Human relationships, either comic or dramatic, turn out to be a common topic for many works of literature. Oscar Wilde used a variety of literary devices to enhance sensory experiences among readers. The Importance of Being Earnest is his play about the significance of social institutions like family and marriage. In addition to a thorough description of locations and people, Wilde applies imagery and figurative meanings to analyze human choices and obligations in society.
His play is full of captivating phrases and definitions, and the line “the very essence of romance is uncertainty” is the one that depicts the quality of life in the 1800s (Wilde 8). Romantic relationships were not inherent to late Victorian society, and the chosen phrase underlines the absurdity of people’s attitudes toward marriage and love and the inability to predict moral consequences.
Imagery and irony are frequently observed examples of figurative language in The Importance of Being Earnest. Instead of distinguishing love among other human relationships, Wilds satirizes this feeling. On the one hand, the central theme of the play is the progress of love affairs from an ordinary interest to the desire to change the whole life for the sake of one person. On the other hand, some characters do not believe in the power of emotions, joking about the idea of being in love. It seems that Wilde intentionally provokes his characters, creating new conditions that cannot be taken at face value, meaning that some qualities like wealth or ancestry never remain constant.
To clarify the connection between romance and uncertainty, Wilde develops a provocative context before. According to Algernon, one of the main characters, a marriage proposal has nothing in common with romance and love and should be considered as a business but never pleasure (Wilde 8). He adds that he is ready to forget the fact of being married not to lose the feeling of romance in his life (Wilde 8). It is the way of how Wilde satirizes Victorian society. As well as many modern people, the characters of the play are interested in what the world expects from them. They could easily neglect their true feelings and hide their emotions not to be distinguished from the crowd. Therefore, Wilde shows the reader that the outcomes of love are inevitable when Algernon is ready to change his name for his beloved one.
The reason for the fascination about the chosen line is the possibility of comparing uncertainty in love with uncertainty in life. Trying to protect themselves from obligations associated with marriage and family, people want to wear a mask of indifference and emotionlessness. However, as soon as they meet their destiny (in this play, it is written by the author), they forget about their prejudice and beliefs and follow their hearts.
Being introduced as a key component of love, uncertainty is one of the best examples of irony in Wilde’s play. Despite their intention to predict and escape from the influence of love, people become helpless as soon as they face it. The Importance of Being Earnest shows how human relationships are developed and change life in its most unpredictable way. The Victorian society tried to create certain boundaries and obligations but, in most cases, failed to achieve its goal due to the overwhelming and all-consuming power of love.
References
Wilde, Oscar. The Importance of Being Earnest: A Play. Open Road Media, 2018.