The play “The Importance of Being Earnest” is considered one of the main works of Oscar Wilde. The writer criticizes the hypocrisy of high society in Victorian England and its traditions. The social customs of that epoch were focused on the pursuit of love and marriage. Wilde mocks the institution of marriage in the form of satirical comedy. He also shows the play’s characters as ignorant and incapable of a life-long commitment.
In the play, Wilde reveals the double standards in Victorian society by developing a relationship between two couples: Jack Worthing and Gwendolen Fairfax, Algernon Moncrieff and Cecily Cardew. The plot describes the marriage proposal of two men – Jack and Algernon. Both characters intend to please their beloved ones, pretending to be Ernest. In the final, they are exposed, discovering that Jack and Algernon are siblings, and one of them is called Ernest.
For gentlemen in the Victorian era, it was essential to have a reputation for being earnest in case they wanted to achieve a particular social status; however, for them, marriage and love are different. Algernon says, “I really don’t see anything romantic in proposing. It is very romantic to be in love. If ever I get married, I’ll certainly try to forget the fact” (Wilde 8). The example of Gwendolen and Jack’s relationship emphasizes that no matter how absurd the demands of a lady are, a man fulfills them, being ready to change his name. Algernon and Jack assume masks in search of a catch. For male characters, marriage ends romance but remains socially important.
Referring to women, they dream of marrying an important man named Ernest. Cecile reads “three-volume” novels and attempts to meet the requirements of being a high society girl (Wilde 36). Therefore, she wants to marry a man named Ernest, “there is something in that name that seems to inspire absolute confidence” (Wilde 56). She also expresses pity “for any poor married woman whose husband is not called Ernest” (Wilde 56). Gwendolen is also ready to marry only the man with such a name, saying that her perfect partner “has always been to love some one of the name of Ernest”(Wilde 20). She says that “the moment Algernon first mentioned to me that he had a friend called Ernest, I knew I was destined to love you” (Wilde 20). Thus, young women believe that men are called Ernest should be loved, which indicates their naive ideas about marriage.
For Lady Bracknell, Gwendolen’s mother, love and marriage are incompatible concepts; the latter is the social norm, maintaining financial and social status. When Gwendoline and Jack tell her that they are engaged, she interrogates the gentleman about his upbringing, property, and family to see if he is the best choice for her daughter (Wilde 24). Lady Bracknell expects Gwendoline to marry a rich man but cannot accept that the potential son-in-law does not know who his parents are. She shows her enthusiasm about money, “a hundred and thirty thousand pounds! And in the Funds! Miss Cardew seems to me a most attractive young lady, now that I look at her (Wilde 78). When Lady Bracknell refuses to agree to John Worthing’s marriage to her daughter, his final argument is the wealth of Cecily.
To sum up, the play “The Importance of Being Earnest” by Oscar Wilde is a comedy about a group of young people who have simple ideas about marriage. The male characters cannot be considered earnest men despite they hold themselves out as Ernests. Women desire to marry a man named Ernest rather than choose a reliable partner. Thus, Wilde’s frivolous characters can make a reader laugh at Victorian social customs and traditions.
Work Cited
Wilde, Oscar. The Importance of Being Earnest. 1895. Samuel French Ltd, 1956.