The Importance of Being Earnest in Retro Chapter Chicks

Apr 23, 2017 Brina rated it liked it

Shelves: plays, comedy

I read The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde as part of classics bingo to satisfy my satire square. Educated at Oxford in the late 19th century, Wilde was a product of strict upper class British social mores. He married and fathered two children and then came out as homosexual. Wilde's plays and novellas poked fun at the society which had renounced him and later put him on trial. Earnest received good marks in London prior to Wilde's social downfall and has made a comeback in classic re I read The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde as part of classics bingo to satisfy my satire square. Educated at Oxford in the late 19th century, Wilde was a product of strict upper class British social mores. He married and fathered two children and then came out as homosexual. Wilde's plays and novellas poked fun at the society which had renounced him and later put him on trial. Earnest received good marks in London prior to Wilde's social downfall and has made a comeback in classic reading circles.

Although not usually a fan of comedy, I could not help but chuckle at the premise of this play. Jack Worthing is a man of unknown origins. He had been found at a train station inside of a handbag by a Thomas Worthing, who gave Jack his name and adopted him as a nephew. Jack, perhaps Wilde's alter ego, grows to detest the society that he lives in, and gives himself the name Ernest while living in London, fooling all but his closest companions. Among the upper crust that he usually loathes, Jack as Ernest falls for one Gwendolen Bracknell, who only desires to marry him because of Ernest's earnest personality. As a result, the charade continues.

The play shifts to the countryside where Worthing owns an estate and is ward to his niece Cecily. There he is only known as Uncle Jack and is head of the household. Hoping to one up Worthing with his trickery, his friend Algernon Montcrieff comes to call and poses as Jack's supposed brother Ernest. Cecily falls for Algernon as Ernest because of his name and earnest personality and the lies and charades continue to a third act.

Eventually, Wilde ties up the deceitfulness neatly in three acts. I am not a fan of comedy and felt things carried on a bit far. Most of Wilde's work, Earnest included, was meant to mock the society who ridiculed him for being homosexual. Wilde ridiculed them back with the inclusion of the character Bunbury and noted that Algernon was a Bunburyist. I imagine that the audience laughed at this dialogue, but to me it is more alarming that the upper class British society at the time was so rigid as to not allow for deviations from its mores. With Earnest, Wilde was able to poke fun at both society and himself.

Oscar Wilde's plays have stood the test of time as satirical comedies. I chose to read one of his plays because I read Dorian Gray years ago in school and did not enjoy it. Desiring to see if my perspective had changed, I selected one of Wilde's plays for my satire in bingo. At this point, I understood the comedy but still felt that the joking carried on a bit far, proving that I am more a fan of dramatic plays. Still, The Importance of Being Earnest was a worthy read in that it shed light on 19th century England and its customs. As a result, I rate this play 3 stars. ...more

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Feb 11, 2015 Kris (My Novelesque Life) rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

4.5 STARS

"When Cecily falls in love with Algy, who is pretending to be his friend Jack's wicked brother Ernest (recently deceased) there are bound to be problems in store - not at least from the dreaded Aunt Augusta... Just who is the invalid friend Mr Bunbury? And how will the contents of a large handbag effect everybody?" (From Amazon)

A great play...witty and so Oscar Wilde. ...more

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