The Importance of Being Earnest

In his play The Importance of Being Earnest, Oscar Wilde seems to derive most of his comedic inspiration from his use of puns, farce, irony, and most importantly, satire. The title of the play itself is a pun. In this case, the play's primary protagonist, Jack Worthing, lives a double in which he pretends to have an irresponsible younger brother named Ernest, occasionally assuming the persona of his fictional younger brother in London as a way to relieve the pressures inherent to his busy life. Thus, by portraying a character who feels it is important to be named Ernest (for reasons later revealed in the novel) and who is not an entirely earnest person, Wilde introduces a complex combination of both pun and irony. The title is a pun in that the words "earnest" and "Ernest" are similarly pronounced and ironic in that the character who wants to be called "Ernest" is not actually "earnest." Another example of irony in this play that I found to be particularly amusing occurs in Act I, when Algernon scolds Jack for eating a cucumber sandwich: Algernon: "Please don't touch the cucumber sandwiches. They are ordered specially for Aunt Augusta. (Takes one and eats it)," Jack: Well, you have been eating them all the time," Algernon: "That is a quite different matter." Here, the irony is obvious. Whereas Jack is not allowed to eat a sandwich, Algernon is. Although I do not know if Wilde was attempting to satirize a certain aspect of high society, which is a common theme throughout the play, it was nonetheless humorous. Farce is also used quite extensively in the play. For instance, in Act I yet again, Jack and Algernon's friendly banter eventually progresses into a heated argument over whether it is gentlemanly to read an inscription on a person's private cigarette case. This form of humor is reminiscent of the usual dialogue in a Monty Python skit or Seinfeld episode; that is, the humor present in absurd situations concerning mundane, insignificant matters. Finally, Wilde uses satire most consistently and effectively in The Importance of Being Earnest as a humorous technique. In fact, the entire play is a satire on the social conventions, pretentious attitudes, pompous manners, and superficial concerns characteristic of Victorian British society. All of the aforementioned comedic techniques (pun, irony, and farce) that Wilde uses throughout his play to introduce are also used to satirize aspects of British society; essentially, they serve a dual function. The ridiculousness that these comedic techniques introduce to the play's plot also demonstrate the ridiculousness of Victorian values, at least according to Wilde.

As I previously mentioned, The Importance of Being Earnest reminds me of a Monty Python skit or Seinfeld episode, which happen to include the type of comedy that I enjoy, comedy that results from absolute absurdity. In general, I enjoy any type of comedy that employs smart, witty humor and, occasionally, "dirty" humor, like the movies Dumb and Dumber, The Naked Gun, Christmas Vacation, and Airplane!.

"It's just a flesh wound."