The Importance of Being Earnest

A detailed Summary of The Importance of Being Earnest

"The Importance of Being Earnest" By Oscar Wilde.

In "The Importance of Being Earnest", Oscar Wilde pairs characters and he also splits his characters into two contrasting groups. Explain how he does this and why.

"The Importance of Being Earnest" is a play of childlike innocence and nonsense. In order to present this to the audience Wilde had to be simple, and therefore, he uses seven main characters in the play, which he simply pairs and contrasts. Wilde pairs characters through their values, 'ideals' and relation. However, opposing traits form the contrasting groups. Initially, Wilde's approach is not easily identified until Act 2 when all the characters have been introduced to the audience. It is here, where the audience begins to pair and contrast the characters.

The first pair in the play are Jack and Algernon who are both "Bunburyists" leading double lives. Algernon has invented an "invaluable permanent invalid called "Bunbury", which enables him to go on pleasure trips to the country. On the other hand, Jack has created a fictitious brother named Ernest in order to go to the city whenever he wishes. At the start of the play, we find that Jack wants to marry Gwendolen Fairfax whom he adores greatly. Moreo

It is also possible to contrast Jack, Cecily and Gwendolen against Algernon, Miss Prism and Dr Chasuble. The former group being childish in behaviour and wearing masks. The latter group being gay and pleasure seeking and nonsensical in dialogue. In Act 2 Dr Chasuble says Jack "is not one of those whose sole aim is enjoyment", and in contrast, in Act 1 Jack tells Algernon, "Algy, you always adopt a strict immoral attitude towards life." Jack, Cecily and Gwendolen are characters who can be said to wear masks of Victorian morality because they only behave morally when their social environment forces them to. For example, Jack's real personality emerges when he goes to London on pleasure trips. In Act 3, Algernon makes it clear that he puts happiness first: "I don't care two pence about social responsibilities." In addition, Miss Prism's name Laetitia means "joy" or "happiness" in Latin. Throughout the play Algernon says many nonsensical statements: "It is awfully hard work doing nothing."

Miss Prism and Dr Chasuble are comparable. Both characters make references to the Church. Dr Chasuble is a keen follower of the Primitive Church and Anabaptists, whilst Miss Prism repeats, "As a man sows so let him reap", to impress the learned Dr who has a Doctorate of Divinity. Miss Prism and Dr Chasuble are also guardians of the moral code. Miss Prism strongly disapproves of the immoral character of Jack's fictitious brother Ernest and the Primitive Church is clearly against marriage. Dr Chasuble and Miss Prism are single, yet they secretly want to marry each other. Their sexual inexperience leads them to make slips of the tongue that reveal deep and repressed sexual longings: "Were I fortunate enough to be Miss Prism's pupil, I would hang upon her lips" and "Maturity can always be depended on. Ripeness can be trusted. Young women are green."

It is possible to pair Lady Bracknell and Miss Prism together. They both have high moral codes and they are both representatives - Lady Bracknell of the town and Miss Prism of the countryside. Although they are from different backgrounds, the characters have similar standards. Miss Prism is the embodiment of the Victorian middle class code of duty and morality. She is considered to be a stiff and intellectual person. On the other hand, Lady Bracknell is keen to maintain and stre

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Approximate Word count = 1579
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)

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