian society’s paradoxes. “A Serious Comedy for Trivial People” suggests Wilde’s intent to critique individuals who focus on shallow concerns – like status and appearance – while neglecting genuine human values. However, by renaming it “A Trivial Comedy for Serious People,” Wilde flips the focus: the play is intentionally lighthearted and humorous but has deeper messages intended for audiences who recognize the weight of societal trivialities.

Wilde’s genius lies in this paradoxical approach. He presents his play as lighthearted, which invites audiences to laugh at the absurdities, while subtly exposing the rigid and often absurd values held by “serious” members of society. The title shift encapsulates this irony and invites readers to question what constitutes “serious” matters in life, a theme that runs throughout the play as characters embody and enact society’s flawed ideals.

2. The Most Captivating Female Character: Cecily Cardew

Wilde’s cast of female characters – Lady Bracknell, Gwendolen, Cecily, and Miss Prism – all reflect different aspects of Victorian femininity, each satirizing the roles expected of women in society. For me, Cecily Cardew stands out as the most captivating among them. Unlike Lady Bracknell, who represents rigid social expectations, or Gwendolen, whose romantic ideals are rooted in names rather than personality, Cecily embodies a blend of innocence and imagination that defies the era’s conventions.

Cecily’s world is rich with fantasy; she invents elaborate details about her “relationship” with Algernon, capturing her yearning for romance. Her actions speak to a rebellious streak that subtly undermines Victorian ideals of decorum and restraint, making her an intriguing figure. Unlike Gwendolen, whose desires reflect societal conditioning, Cecily’s dreams and actions are highly individualistic, a breath of fresh air within Wilde’s cast of convention-bound characters. Her playful wit and independence from social norms make her a favorite, as she brings a light-hearted critique of Victorian romance through her whimsical nature.

3. Wilde’s Mockery of Victorian Norms and Social Customs

Oscar Wilde deftly critiques Victorian customs, particularly marriage and romantic pursuits, by crafting situations that underscore their absurdity. In The Importance of Being Earnest, Wilde uses characters and scenarios to poke fun at the expectations and hypocrisies that permeate Victorian society.

Lady Bracknell’s Obsession with Status: Lady Bracknell epitomizes the rigid societal expectations surrounding marriage. Her interview with Jack on his suitability as a partner for Gwendolen is less about character or compatibility and more about status, wealth, and lineage. Wilde uses Lady Bracknell to show how Victorian marriage had become a transactional arrangement, stripped of personal affection and dominated by materialism.

Gwendolen’s Fixation on the Name “Ernest”: Gwendolen’s attraction to Jack is based primarily on his assumed name, “Ernest.” Her belief that the name confers certain virtues speaks to Wilde’s satire on the shallow bases of romantic attraction. The idea that a name could encapsulate moral worth or character is absurd, yet Gwendolen holds to it fervently. This focus on a trivial detail over genuine understanding of a person illustrates Wilde’s critique of superficial values in romantic relationships.

Jack and Algernon’s “Bunburying”: Jack and Algernon’s practice of inventing alter egos – Jack as “Ernest” and Algernon with his fictional friend “Bunbury” – to escape social responsibilities exemplifies Wilde’s critique of Victorian society’s rigidity. The need for such deception reveals how oppressive social expectations can be, forcing individuals to create “double lives” to fulfill their desires. Through this duplicity, Wilde exposes the constraints that society places on individuals, especially regarding propriety and duty.

Through these characters and situations, Wilde’s play becomes a mirror, reflecting society’s absurd fixation on image, status, and tradition while subtly encouraging audiences to question these values.

4. A Queer Reading: Themes of Duplicity and Ambivalence in Wilde’s Work

Queer scholars have long argued that The Importance of Being Earnest contains coded messages reflective of Wilde’s own experiences as a closeted gay man in Victorian society. The play’s themes of duplicity and “double lives” resonate strongly with Wilde’s life, as he had to conceal his sexuality in a repressive society. The “flickering presence-absence of…homosexual desire,” as some scholars describe it, is apparent in the underlying themes of secrecy and identity.

The characters’ hidden lives, especially Jack and Algernon’s alter egos, mirror the duplicity Wilde himself was forced to adopt. By exploring characters who adopt false identities, Wilde subtly critiques the societal pressures that demand conformity and suppress true identity. The humorous treatment of these secret lives could be seen as Wilde’s way of addressing the absurdity of society’s constraints on individual freedom, particularly in matters of personal desire. This reading of the play adds a layer of complexity, suggesting that Wilde’s humor was not just directed at Victorian values but also served as a shield and commentary on his own hidden life.