The Importance of Being Earnest

This blog is a response to a task assigned by Megha ma'am Department of English (MKBU). In this blog few questions are discussed related to the play 'Importance of Being Earnest'

'The Importance of Being Earnest’ is a play written by Oscar Wilde. It is a trivial comedy which revolves around the name ‘Ernest’. The play was performed in 1895 and published in 1899. The play was a huge success during contemporary time.

1) Wilde originally subtitled The Importance of Being Earnest “A Serious Comedy for Trivial People” but changed that to “A Trivial Comedy for Serious People.” What is the difference between the two subtitles?

Ans. 

The first suite suggests that the play is a serious comedy so it overlooks that the play is not only a comedy but seriousness is also there. But as we know that the play has nothing that we can consider as a serious matter. The play is rather a comedy or a satire of the 18th century and in a very comic way. 

In the second title we can find it a trivial comedy, in which Wilde tries to say that it is a trivial comedy which has a very little importance and this play is for the serious people who are very serious in their life so they can live their life in little comic way and they can enjoy life in a large way.

As the main title suggests, the importance of the name and the quality of being earnest. But in the play it is vice versa we don't find any seriousness in the character.

2) Which of the female characters is the most attractive to you among Lady Augusta Bracknell, Gwendolen Fairfax, Cecily Cardew, and Miss Prism? Give your reasons for her being the most attractive among all.

Ans.

According to me, Gwendolen is the most attractive character in the play. Because she has fascinating dialogues and a good role in moving the plot of the play ahead. In loving Jack as the 'Earnest' her character shows innocence. Loving the name Ernest more than a person shows how she is fascinated with that name. But in the name we find when she get to know about whatever Jack has done it is only because he wants to get her love back and at the end she forgives him and agrees to marry him.

If we compare the character with other lady characters we see that she is more mature and responsible. When her aunt refuses to marry Jack, she still loves him going against her aunt so we can see she is brave, she has the guts to go against her family.She does not care about Jake(Ernest) family background or property she just loves him and the name Ernest.

3) The play repeatedly mocks Victorian traditions and social customs, marriage, and the pursuit of love in particular. Through which situations and characters is this happening in the play?

Ans.

First of all we can see the theme of marriage, how marriage is considered as a vital part in Victorian society. And for marriage, suitable partners are also needed. There are several criteria for that, for example when Lady Bracknell conducts an interview for finding a partner for Gwendolen she asks for family background and property and if a person does not fit that role he would get rejected.

Some of the social customs we also find for example compulsory be present in the social gatherings and behave in a way that everyone is comfortable. And as the title suggests that the people used to give too much importance to the name 'Ernest' instead of being earnest so we can see the contrast in the showing and being. We can find the hypocrisy of Victorian people in the play.

In love we find trivial things are too important. Comic romance we find between the characters. And loving the name instead of person shows what type of mentality Victorian would have during contemporary time.

4) Queer scholars have argued that the play's themes of duplicity and ambivalence are inextricably bound up with Wilde's homosexuality and that the play exhibits a "flickering presence-absence of… homosexual desire" Do you agree with this observation? Give your arguments to justify your stance.

Ans.

According to me, we can't state that the play's duplicity and ambivalence are connected with Wilde's homosexuality. But on the other hand we find in the novel that when Jack becomes Ernest in London he can live his life freely. So he makes him something else to enjoy his life. In real life there is a possibility that Wilde might have lived the life as someone else may be homosexual but we can't be obvious that it shows us that.

In Wilde's contemporary time there was less awareness regarding LGBTQ it's obvious that society would never have accepted that. That's why we can see in Wilde's life he has to suffer a lot because of his homosexuality, even he has to leave London also because of that. So I think Oscar might have tried to keep his homosexuality hidden but it was revealed at a certain period of time. And during that time Oscar might have lived that dual life.

5) Watch any movie related to the play and write a critical review of it.

Ans. 

I have seen a movie adaptations of the play 'Importance of Being Earnest' directed by Anthony Asquith, released in 1952.

The movie is almost based on the original play, the slightest change we can find in plot and scene but it is minor. If we talk about the costume, it reflects the Victorian era. Actors' facial expressions are to the point, in body language we can also observe that egoistic nature of the Victorian upper class people. We can also observe their lifestyle in the movie.

The movie is overall good. I would give 7 out of 10 ratings to the movie. But still it was written in the Victorian era and movie adaptations was made in the mid 20th so in 21st century it is hard to like it but still it's not that bad.

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