The Importance of Being Earnest Annotated - Oscar Wilde
Buy on Amazon

The Importance of Being Earnest Annotated

by
Language
English
Published in
Publisher
Independently Published
Pages
101
ISBN
9798502918893
In the world of Victorian high society, two young gentlemen lead elaborate double lives to escape the burdensome obligations of their class. Jack Worthing has invented a troublesome brother named Ernest, whose frequent misdeeds require Jack's urgent attention in London, providing a perfect excuse to leave his country estate. His friend, Algernon Moncrieff, employs a similar deception with a fictional invalid friend named Bunbury to avoid tedious social engagements. Their carefully constructed worlds begin to unravel when both men, under the guise of "Ernest," attempt to woo two women who are both infatuated with that very name.

What follows is a farcical and witty entanglement of mistaken identities, romantic pursuits, and social satire. The deceptions create a cascade of comedic confrontations, particularly when the formidable Lady Bracknell begins her inquiries into the suitors' backgrounds. Oscar Wilde's celebrated play mercilessly exposes the hypocrisies and trivialities of society through brilliant wordplay and paradoxical humor. It is a masterful comedy that questions the very nature of identity, sincerity, and the absurd importance of being earnest.

Subjects

Original edition details

The Importance of Being Earnest Originally published in 1948
Original language
English
Original publisher Wetmore Declamation Bureau

Other editions (384)