1. The Importance of
Being Earnest
By Oscar Wilde
(1854-1900)

2. 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

3. Main Characters
 John Worthing, aka  Lady Bracknell,
“Jack”, aka “Earnest” mother of Gwendolyn
 Algernon Montcrief,  Gwendolyn, wants to
Jack’s friend marry a man named
 Lane, the butler for “Earnest”
Algernon
 Cecily, Jack’s ward
 Rev. Chausible, the
preacher in the  Miss Prism, Cecily’s
country governess

4. Settings
 Time: Around 1890
 Place(s):
 London (“the City”)
 Jack’s House in the Country (a very large estate)
 The village church

5. Settings
 Jack’s
Country
House

6. Settings
 Jack’s
Drawing
Room

7. Settings
 Lady
Bracknell’s
mansion in
London

8. 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

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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

12. Victorian Fashion
 For the
Gentlemen

13. Victorian Fashion
 For the Ladies

14. 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

15. 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

16. 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

17. Oscar Wilde
 Handsome
 Loved clothes
 Could be quite
dramatic
 Completely
unique

18. 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

19. 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

20. 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

21. 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

22. The Importance of Being Earnest
 Oscar Wilde created
many amusing quotes

23. 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. “

24. 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.”

25. 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)

26. 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

27. 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

28. Importance of Being Earnest
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PowerPoint
 You are ready to begin the play!