The Importance Of Being Ernest

Whether told through plays in front of an audience; stories before bedtime; or even jokes over a glass of beer, comedy as a literary form has existed for thousands of years and will continue its influence over cultures all over the world for thousands of years to come. Comedy has taken many forms, with some even defining certain eras in comedic literature. For example, most comedy of manners are directly aimed at making fun of the hypocritical aristocrats of 19th century England. One of these works, The Importance of Being Earnest, derives almost all of its comedy from the ridiculing and exposing the societal characteristics of the upper class. The story follows an orphaned aristocrat’s troublesome quest for love. As simple as it might seem,

Although he is the sole inheritor of his parents’ fortune, Algernon somehow manages to still find himself in a decent pile of debt. Ironically, he, similar to most aristocrats, believes that the entirety of the poor lower class has “absolutely no sense of moral responsibility” (Wilde 28). Algernon not only is incapable of being responsible for himself, but he is also devoid of a moral standard as he gives in to every desire that he deems will suit him (eating the cucumber sandwiches before Lady Bracknell arrives, pretending to be Earnest, etc.). He also seems to live in the moment and never really considers what he has said previously. While speaking with Jack about marriage and proposals, Algernon casually states that “there is nothing romantic about definite proposals” (Wilde 30) and how “in married life three is company and two is none” (Wilde 37). However, once he is in these positions, Algernon has no second thought about doing the opposite of what he said. He proposes to Cecily saying, “You will marry me, won’t you?” (Wilde 74), implying that he personally believes that Cecily will marry him, but he just wants to make sure. The standard proposal of “Will you marry me?” is much more open ended as it is more of a request of free will, giving the woman full control over the situation. For example, homeless